Enhance Your Goals with

Communications

March 2008

Who we are…• Flint Communications• Part of the Flint Group

What we’ll cover…• Who are you?

– Determining your “brand” positioning

• Who needs to care?– Identifying and analyzing key audiences

• What do they need to know?– Determining key messages– Matching them to audiences

What we’ll cover…• How do you reach them?

– Identifying the best way to deliver your messages

After lunch…• Hands-on planning session

Who are you

What is yourbrand

?

A brand is not a logoA brand is not identity

A brand is not a product

Your brand is not…

Your brand is…

A brand is a person’s

gut feelingabout a product,

service or organization.

Your brand is…

not what you say it is…

Your brand is…what they say it is.

It’s the position you have in their mind

or heart.

Photo by Elvire.R.

So…

Where are you positioned today?

Where do you want to be tomorrow?

Examining your positioning…

Begin with who you are…•Mission, vision and core values of your organization.•Who, where you serve?•Who else is out there? –Serving the same audience, same services?

–Competing for the same dollars?–Talking to the same donors?

If I asked…•What is the “one thing” you do best?•Are there other unique distinctions between you and your “competitors”?•If you had one minute to tell someone about your organization, what would you say?

And more questions…•What words would you use to describe your organization?•Where do you make the greatest impact?•What do you do to make life better?•What is the reputation of your organization?

Think about your history, your staff and volunteers, and more.•Where are you strong?•Where are you weak?•What “gets in the way” for you?–Obstacles–Issues–Current or past events

•“I wish they knew ____ about us.”

Summarize your unique distinctions.

Who needs to care?

• List all possible audiences.– External (include customers, clients, members, etc)

•Individuals•Businesses

– Internal•Staff, Board, Committees, Volunteers

• Identify who could possibly influence them.

• Include other funding sources, regulators, thought leaders, associations.

Determine target audiences.

• Individual Demographic information:– Average age– Gender– Family lifecycle stage– Income– Education– Geographic

• Businesses Demographic information:– Size by revenue– Size by number of employees– Industry– Geographic

What do you know about them?

Who needs to care

the most?

Prioritize your audiences.

• Analyze all audiences– Individual– Businesses

• Awareness vs. Potential– Use matrix tool to plot audience

• Focus efforts on audiences with high potential– High Potential/Low Awareness– High Potential/High Awareness

Prioritize Target Audiences

What does each audience know

– or need to know?

Where are they now?

Awareness

Knowledge

Liking

Preference

Commitment

What resonates with —and

engages—each audience?

What hurt do you address, what need do

you fill?

What makes them care?

• Psychographic information:– Interests– Hobbies– Leisure pursuits– Cultural– Beliefs, thought patterns– Core Values

What issues might get in the way?

• Reputation – Industry– Organization

• Frustrations

What does each audience need

to know?

Develop…your positioning

statement…

…and an elevator speech.

A brand positioning statement…

….is a statement that defines the place a brand occupies in the audience’s mind relative to competing offerings.

This statement is the foundation for all communications material but is not the external message.

Brand Positioning

Positioning Statement:We aim high on everything we do.

Brand Promise Statement:We aim high on everything we do; higher than our clients’ expectations, higher than their goals for business growth. This takes passion. This takes fire. This takes knowing that good enough is never good enough. And it isn’t good at all if it doesn’t get results.

Develop a Great Elevator Speech

Image by jepoirrier

Elevator SpeechWhat it is:

A brief, compelling description of–Who you are–What do you do–Why does it matter

Needs to be short and concise – easily said in a short elevator ride!

Needs to pass the So What? test

Elevator Speech

Example – printing company:“At ACME Printing we help companies save time and reduce costs by making it easier for them to print their invoices and accounts receivable forms and process their payroll checks.”

DevelopKey Messages

Key messages…• Open the door to direct communication with your audience.– Bridge what your audience already knows with where you are trying to take them.

• Are customized to each audience.• Address the hurt and the need.• Are the “one thing” that audience needs to know.

• Are backed by proof or supporting points.

• Get your audience curious.

Key messages are… • Concise: avoid jargon and acronyms

• Active: make every sentence active

• Positive: talk about what one can do, not what you can't

• Short: one memorable sentence, 10-15 seconds to say.

• Specific: address a particular challenge and audience.

And…where and how will they get my

message?

Develop Communications

Strategies

Effective strategies….

… influence a target audience to achieve a specific outcome by using selected messages, messengers and channels or mediums to reach the target.

Strategies…• Objectives

– Educate– Awareness– Action

• Who– Prioritized target audiences

• Key Messages– Persuasive, compelling messages that resonate with target audiences

• Initiatives– Define How and What you need to accomplish

• Tactics – All the different ways you reach people– Vehicles for delivering key messages

Strategy Example

• Objective– Strengthen current donor relationships

• Who– Cass/Clay businesses with 50+ employees with High Potential/High Awareness

– Adults in Cass/Clay with household incomes of $75,000+

• Key Messages– Brand key messages– Cause/program specific based on donor’s interest

Strategy Example

• Initiative– Nurture current and past donors through annual fund raising campaign

• Tactics– Hold kick-off meeting– Launch media campaign

• TV• Radio• Print

– Set up speaking engagements at specific targeted businesses

– Send out media releases with campaign milestones

Strategies…

• Action plans• Steps needed• Who’s responsible• Timeline• Budget

• Evaluate

Last words

Don't get trapped into feeling like you have to know everything to get started.

Learning happens as you make and try out new strategies and messages.