Objectives and Message for Your Primary Stakeholders Discussion Paper

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PLANNING FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING
6™ EDITION
LAURIE J. WILSON, APR, Fellow
Brigham Young University
JOSEPH D. OGDEN
Brigham Young University
Kendall Hunt
publishing
company
Cover images used under license from Shutterstock, Inc.
Kendall Hunt
publishing
company
www.kendallhunt.com
Send all inquiries to:
4050 Westmark Drive
Dubuque, IA 52004-1840
Copyright 1995, 1997, 2000 by Laurie J. Wilson
Copyright 2004, 2008, 2015 by Kendall Hunt Publishing Company
ISBN 978-1-4652-9774-7
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
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without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Printed in the United States of America
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© Micael Jung/Shutterstock.com
that the strength of the association is determined by the
salience of shared values that place a priority on people.
It is important to note that durable relationships are
not created out of rationalist, bottom-line business man­
agement techniques. They are created and strengthened
through mutual trust, respect, cooperation and benefit.
Trust is based on honest communication and is a prereq­
uisite of cooperative relationships as well as a tangible
result.
The strategic
communications planning
matrix
o
QP ANALYTICAL
° PROCESS
A process in which
action in each step
is determined by the
information acquired
and decisions made in
previous steps.
Now that we have established a strategic role for communications in developing
relationships, we are able to implement the planning that will accomplish specific
objectives and is targeted at publics immediately important to the organization. If we
have worked to identify and assess our strategic relationships, the selection of key
publics for any particular communication or marketing effort will be simplified and
much more accurate. We have less chance of omitting a critical public, and we know
more about all of our publics. Part of our research is already done. We are also bet­
ter prepared to send messages because our relationships with organizational publics
have been maintained and strengthened in our overall approach to marketing and
communication.
A strategic, analytical approach to an organization’s communication is absolutely
requisite. Public relations has used the four-step RACE model — research, action
planning, communications and evaluation — but making that process truly analyti­
cal, so that each step is determined by the information acquired and decisions made
in previous steps, is a challenge. Incorporating feedback during implementation and
making needed alterations to ensure success is even more difficult.
Effective practitioners are doing the kinds of research and measurement that
helps to make wise decisions. But doing so requires a framework for applying what
we have learned through research.
It is not enough to discover the attitudes, values and beliefs of a segmented de­
mographic public; we must interpret those in terms of the issue or problem at hand
and predict future behavior. Determining that a public’s self-interest regarding a
certain issue is the health and welfare of its children is of no use unless we then
formulate messages that emphasize the health and welfare of the target public’s
children. Identifying certain targeted media as the best channels to deliver messag­
es to a segmented public does us no good if we then shotgun the message through
mass media.
The 8-Step Strategic Communications Planning Matrix introduced in this chap­
ter was inspired in the early 1990s by the faculty at Brigham Young University in
Provo, Utah. It was designed to direct problem solving analytically, using research to
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The relationship-building approach to communications
make decisions in each step of communication planning and implementation. The
matrix is the tool we use throughout this book to support the strategic communi­
cations planning process. The process begins with the identification of a problem
or opportunity that sets the stage for background research and a situation analysis
based on the research. It outlines additional research necessary for decision-making
that will take place in the planning and implementation processes.
The planning process then starts with setting a goal that directly resolves
the identified challenge. This goal may or may not be a tangible, measurable out­
come. You next move forward to determine objectives — specific and measurable
outcomes — that will ensure the accomplishment of the goal. Next you will want
to think creatively about a “big idea.” This will be an overarching strategy and mes­
sage that will appeal to all publics. Specific key publics are then selected, messages
determined and strategies and tactics designed to send those messages. Calendaring,
budgeting and evaluation are also addressed in a strategic way, using research as the
foundation for decisions in each step.
The Strategic Communications Planning Matrix enables professionals in com­
munication and marketing to address problems and issues of concern to organiza­
tions in a strategic way, in concert with the overall organizational goals and objec­
tives. It is enhanced by the understanding of how each organizational public forms
a strategic relationship. Planning is simplified because of the nature and direction
of the cooperative relationships already established, and implementation is made
easier because of established channels of interaction and a predisposition on the
part of the publics within cooperative communities to give heed to the organiza­
tion’s messages.
The global business community is rebounding from a crisis of trust. The crisis was
precipitated by neglecting the relationships that are key to our success. We neglected
those relationships because we were so focused on short-term profit measures that
we were unable to see the necessity of strong, trust-based relationships as crucial to
long-term survival.
In the past 25 to 30 years, public relations scholars and communication profes­
sionals have been struggling to return the practice of the organization’s communi­
cation to its strategic role and function. Recognizing that we evolved away from,
rather than toward, the strategic counseling role we should be serving, we have
examined our roots in communication as well as current trends in business, society
and technology.
Essentially, we are now in a better position than ever in terms of driving
relationship building within organizations. We must systematically track the status
of those relationships to ensure appropriate allocation of resources over the long
term. Within the context of those relationships, we can more effectively use tradi­
tional analytical and strategic planning to solve organizational problems. The Stra­
tegic Communications Planning Matrix provides one of the best tools available to
approach all communications challenges and opportunities within the trust-based
relationship framework of today’s successful organizations.
STRATEGIC
COMMUNICATIONS
PLANNING
An approach to
communications
planning that focuses
actions on the
accomplishment of
organizational goals.
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8-STEP STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING MATRIX
1. BACKGROUND
Planning begins with a synthesis of primary and secondary research.
It provides background information on the industry, external environ­
ment, client, product, service or issue. It includes a market analysis and
segmentation study that identifies current trends in opinions, attitudes
and behaviors. Resources such as staffing, facilities and intervening
publics are also identified.
2. SITUATION
ANALYSIS
The situation analysis consists of two paragraphs. The first paragraph is
a statement of the current situation and a description of the challenge or
opportunity based on research. The second paragraph identifies poten­
tial difficulties that could impede success.
3. CORE PROBLEM/
OPPORTUNITY
The core problem/opportunity is a one-sentence statement of the main
difficulty or prospect including likely consequences if not resolved or
realized.
4. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
Goal The goal is a one-sentence statement of the overall result needed to
solve the problem or seize the opportunity. The goal does not have to
be quantified.
Objectives Objectives are numbered or bulleted statements of specific results that
will lead to the achievement of the goal. Objectives must be specific,
written, measurable, attainable, time-bound, cost-conscious, efficient
and mission-driven. If objectives are clear, key publics become obvious.
