Writing a
communications
strategy
Victoria Pearson, Senior Communications Planning Manager, PAD
Carolyne Culver, Head of Communications, MPLS
15 January 2016
A plan of action designed to achieve a goal
or vision.
All about gaining a position of advantage
over competitors/adversaries or best
exploiting emerging possibilities.
A detailed plan for achieving success in
situations such as war, politics, business,
industry or sport.
What is a strategy?
Sainsbury’s
To be the most trusted retailer where people love to
work and shop.
Cancer Research UK
To accelerate progress and see three-quarters of people
surviving the disease within the next 20 years.
National Trust
To combat issues such as climate change and safeguard
these special places for future generations.
University of Oxford
To lead the world in research and education in ways which
benefit society on a national and a global scale.
Exercise:
What is your
mission or
vision?
Take a few moments to
consider the mission or
objective of your
department/college, event or
project…
What is a communications strategy?
A written reference document against
which to judge progress
Collaboration between the
business/project leader(s) and the
communications professional(s)
Identifies:
clear and measurable communications
objectives with evaluation
relevant audiences and available
channels
a plan of activities and a timetable
communication risks and mitigation
resources – financial and people
Type of communications strategy
Organisation – ideally reviewed annually
Major, complex, long term project – eg
innovation
A major announcement – eg new
endowment which will fund a
scholarship programme
A big event – eg a conference
Building and opening a new building
“Why don’t we just get on with it?”
Plan ahead rather than panicking at the
last minute
Exploit all the channels available to you
Agree responsibilities
Identify and seek resources
Identify risks and plan how to deal with
them
A plan against which to measure success
Taking time to agree what you want to achieve
A process that helps you learn lessons for the future
Do your research….
Your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats?
Learn lessons from previous projects
Learn lessons from peers’ and competitors’
experiences
Look at past media coverage, event
attendance, web visits
Speak to colleagues – experienced and
fresh-faced
What are your organisational/project/event (non-communications)
objectives?
Focus groups and surveys among your key audiences
Make sure your objectives are….
Not SMART
“We need to raise more money.”
SMART:
“We want to raise £5million to set up a fund to
create an extra 20 graduate scholarships
from October 2017.”
You can have one or more objectives
Consider your audiences carefully
Are you talking to the right people?
Two considerations…
Who holds the keys to success or
failure?
And who influences those people?
And…
Don’t forgot the internal audience – e.g. students and colleagues in
your department or college, people in your division
Categorise your audiences in relation to your
situation and your objectives
Influential + interested + supportive = your partners
Influential + interested + opposed = use persuasion
Influential + not interested = capture their attention
Use third parties to help persuade and create interest
More than just ‘the public’ or ‘the media’
HEFCE, research councils, charities, NHS etc
UK government, local council
Your colleagues, the wider University
Alumni
Donors
Future applicants
Local community: residents, businesses,
groups
Media: local, national, specialist
Exercise:
Thinking about
your objective,
who are your
2-3 main
audiences?
Now think about your messages
What do you want audiences to know, think and do?
AIDA model: awareness, interest, desire, action
Be clear, honest and consistent
Answer those inevitable questions:
“Why should I care?”
“How does it affect me?”
Tailor your messages to your audiences:
the content and the tone
Use evidence: statistics and case studies
Consider two-way engagement
Make people sit up and listen
“Oxford offers the most generous
bursary package to undergraduate
students from the least well off
households”
Inspire action
“We need 5,000 signatures
on our petition to the local
council to save our library”
Channels of communication
Media: local, national, international; print,
broadcast, web, social
Lobbying: local and national government,
funding bodies, special interest groups
Marketing: brand, website, advertising,
brochures, fliers, video
Events: conferences, launch events,
public speeches, tours of building sites
Timing
Work backwards from your deadline
Create a timetable of all activities
Coordinate who is told what and when
Exploit ‘hooks’ to attract interest
Availability of spokespeople and venues
Accommodate long lead-in time and
sign-off
Monitor timetable and adjust as necessary
For example…
September
2015
October 2015 November 2015
Lobbying
Ask local MP to
book venue
Send out
invitations
Event in
parliament
Media
Identify key
messages and
spokespeople
Propose an
interview
Issue press
release
Publications
Design invitation
and display boards
Print the materials
Distribute the
materials at the
event
Resources: people and money
Who do you ideally need to assist you?
Who is actually available to assist you?
What funds do you need?
What funds do you have?
Do you need to bid for extra? From
whom? When?
Are there conditions attached to the
funding?
Prioritise, and manage people’s expectations
Risks and mitigation
Identify risks that could prevent you achieving your
objectives
How you will deal with them?
Identify options – a plan A and a plan B
Prepare ‘lines to take’ – anticipate audiences’ reaction
Risk
Mitigation options
A
student protest could threaten
the success of your event.
Plan A: Meet with the students in
advance
to discuss issues.
Plan
B: Change the event
date/venue.
Don’t neglect evaluation: did you succeed?
Did you change understanding, opinion and
behaviour?
How will you measure – and will it cost
anything?
Quantitative
Event attendance, website visitors,
donations, column inches
Qualitative
Feedback forms, focus groups, key messages in
the media
‘Wash-up’ with the project team
Write it all down, even if it is just a side of A4
Introduction: summary of project; emphasise added value
Mission and vision
One or two clear objectives or aims
Key audiences, messages, channels
Timetable of key activities with dates
Resources – who will do the work and who will pay
Risks and mitigation
Means of evaluation
Approvals/sign-off process
And finally….
Keep and manage versions of your strategy
Electronic and printed copies of material produced
Record of quantitative and qualitative evaluation
Keep a contacts list
Share best practice with peers
Publicise your success
It’s good PR for our profession!
Internal resources
The Public Affairs Directorate website has
lots of information:
www.ox.ac.uk/public-affairs
Consider the Communications Officers
Network, Social Media Network, divisional
networks and resources, and the College
Communications Network
Check the Style Guide, Digital Style Guide
and Branding Guidelines to make sure
your comms execution meets brand
standards and best practice
recommendations
