Raising Hometown Voices to a New Level of Influence

SC City County Management Association

January 18, 2008

Big picture questions to consider

• What are your city/county’s strategic goals?

• How do you develop a common message around these goals and ensure everyone is using these messages?

• What are your resources to communicate these goals?

• How do you illustrate these goals for residents and businesses?

Why Plan?

• Gives your day-to-day work a focus

• Helps you set priorities

• Provides you with a sense of order and control

• Keeps everyone on message

• Protects you against last-minute, seat-of-the-pants demands from internal and external sources

The “5 A” elements of a plan• Aim - What is your goal and message?

• Audience - Who are you trying to reach (think beyond the “general public”)

• Action - What do you want them to do/remember?

• Avenues – What tools do you use to communicate?

• Accomplishment – How do you know

if you succeed?

How do you measure success?

• News clips

• “Fingerprint” index

• Web hits

• Formal surveys

• Call to action results

• Intangibles

Hometown, SC

• Aim – Raise hometown voices to a new level of influence

• Audience – Key influencers and policy makers

• Action – Advocate on behalf of strong cities

• Avenues – Variety of resources

• Accomplishment - “Fingerprints” of

the message/positive news

Hometown, SC approach

• Media relations

• Events

• Grassroots/grasstops advocacy

• Content/resources – Hometown Happenings, “Cities Mean Business” campaign

Questions?

Reba Campbellrcampbell@masc.sc

803.933.1245