5. BIG IDEA, KEY PUBLICS, MESSAGES, STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
Big Idea A “big idea” is a creative, overarching strategy and message that appeals
to all publics you will target. Describe your big idea in one sentence.
Then include a bullet for each of these three components: Big idea
strategy, message and visual representation of the idea. An optional
fourth bullet could be a slogan that encapsulates the big idea message
and strategy.
Key Publics
Key publics include a description of each group that must be reached to
achieve the goal and objectives. Identify:
• Objectives accomplished by key publics • Opinion leaders
• Demographics and psychographics
• Motivating self-interests
• Relationship with organization or issue
• Viable communication channels
Plan specific messages, strategies and tactics for one public before moving
to the next public.
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Messages
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The relationship-building approach to communications
Message design is public-specific and focuses on self-interests. Create
a small number of primary and a larger number of secondary messages
for each public.
Primary messages are short summary statements similar to sound bites.
They identify a category of information and/or communicate what
action you want a public to take. They also tie the desired action to a
public’s self-interest(s).
Secondary messages are bulleted statements that give credibility to the
primary message with facts, testimonials, examples and stories. They
provide the ethos, pathos and logos of persuasion.
Strategies Strategies identify what a public must do to fulfill an objective and the
channel(s) through which messages will be sent to motivate that action.
Multiple strategies may be required for each public.
Tactics Tactics are the creative elements and tools used to deliver messages
through specific channels. A number of tactics are required to support
each strategy. Examples are story placements, YouTube videos, Twitter
posts, special events, infographics, websites or blogs.
6. CALENDAR AND BUDGET
Calendars show when each tactic begins and ends and the relationship of
tactics to each other in a time continuum. Calendars are organized by pub­
lic and strategy to show the work required. A Gantt chart is recommended.
Calenda
Budget Budgets are also organized by public and strategy. The budget projects the
cost of each tactic. It also indicates where costs will be offset by donations
or sponsorships. Subtotals are provided for each strategy and public.
7. COMMUNICATION
CONFIRMATION
The confirmation table checks the logic of your analysis in formulating
a persuasive plan. The action plan is reduced to a format that shows the
alignment of strategies and tactics with key publics and opinion lead­
ers; messages with self-interests; and all of these components with the
objectives. The completed table becomes a tool to manage implementa­
tion of the campaign.
Key Public
Self-interests
Objectives
8. EVALUATION
CRITERIA AND
TOOLS
Primary Messages
Opinion Leaders
Strategies
Tactics
Evaluation criteria are the desired results established by the objectives.
Evaluation tools are the methodologies you use to gather the data.
These tools must be included in the calendar and budget.
© 2015 LAURIE J. WILSON AND JOSEPH D. OGDEN
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Using research for effective communications planning
esearch should be an established and ongoing process in any organization. Suc­
cessful organizations are always scanning the internal and external environ­
ment, gathering data and feedback from key publics and measuring the effectiveness
of their communication in moving toward established goals. At some point, the key
information is pulled together to support planning, but that does not signal an end to
research. The savvy professional is always looking for new information that may ad­
just plans at any point or reconfirm the validity of current efforts. Measurement that
we call “evaluation” in the Strategic Communications Planning Matrix focuses on
measuring our success rather than gathering information to chart a course. Never­
theless, what we find out from evaluation integrates with the constant flow of other
information to become the foundation of new efforts, programs and campaigns.
Research provides the information that helps us find solutions that work. It also
demonstrates our credibility to our clients or to management. If the research pro­
cess can be said to have a beginning, it starts when someone first states a problem or
discovers an opportunity. Someone — a client, a customer, a colleague, a supervisor
or you — identifies an issue or an opportunity. Then we start to organize what we
know around that issue or opportunity. We also reach out to gather what we don’t
know but need to know.
That’s when the real work begins. Facts and information are gathered from all
sources and organized to be sorted and evaluated. Figure 4.1 indicates the depth
of detail and the breadth of perspective necessary in this process. Translate the
concepts on the checklist to whatever economic sector you are representing. Your
analysis may have a commercial product orientation, a corporate issue management
focus, a nonprofit fundraising challenge or any number of other purposes. The
checklist can be universally applied.
R
STRATEGIC PLANNING MATRIX
1. BACKGROUND
Planning begins with a synthesis of primary and secondary research.
It provides background information on the industry, external environ­
ment, client, product, service or issue. It includes a market analysis and
segmentation study that identifies current trends in opinions, attitudes
and behaviors. Resources such as staffing, facilities and intervening
publics are also identified.
2. SITUATION
ANALYSIS
The situation analysis consists of two paragraphs. The first paragraph is
a statement of the current situation and a description of the challenge or
opportunity based on research. The second paragraph identifies poten­
tial difficulties that could impede success.
3. CORE PROBLEM/
OPPORTUNITY
The core problem/opportunity is a one-sentence statement of the main
difficulty or prospect—including likely consequences if not resolved or
realized.
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Figure 4.1________________________________________
Communications and marketing research checklist
1. External environment
• Economic, political and social environment within which the organization operates and the problem
or challenge has occurred along with any underlying issues.
• Pressures on the organization and the impact of current events on its operation and the
maintenance of key relationships.
2. Industry
• Organizations, companies, dollar sales, strengths, challenges.
• Industry growth patterns, primary demand curve, per capita consumption, potential.
• History, technological advances, trends.
• Characteristics, distribution patterns, control and regulation, promotional activity, geographic
characteristics, profit patterns.
3. Client
• History, size, growth, profitability, scope of business, competence, reputation, strengths, weaknesses,
structure, personnel.
4. Product, service or issue
• The product, service or issue story, development, quality, design, packaging, pricing policies and structure,
sales and profit history, trends, distribution, reputation.
• Product, service or issue sales features (exclusive, nonexclusive, differentiating qualities, competitive posi­
tion in public’s mind).
• Sales force (size, scope, ability, cost/sale).
• Product research and planned improvements.
5. Promotions
• Successes and failures of past policy, sales force, advertising, publicity.
• Expenditures, budget emphasis, relation to trends.
• Ad/PR/marketing strategies, themes, campaigns.
• Promotions of competitors and like organizations.
6. Market share
• Sales history industry-wide and share of market in dollars and/or units.
• Share of the market in terms of clients, donors, services, etc., for noncommercial organizations.
• Market potential, industry trends, company trends, demand trends.
7. Competition
• Who and where the market is; how it is segmented; publics’ needs, attitudes and characteristics; how, why,
when and where publics purchase or act.
• Customers (consumers, voters, donors, etc.) — past and future — and commonalities.
