Indicate what your organization wishes to achieve on the communications front, such as increased media prominence, damage control, branding, etc. For instance, growth may be your company’s long-term goal, while creating greater brand recognition locally is your short-term goal.
If your company is aiming to grow by means of establishing greater brand recognition locally, your communications strategy may be “Create brand recognition in those local communities that are less familiar with our product, in order to attract more vendors within those neighborhoods. "
Of those listed, who is it most important to reach? Rank your list. For instance, while it usually makes sense to get more media exposure, there are times when it’s even more important to communicate with key stakeholders. For instance, you may define your most important audience as community members within a few neighborhoods in which brand recognition for your company is especially low. When you have completed your draft, go back and make sure that you have a plan to reach all of the stakeholders you listed.
If you are trying to drum up local recognition of your brand, for instance, your actions may be something like “Take out ads in local papers,” or “Sponsor community soccer leagues. "
For instance, your message might be that your product is readily available, that it is more reliable than other options, and that it is appreciated by children and adults alike.
To define a narrative, position your company or your team as a hero embarking on a mission. Define the motives, risks, and benefits in terms of a hero’s journey that will have a happy ending. For instance, you might say, “After succeeding in select markets in Dayton, Ohio, our company has reached a plateau. We have secured vendors within all of the University-affiliated neighborhoods, and our customers couldn’t be happier. Sure, we have a loyal customer base, but many of our customers will move after a few years. How can we build greater brand recognition within the permanent residents of Dayton, enough that we can expand our operations to Cincinnati? To Columbus?” Follow this setup by laying out your plan, and detail the positive outcome you project.
List any media contacts, public relations arrangements, social media services, etc. If your goal is to reduce coverage or scrutiny of your organization, identify specific methods for deflecting attention.
Verify any parts of the plan you are unsure of with those in charge of your company’s budget.
Ask, does this give us enough time for the project to be seen by everyone who has to see it?
Identify ways in which your strategy can be adapted to changing conditions and how you will respond to feedback from within and from outside the organization.
Present this alongside your company’s communications strategy.