• Competitors and their potential.
• Competing attitudes, ideas and lifestyles.
8. Resources
• Intervening publics and opinion leaders.
• Publics’ attitudes and opinions toward product, issue or organization.
• Physical facilities and personnel.
9. SWOT analysis
• Internal and external strengths and weaknesses including publics, resources, attitudes,
organization, structure, sales force, ideas, allies and enemies.
• Emergent or possible opportunities.
• Threats to the organization and to success.
10.
•
•
•
•
Market research
Demographic and psychographic data (values, attitudes and lifestyles).
Current attitudes, opinions and values pertaining to product, service or issue.
Motivating self-interests and opinion leaders.
Information sources and preferred media channels.
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If you are designing the first-ever communications effort or strategic communica­
tions plan for your client or company, the research section of your plan may take a sig­
nificant amount of time to complete. It may require an exhaustive search and synthe­
sis of new data. If, however, ongoing communications functions have systematically
gathered and organized research data into easily accessible and usable information,
your research task will be more of an update. Always take the time to record and file
pieces of information you come across in your daily routine. Continually gathering
information will make the research task for any given effort or issue much easier.
The next several chapters in this book are designed to take you through the
8-Step Strategic Communications Planning Matrix step by step. The Matrix Applied
sections, introduced in this chapter, provide practical application of that process. As
we progress through each step of the matrix in this and subsequent chapters, the
Matrix Applied examples will illustrate each step as it is discussed in the text.
Mfiffi
Research background, situation analysis
and core problem/opportunity
The State Department of Corrections is planning to construct a new
prison in Green Valley, a small farming town 50 miles from an interstate
highway. The 7,500 people in the town and 2,500 more in the surround­
ing area are concerned for the safety of their families and property.
The state will face expensive opposition unless attitudes can be changed
so that the town is reassured of its safety and welcomes the economic
development that will come with the new facility.
BACKGROUND
The externa! environment: Like the rest of the country, Green Valley is
struggling to emerge from the economic downturn that hit this farming
community particularly hard. Unemployment and underemployment have
been problems, and the construction project and the staffing and mainte­
nance of a prison in town would be a definite economic boon. Politically,
the residents are conservative and supportive of the penal system,
but highly publicized incidents of violent crime have them wary of the
kinds of people and criminal culture that would be introduced into their
community and to their children.
The industry: While the penal system would introduce the seamier side
of society to Green Valley, the prison and all the services needed to
support the prison would mean several million dollars injected into the
area economy annually, and it would mean 750 new jobs with the prison
alone, not to mention the jobs that would be added as the town’s busi­
ness community expanded to meet the needs of such a facility. While
many of those jobs would be blue collar, hourly positions, a fair percent­
age would be professional positions in education, health care, manage­
ment, finance and other professions. Technology, strict regulation and
control in this industry renders safety less of an issue than the public may
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Using research for effective communications planning
think. That means growth for Green Valley as people move into town to
support the new prison, and employment for people in Green Valley who
have been without work because of the recent recession.
The client: The state prison system keeps a low profile, and has been able
to do so because of virtually no incidents threatening public safety in the
last couple of decades. The system is efficiently managed, and employees
are competent. Its reputation is unsullied.
The service: The service provided by the taxpayer-funded state penal
system is necessary. In this conservative area, the justice system is sup­
ported, and the concept of prisons is understood and accepted. There is
little, if any, opposition to the idea of a prison; there was simply concern
that it would be located here. The issue of safety is the primary concern
in the minds of citizens, and the exposure of children to the idea of vio­
lent crime in society is a close secondary concern. In a small town like
this, children and families would see the prison facility daily, a constant
reminder of their vulnerability and the criminal element in society.
Promotions: Research shows that other states that have faced this chal­
lenge have been most successful when they have invited the community’s
voice in the process. Providing full information on location, plans, time­
lines, construction and operation along with inviting public discussion
and comment have typically allowed communities to weigh the pros and
cons and come to a decision of support. Economic benefits, safety pro­
cedures and safety records of other state facilities have all been powerful
messages. When communities have a voice in the process, are assured of
the safety of their families, recognize the economic benefits and see the
meticulous planning for the least disruption of their lives, they tend to be
supportive of a prison in their community. A pervasive public information
effort, the support of local opinion leaders and community forums have
been the most effective tools to engage publics and gain support.
Competition: The only competition is the publics’ perceptions, attitudes
and values. Fear for safety and fear for a loss of innocence present oppo­
sition. Those can be overcome with accurate information and recognition
of the benefits. There is also a potential for legal opposition for a project
like this.
Resources: Opinion leaders will be critical resources in this public informa­
tion and persuasion campaign, particularly local officials, school adminis­
trators and local media. The community’s need for economic growth and
stability, as well as jobs, can be considered a resource. City hall, the high
school and the local recreation center are established community meeting
places that can be used for community forums. A weekly newspaper and a
local radio station will also be resources for information dissemination.
(ContinuecT)
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Research background, situation analysis
and core problem/opportunity (.continued)
SWOT analysis:
MH
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
1. Economic benefits
2. Penal system safety record
3. Support of local leaders
i. Construction inconvenience
2. Daily visibility of negative
element
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
i. Jobs
2. Local media
i. Safety
2. Family values
3. Legal opposition
Market research: This requires a full demographic breakdown of the area
in terms of ages, income, employment and other characteristics. It also
requires psychographic data on attitudes, values and beliefs for politi­
cal, social and economic issues, as well as for the prison specifically. The
psychographic breakdown would include lifestyles, recreation and other
similar data. It would also include identification of opinion leaders, self­
interests, information sources and preferred media channels.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
The announcement that the state is planning to construct a new prison
facility in Green Valley has been met with initial resistance. While resi­
dents are generally supportive of the state’s penal system, which has an
excellence record of safety and competence, they fear the introduction of
the criminal element into their peaceful community. Safety has been the
overriding concern of residents, overshadowing the economic benefits
that would come from the construction and maintenance of this facility.
This project would bring in several million dollars annually and 750 jobs to
this economically struggling community. It would boost the business and
professional communities, improve medical facilities, strengthen funding
of education and provide an economic injection that would significantly
improve the quality of life for the vast majority of area residents. A solid
80 percent of residents have expressed concerns over safety, but only
35 percent could name a potential economic benefit. Fewer than
20 percent thought the new facility would improve other local services
like education and health care. Nearly three-quarters of residents have
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Using research for effective communications planning
a favorable opinion of the state corrections department, but only onequarter indicate that they would be fully supportive of a prison in Green
Valley. While only 30 percent are outright opposed to locating the prison
here, 45 percent have significant concerns. Should those concerns not be
alleviated, the opposition could potentially mobilize a legal challenge to
the project.
The primary challenge seems to be public awareness and education.
Other efforts have shown that giving the community a voice in the pro­
cess and being completely transparent and open about plans and opera­
tion have improved community support, especially given the economic
benefits. Safety will always be an issue, but the reputation and safety
record of the department of corrections as well as procedures in place
to ensure safety can assure the community that there is low risk associ­
ated with housing a prison in the community. Local opinion leaders and
local media are well-informed on relevant issues and are supportive. But if
opposition can’t be converted to support, Green Valley will likely lose the
opportunity to improve the standard of living for residents by locating
the prison there.
CORE PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY
Raise public awareness of safety and the benefits of the new prison to
gain public support and neutralize opposition so that the Green Valley
prison project can go forward without costly delay or legal opposition.
This chapter is designed to help you pull together information and analysis
into a succinct document focused on a specific purpose. That purpose might be
a complete strategic plan, a budget request for a new communications effort, a
solution to a problem or challenge, a response to a perceived threat or a proposal
to take advantage of an emergent opportunity. For our purposes here, we call this
part of a plan or proposal the research section to facilitate parallelism with the
Research, Action Planning, Communication and Evaluation (RACE) model. As
depicted in the Strategic Communications Planning Matrix and Matrix Applied
example, the research section consists of the background, situation analysis and
core problem/opportunity.
Background
The background is a summary of pertinent facts and information drawn from
primary and secondary research. It must be comprehensive, but written con­
cisely. It does not contain everything you discovered in research, only the in­
formation necessary to establish credibility with your client or manager and
build the foundation for your plan. A good background will often depict data and
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Setting goals and objectives
O
Q-C* PLANNING
he second step of the RACE model is action planning. Planning and the program­
ming it generates is how we get from here to there. “Here” is where we are now.
It is our current situation as we have described it after synthesizing our research and
redefining the challenge or opportunity we face. “There” is where we want to be; it’s
our goal. Planning helps us to look ahead, to chart our course to ensure we get there.
Like sailing a boat, planning must be flexible and open to course correction as we re­
ceive feedback or obtain new information. Nevertheless, unless we know where we
are going and have some idea of an appropriate course to get there, our arrival at the
destination will be left to chance. The more complete our planning — based on good
research — the better our chances of arriving at our destination.
T
OH II.
The
process of using
research to chart the
step-by-step course
to solve a problem,
take advantage of an
opportunity or meet a
challenge.
O
GOAL
The result or desired
outcome that solves a
problem, takes advantage
of an opportunity or
meets a challenge.
The matrix approach
to planning
The heart of the Strategic Communications Planning Matrix is the action planning
section. The research process — including the collection, organization and analysis of
information and honing it into a situation analysis and core problem/opportunity —
lays the foundation for the action planning process. Broom and Sha (2013) call this
a “searching look backward,” a “wide look around,” a “deep look inside” and a “long
look ahead.”
The matrix addresses each of the remaining three steps — action planning, com­
munication and evaluation — as discrete functions. Nevertheless, this is a planning
matrix; the emphasis is on planning each step before implementing. Thus, the re­
sulting plan, although dynamic, should drive both the communication and evalua­
tion steps in the process.
Planning occurs at two distinct levels within any organization. First, long-term
planning looks at the entirety of the organization and its mission. It identifies goals,
STRATEGIC PLANNING MATRIX
4. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
Goal
Objectives
The goal is a one-sentence statement of the overall result needed to
solve the problem or seize the opportunity. The goal does not have to
be quantified.
Objectives are numbered or bulleted statements of specific results that
will lead to the achievement of the goal. Objectives must be specific,
written, measurable, attainable, time-bound, cost-conscious, efficient
and mission-driven. If objectives are clear, key publics become obvious.
5
Setting goals and objectives
79
O
objectives, publics and messages that address the long-term accomplishment of the
OBJECTIVE
organization’s mission.
Second, short-term planning is designed to target more immediate needs such as
managing a crisis, launching a new product line and repairing a damaged reputation.
Effective high-level planning should, nonetheless, inform planning for more spe­
cific short-term campaigns. Although they are focused on a more specific challenge,
short-term communications efforts should always reinforce the key messages, goals
and objectives of the long-term plan. Nevertheless, by their nature, they may also
address publics that may not be long-term key publics to the organization but that
are crucial to the accomplishment of the short-term effort.
Research helps us define the challenge and the current environment within
which the opportunity has occurred or will occur. As shown in the complete matrix
in chapter one, planning identifies what specifically needs to be accomplished (goal
and objectives) to overcome the challenge, who (key publics) we need to reach and/
or motivate to accomplish the goal and objectives, what we need to convey (messag­
es) to those publics to stimulate action and help us achieve our objectives, and how
(strategies and tactics) to get those messages to those publics so they both receive
and act upon them. This latest edition of the matrix has the big idea concept to better
tie together the who, what and how of a campaign under a creative unifying theme.
The process is analytical, with the decisions made and actions planned in each
step driving the decisions made and actions planned in each subsequent step. Fur­
ther, each step must be taken in turn. For example, the key publics for a particular
problem-solving effort cannot be selected until we have determined the goal and the
objectives necessary to achieve that goal. Only then can we select the publics that are
needed to accomplish our objectives. Similarly, we can only design effective messages
after we have selected key publics, know what we need them to do and determined
their self-interests. The decisions we make about the information a public needs, what
will motivate the public to act and who should deliver the message to the public are
prerequisite to designing messages that result in action that accomplishes objectives.
Effective informational and motivational messages cannot be designed for a
given public without a thorough analysis of its research profile, examination of the
status of the current relationship with that public and knowledge of its self-interests
as they pertain to the problem at hand and related issues. Strategies and tactics ap­
propriate to send the designed messages to the selected publics cannot be deter­
mined until we know what those messages are. Quite simply, the matrix approach
requires us to decide what we want to do, who we
need to reach to do it, what messages we need to
send to obtain cooperation and how we can most
effectively send those messages. The steps must be
taken in order or our planning is left to chance and
will most likely be flawed and offtrack.
We have all seen campaigns that had good re­
search but somehow misconnected in the planning
process. One poignant example is Salt Lake City’s
campaign to win the bid for the 1998, and subsequent­
ly the 2002, Winter Olympics. Previously, the Den­
ver organizing committee had to withdraw its candi­
dacy as the U.S. representative in a previous Olympic
Games bid because of opposing public opinion in the
Specific, measurable
statement of what needs
to be accomplished to
reach the goal.
C
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Denver area. Consequently, the Salt Lake City organizers decided it was important to
have a public referendum on the issue to demonstrate to the U.S. Olympic Committee
and the International Olympic Committee that Utah was fully supportive of Salt Lake’s
candidacy. With support running high in the state (upwards of 80 percent), the orga­
nizing committee expected the referendum would send a strong message that Utah
residents were squarely behind the effort. Nevertheless, its own polling showed there
was weak support and even opposition among senior citizens, environmentalists and
ultra-conservative segments of the population. While these groups actually comprised
only a small percentage of the Utah population, the organizing committee worried
that, in an off-year election, those three publics were the most likely to vote. Given
that information, the goal and objectives were to get out the supportive vote.
The strategy was to air clever, creative and visually appealing TV spots (tactics)
that gave people a good feeling about Utah hosting the Olympic Games. The end of
the spots showed a box with a checkmark in it to indicate a vote supportive of the
Olympic bid. But the ads were essentially still seeking intrinsic public support of
the games. The ads didn’t ask people to get out of their chairs and go vote. The bid
already had a high public approval rating. What the committee really needed was to
motivate those who approved to get to the polls and cast their supportive vote. But
the committee — through its ads — never actually asked the approving publics to go
vote. So they didn’t. The referendum passed by only a very slim margin. The orga­
nizing committee was plagued with explaining the low margin of public support to
the IOC in almost every subsequent interaction.
Once the city won the opportunity to host the 2002 Winter Olympics, the orga­
nizing committee no longer had to address the issue of citizen support to the IOC.
Nevertheless, the low voter support of the referendum was continual fodder for
the active (albeit minority) opposition to the games in Utah. No public opinion poll
could ever entirely dispel the results of the actual vote.
The Salt Lake Olympic Committee had good research data and analysis. It knew
what it had to do: get out the supportive publics who don’t typically vote in an offyear election. The committee knew the profiles of the publics it had to reach. Yet the
committee designed a message that did not specifically ask those publics to do what
needed to be done. The committee also sent the message in a broadly targeted tactic
through a mass medium ill-suited to the purpose at hand — reaching and motivating
highly segmented publics.
Each step of the matrix planning process must build on the previous step. The
logic must flow consistently and coherently. Disregarding the information accumu­
lated, the decisions made and the actions planned in one step will almost always
ensure that the decisions made and actions planned in the subsequent step are off
target and headed for failure.
With this important lesson in mind, the next few chapters address the action
planning steps of the Strategic Communications Planning Matrix. This chapter be­
gins that discussion with identifying what needs to be done to meet the challenge or
to seize the opportunity at hand.
Establishing goals
Once the core problem or opportunity is accurately established, setting the goal
is a simple task. The goal is actually a positive restatement of the core problem.
If your challenge is declining confidence among investors leading to a decline in
stock price, your goal is to reestablish confidence and boost your stock price. If your
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Setting goals and objectives
81
problem is a lack of accurate information regarding the process of organ donation,
thereby causing a shortage of available organs for transplant, your goal is to increase
the number of organs donated by overcoming misperceptions about the process.
The goal should be broader and more general than the objectives that follow. A goal
also does not have to be specifically measurable. The measured achievement of stra­
tegic objectives should ensure that the overall goal is reached.
Nevertheless, determining the goal may not be as simple as it appears. Too of­
ten, organizational communications and marketing personnel act unilaterally to set
goals. But those are not isolated functions within an organization; they should be
integral parts of the overall management approach. Setting campaign goals in isola­
tion, or without consideration of the organization’s overall goals, is dangerous and
can lead to a lack of internal support.
Two precautions can aid you in avoiding this problem. First, be sure you closely
align campaign goals with the organization’s mission. Doing so will also align cam­
paign goals and objectives with the organization’s long-term purpose. A campaign
goal is not as broad as a mission statement, but should be seen as a significant step
toward achieving the organization’s mission.
Second, verify that the campaign goal does not conflict with existing goals and
objectives. Does my campaign goal mesh with what marketing, advertising, sales
and public relations are already trying to accomplish? Will the campaign be cooper­
ating with or competing against existing initiatives?
It is typically not enough to “not conflict” with the goals of other entities. Truly
sound and defensible goals and objectives will enhance and support the overall organiza­
tional mission and goals. Figure 5.1 identifies some examples of possible organizational
°db Figure 5.1 ____________________________________________________________
0
Examples of organizational goals
Business sector
•
•
•
•
Maintain profitability.
Maintain and gradually improve stock rating.
Achieve a positive trust ranking.
Maintain an operating environment with minimal government regulation.
Public sector
•
•
•
•
•
Increase use of funded social programs.
Cut overhead and increase flow of funds to programs.
Decrease fraudulent use of social programs.
Improve citizen access to and use of information.
Increase government funding.
Nonprofit sector
•
•
•
•
Expand research efforts.
Expand program reach.
Secure private financial support of programs.
Provide for the safety of the community.
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Setting goals and objectives
goals. Remember that effective communication with key publics is necessary to create
the environment in which the organization can reach its goals. Any single campaign —
whether designed to solve a problem or to proactively position the organization — must
be planned within the framework of the organization’s goals.
Identifying objectives
Once the goal is set, the challenge is to break down what you want to accomplish
into smaller, more specific tasks. If your company’s goal is to expand a research
program, your communications campaign may need to set objectives that involve se­
curing public approval, generating funding, attracting personnel and building com­
munity support for the renovation of facilities. Objectives are specific, measurable
statements of what needs to be accomplished for the goal to be reached. Whereas a
goal may be somewhat ambiguous (e.g., not defining how much is enough funding
or profit), objectives must be absolutely precise.
We strongly recommend that objectives meet the following eight criteria that
have been carefully refined by communications and business professionals. Keep
in mind that precision is important in not only being able to carry out but also to
effectively measure your objectives.
Specific. Objectives should be free from ambiguity. What you are hoping to
accomplish should be specific and clearly articulated. Each objective should
address only one outcome. You shouldn’t write an objective to increase
awareness and improve sales. Similarly, achieving general awareness may
not be enough. Be specific about what kind of awareness you are seeking.
Do you want to increase awareness of an organization’s existence or of a
specific product line? Are you targeting HIV awareness or, more specifically,
the effect of its transmission to newborns? And what levels of awareness
are you seeking based on current levels of public knowledge? Having spe­
cific objectives helps you more clearly understand what publics you need
to reach and what you need each public to do. Your approach to achieving
these outcomes and the associated tasks will become the strategies and tac­
tics used to reach key publics later in the planning process.
Written. Objectives must be written down and published (at least shared with
the communications and marketing team). This may seem obvious, but too
often organizations assume everyone knows about and understands the
campaign’s purpose and objectives. Unless they are written and shared,
they have probably not been well thought out, and there may be differing
perceptions of what the objectives really are. One member of the team may
be working toward something entirely different than the other members
because his/her perception of the desired outcome is different than the rest
of the team’s. Putting your objectives in writing helps to solidify and refine
the plan while avoiding confusion over what you are trying to accomplish.
Further, written objectives serve as reference points throughout the
planning process. When you come to a point of disagreement on any ele­
ment of the planning process or when you run out of ideas somewhere in
the process, it often helps to go back and review exactly what it is you are
trying to accomplish. Finally, written objectives serve as tangible guides
for evaluation. They allow you to demonstrate how far you’ve come — not
only in a campaign but also as a professional.
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Measurable. Objectives must be improvement-oriented and quantifiable.
Anything measurable must have a number tied to it. Numbers can be rep­
resented in percentages or simple figures. Examples of percentage-based
objectives are: a 20 percent increase in sales, a 50 percent jump in dona­
tions and a 60 percent decline in the number of high school students who
have experimented with drugs before graduation. Examples of simple
figure objectives are: raising $200,000 for the women’s shelter, getting
3,000 participants in a 5K and engaging 6,000 people on an issue through
social media.
To be improvement-oriented, objectives must work together in order to
achieve your overall goal. Rarely will one objective suffice. Plan to have a
number of objectives that all measure progress toward the goal. If your goal
is to open a new food bank, objectives could focus on fundraising, citizen
support, government support and determining the best location.
When working with percentages, remember to carefully state the
percent increase or decrease and use clarifying phrases. Otherwise, you
might set yourself up to disappoint management’s expectations created
by your own objectives. If you want to increase the percentage of ele­
mentary school kids brushing their teeth at least twice a day, you should
follow up that number by specifically stating the benchmark or starting
point. You might write an objective like this: to increase the number of
elementary school children in Arizona who brush their teeth at least
twice a day from 25 percent to 75 percent by May 1, 2015. Make sure you
know the difference between a 50 percent increase and a 50 percentage­
point increase. The first is dependent on the starting point to calculate
the actual increase. Fifty percent of 25 is 12.5, which would make your
target 37.5 percent of school children brushing their teeth. A 50 percent­
age point-increase takes you from 25 percent to 75 percent of school
children brushing — two very different results. Similarly, a 20 percent
increase in participation among a total population of 100 is not 20 peo­
ple. The percent increase depends on the current level of participation,
not the total population. If 50 of 100 people are currently participating,
a 20 percent increase would be 10 people (20 percent of 50), from 50 to
60 participants, or a 10 percentage-point improvement. Be very precise
when planning and writing your objectives.
Sometimes statistics on opinion, awareness and action are not readily
available. If you are certain the level of knowledge or participation is mini­
mal, you can reasonably state the level it needs to rise to in order to accom­
plish the goal. If you don’t have statistical measures for something, find
another way to count the improvement.
Attainable. Objectives need to be realistic if they are to be attainable. Keeping
objectives specific and clear will help you set realistic targets. But you still
need to set your sights on significant improvement. Management will scorn
objectives that don’t cause the organization to stretch and are too easily
achieved. Executives have little respect for employees and managers who
are unwilling to reach a bit, to take some risks and to challenge themselves.
Nevertheless, if you shoot for the moon and just hit the stars, you may be
branded as having fallen short, even if the stars were all you really needed
to reach.
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Writing goals and objectives
The local oil refinery has a good record of community involvement and an
approval rating among local publics of 75 percent. Nevertheless, it continual­
ly faces scrutiny and even opposition from environmental activists. Recently,
one of the pipelines sprung a leak. Before the leak was found and fixed,
the equivalent of 100 barrels of oil seeped out into a small creek that runs
through a residential neighborhood. The company immediately mobilized
teams of experts, employees and local volunteers to clean up the small spill
and restore the area (as much as possible) to its original pristine condition.
GOAL
To restore the company’s approval rating and neutralize regulatory threats.
OBJECTIVES
© Tukkata Moji/Shutterstock.com
1. Raise awareness to 80 percent of the company’s efforts to respond
responsibly to the spill within three weeks.
2. Raise awareness to 80 percent of the company’s local contribution to
the community and economy within six months.
3. Restore public approval to its previous 75 percent level within six months.
4. Ensure no new state or local regulations (resulting from the spill) are
enacted within the next three years.
Time-bound. Objectives need to have a deadline. They should clearly outline
when you expect to achieve a specific outcome. Setting objectives in time
also determines when you will measure your success or failure. The du­
ration of a campaign will be determined by the problem or opportunity
being addressed. Some campaigns may require short, quick efforts (a few
days, weeks or months) while others may necessitate
long-range efforts. Some campaigns have built-in dead­
lines (e.g., attendance at a special event for a product
launch). Others are designed to change perceptions
and attitudes, which happens slowly.
Every objective, however, must include a target
date. In some cases, interim measures may be helpful
in measuring progress along the way and keeping you
on track to reach the objective. For example, you might
have a fundraising objective to raise $30 million for
the construction of a new community theatre. Bench­
marking the objective to raise $10 million in the first
six months may be necessary to give the project the
momentum it needs to succeed.
Cost-conscious. Objectives must take into
consideration the available budget. It goes
without saying that you should choose the
most cost-effective ways to achieve the
desired outcomes in any campaign. There
will always be organizational pressure to
accomplish more with less. Smart strate­
gists look for low-cost options first.
Although you won’t always know what
budget will be available for a specific pro­
gram when you are at this preliminary
stage of planning, be sensitive to the organi­
zation’s internal climate. A recession, slow
sales or downsizing may necessitate objec­
tives that create more modest expectations. They may also force greater cre­
ativity in your planning. So keep perspective when crafting your objectives.
It is not feasible, for example, to spend 50 percent of a campaign budget on
opinion research. You will need money to develop and deliver your messag­
es and motivate action.
While you must set objectives to solve the problem and reach the goal,
the objectives you set also shape the organization’s expectations of you and
your communications and marketing team.
Efficient. Objectives should also look for the easiest way to reach the goal.
There are indeed many roads that lead to Rome. Whenever possible, pick
the most direct route. As you write your objectives, it is helpful to spend
some time thinking about how you will measure them. Determining ex­
actly how you will evaluate whether you reached your desired outcome
will help you keep objectives simple and efficient.
Trying to measure the percent of students on a university campus dis­
tracted by electronics after 10 p.m. will not be easy and will be even more
difficult to validate. By contrast, measuring the reported number of hours
students sleep per night is much more straightforward. Similarly, measuring
interest in a new product is more difficult than tracking sales of the product.
Mission-driven. As previously discussed, objectives must be in line with and
support the organizational mission and goals. Objectives are required to
address issues, problems, opportunities or improvements that management
perceives as valuable.
Keep in mind why the company is in business or why the organiza­
tion exists. What are the key factors that have and are contributing to
its success? Then ask yourself if your objectives will contribute to or
detract from the organization’s main purpose. Always doing this makes
you strategic — of value to your organization because you help it ac­
complish its mission.
Informational versus motivational objectives
In addition to the characteristics of good objectives, it is important to recognize
there are two basic kinds of objectives: informational and motivational. Each serves
a different purpose, but both are integral to the overall accomplishment of any
campaign.
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Differentiating between goals and objectives
TIPS FROM
THE PROS
J. Michael Neumeier, APR, principal and co-founder of Arketi Group, an
integrated public relations and marketing consultancy, tips you off on
how to tell a goal from an objective.
All too often, the terms goat and objective are used as interchangeable
ways of saying the same thing. Plainly put, they are not — and the result­
ing lack of precision can be problematic.
GOALS
A goal is a “statement of being” for the plan. Often, one goal is enough.
PR and marketing goals should always be consistent with management
goals, and they should be carefully crafted with the end result in mind.
A communications plan goal might be “to increase the level of govern­
ment funding” or “to expand our industry leadership.”
While the completion of the goal signifies the end of your plan, the objec­
tives, strategies and tactics are the means to that end.
OBJECTIVES
Compared to the goal, objectives are more focused and specific. The bestformulated objectives express results as measurable outcomes. Think in
terms of the awareness, attitude or action that you hope to invoke. Often
there are multiple objectives in support of a single goal. Meaningful objec­
tives start with action verbs and have three parts. They state a measurable
outcome, set an attainment level and set a time-frame.
Examples of objectives are “to secure 20 percent more media coverage in
trade publications in fiscal year 2014” or “to increase news flow from the
company by 25 percent during the calendar year.”
When writing objectives, keep these tips in mind:
Seek input from management. Output measurements, such as daily blog
posts, are sometimes very important to executives. Objectives that are
easy to measure are as important as objectives that require complex and
expensive metrics.
Don’t force yourself into long time frames like a year. You will likely
craft a stronger objective if you can tightly define a time frame to even
a month or two.
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Get a second opinion. The best second opinions come from other PR
professionals that are not working directly on the plan.
Audiences do not have to be limited to external targets. Many times get­
ting internal stakeholders to understand and embrace a campaign can be
a very worthy objective.
If you know you cannot measure it, don’t build it into an objective.
Copyright © Kendall Hunt Publishing Company
Informational objectives lay a foundation of understanding and awareness
necessary for any kind of persuasive effort. They address the dissemination of
information and an increase in awareness among key publics. This is a necessary
step in order for publics to develop attitudes that will drive the behavior we are
seeking.
Informational objectives are usually easy to accomplish because you are just
spreading information, not attempting to change anything. In fact, much of today’s
corporate communications practice is heavily engaged in information dissemination
and awareness- or consciousness-raising. Nevertheless, Wilcox, Cameron and Reber
(2014) contend that it is difficult to measure the accomplishment of such an objec­
tive because you are trying to measure a cognitive function (increase in information
or understanding) on a sliding scale (how much information or understanding). In
other words, have you simply achieved name recognition, or does your public have
an understanding of what you do?
Although informational objectives are necessary to lay a foundation to persuade
people to act, they are never enough by themselves. It is recommended that at least
half of your objectives focus on motivating action.
Motivational objectives are directly tied to behavior. As a result, they are usu­
ally easier to measure and harder to achieve according to Wilcox, et al. (2014). It
is a relatively simple matter to measure a desired behavior. People voted for your
candidate or they didn’t; consumers bought the product or they didn’t; children
were inoculated or they weren’t. Nevertheless, changing attitudes and opinions
and creating the triggering event to move the public from awareness to action is
much more difficult than just disseminating information and raising awareness of
an issue or problem.
Use informational objectives to lay the foundation for persuasive efforts and
motivational objectives to get publics to act. People can’t vote the way you want
them to on an issue if they are not aware of the issue and its effect on their lives.
Consumers cannot buy a new product that will make life easier or more pleasant if
they are not aware of its existence and benefits. Create awareness and information
objectives, with all the characteristics of good objectives, to lay the foundation to
accomplish your motivational objectives.
Keep in mind that disseminating information is easy, but motivating behavior
is more difficult. You will typically be able to reach a far higher level of awareness
than you will behavior. You may be able to inform upwards of 90 percent of your
target population on a particular issue. Nevertheless, 90 percent awareness does
Setting goals and objectives
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Creativity and big ideas
t took roughly 100 men and women five years — including a lot of holidays, week­
ends and late nights — to create the first feature-length film fully animated on a
computer. But when “Toy Story” debuted Thanksgiving weekend in 1995, it forever
changed the landscape for animated films.
Disney executives had advised the upstarts at Pixar to fill the movie with songs,
but the company resisted. “Despite being novice filmmakers at a fledgling studio in
dire financial straits, we had put our faith in a simple idea: If we made something
that we wanted to see, others would want to see it, too,” says Ed Catmull, president
of Pixar. “For so long, it felt like we had been pushing that rock uphill, trying to
do the impossible… Now, we were suddenly being held up as an example of what
could happen when artists trusted their guts.”
“Toy Story” became the biggest grossing movie of the year, earning $358 million
worldwide. The name Pixar has become synonymous with creativity and innova­
tion. The company has won an incredible 12 academy awards for its animated films
including “Toy Story,” “Monster’s Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Rata­
touille,” “WALL-E,” “Up,” “Toy Story 3” and “Brave.”
I
O
CREATIVITY
The process of looking
outside ourselves and
our routine to discover
new ideas and innovative
solutions.
Creativity
Creativity is, in many ways, really another word for experimenting — taking exist­
ing ideas and adding something to them or putting them together in new ways. The
80-minute experiment we know as “Toy Story” was re­
ally the answer to a question. Can we make an animat­
ed film using only computers? The answer launched
a company and a new industry of computer graphic
animation or CGI that is now used across many dis­
ciplines including communications, medicine, educa­
tion and engineering.
© Featurcflash/Shutterstock.com
Creativity in the planning
process
Buzz Lightyearfrom Pixar’s “Toy Story.”
Creativity is an essential part of any good strategy. Step
five in the matrix requires high levels of creativity to
come up with a big idea as well as strategies and tac­
tics that break through all the information and persua­
sion clutter with which your publics are bombarded.
You must design creative strategies and tactics that
will cause the target public to choose to perceive your
messages, choose to retain them and choose to act upon
them. The matrix process provides the framework or
strategic structure to focus your creativity, ensuring it
is on target in terms of meeting your challenge.
You’ll first use creative tools to help you develop a
big idea. The elements that make up a big idea are dis­
cussed later in the chapter. Once you have a big idea
and have settled on your key publics, you’ll want to see
how you can experiment with different approaches
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and channels to deliver your messages to your publics. Then, let your creativity
loose again, brainstorming the tactics to accomplish each strategy.
Harrying creativity and strategy
Only by channeling your creativity within the analytical process will you avoid a
common mistake: allowing a creative tactic to drive your campaign. Just because
you have a great opportunity to use a celebrity in a campaign doesn’t mean that
approach will serve your public, purpose and message. Creative ideas not founded
in logical reasoning and analysis of publics, purposes and messages result in lots
of money wasted on campaigns that accomplish nothing. BlackBerry’s 2014 Super
Bowl campaign is a prime example. The company spent $4 million in airtime alone
to bring the brand back and launch its new Z10 handset. Instead, the money and op­
portunity were wasted. The highly creative campaign was fun to watch, but it failed
miserably because it didn’t target the right publics and motivate them to act.
If you get a creative idea that doesn’t work for a specific purpose, public and
message, put it on the shelf to be adapted and used in a later communication effort. No good idea is wasted in the long run. You’ll be
surprised how it will surface again and how you’ll be
able to modify it for future use in another campaign.
Creativity and big ideas
93
BRAINSTORMING
A structured group
creative exercise to
generate as many ideas
as possible in a specified
amount of time.
French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre writes of the
processionary caterpillar. Processionary caterpillars
feed on pine needles as they move through the for­
est in a long procession, with one head fitted snugly
against the behind of the caterpillar before. In his
experiments, Fabre enticed a group of these cater­
pillars onto the rim of a flower pot where he got
the first one connected with the last so they were
moving in an unending procession around the top
of the pot.
© Emi/Shutterstock.com
Breaking habits
Caterpillars following one another in a procession.
94
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Creativity and big ideas
Fabre expected the caterpillars would catch on to their useless march and move
off in a new direction, especially since he had placed food nearby. Not so. The force of
habit caused them to continue moving in their unending circle, round and round the
rim of the flower pot. Even though food was visible nearby, the caterpillars continued
their march for seven days and nights, and probably would have continued longer had
they not collapsed from sheer exhaustion and ultimate starvation. The food was outside
the range of the circle, off the beaten path. They followed instinct, habit, custom, tradi­
tion, precedent and past experience. They confused activity with accomplishment. They
were in constant motion, but they made no progress.
Take a look at the square and circle diagram. Most people see this pattern as
rows of squares and circles. Some might see a large square composed of smaller
squares and circles. Few, however, see it as columns of alternating squares and
circles. Once this is pointed out, it’s very easy to see columns of alternating shapes.
One creativity expert, Michael Michalko, explains it this way, “We have become
habituated to passively organize similar items together in our minds. Geniuses, on
the other hand, subvert habituation by actively looking for alternative ways to look
at and think about things.”
Creativity is the process of looking outside ourselves, our habit, our custom
and our tradition to find new solutions and innovative ideas. The strategic program
planning process is designed to analytically drive our planning and decisions. But it
should not limit our creativity in searching for solutions.
In fact, unless we develop creative big ideas, strategies and tactics, our publics
are not likely to perceive the messages we have designed to motivate them.
Brainstorming and ideation
Many people think that creativity is inborn — you either have it or you don’t. But the
greatest scientific discoveries and inventions came out of years of experimentation,
trial and error. The Royal Bank of Canada tells its employees that innovation is like
playing hockey: The best players miss more shots than they make. But they also try
more often. The more you shoot, the more you score. That’s why one of the rules of
brainstorming (see Figure 6.1) is not to evaluate or criticize while in the brainstorm­
ing process. The object is to get as many ideas on the table as possible, no matter how
ridiculous they might initially appear. Those ridiculous ideas, reevaluated, rearranged
and combined, frequently become the innovative solutions that are praised, awarded
and used as examples of phenomenal creativity.
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Creativity and big ideas
95
Figure 6.1 ___________________________________________________________
Rules for brainstorming
1. Assemble a diverse group of people (at least three).
2. Set a time limit for the brainstorming session. Plan no fewer than five minutes but no more than
20-30 minutes to ensure urgency and, hence, a rapid flow of ideas.
3. Record the session for later transcription.
4. Do not evaluate ideas while in the session. Even laughter can be an act of evaluation that may stifle
the flow of ideas (although in a truly free-flowing session, it is difficult not to laugh).
5. Engage in freewheeling. Verbalize any idea that comes into your mind. Otherwise you are silently
evaluating your own ideas and perhaps censuring those that are most creative.
6. Reserve the details for the post-session evaluation. Use your time to generate as many ideas as
possible, not to explain your ideas in any detail.
7. Piggyback on ideas. For example, if someone mentions a tactic like bumper stickers, try to spiral
off with similar transportation-related ideas like bus boards or sun visor wraparounds.
8. Take some time as a group after the session to evaluate each idea for its merits. Try to find ways
that each might work. Try modifying, combining and rearranging before discarding an idea.
Various types of brainstorming or ideation are used to generate campaign ideas
as well as specific strategies and tactics. One of the difficulties with most brainstorm­
ing techniques is that participants are put on the spot to come up with fresh, creative
ideas. Rarely do the best ideas emerge on command in the 45 to 60 minutes allocated
for a brainstorming session. Most research suggests it’s best to prime brainstorming
events several days in advance. Give the group a topic and the vision of where you’d
like to end up so that ideas can be percolating before the session begins. Creativity is
spawned through observation and association. Give your group a topic and direction
so they can spend some time observing and associating long before you gather together
to brainstorm.
Another helpful technique is to introduce a brainstorming topic and draft a se­
ries of questions related to the topic. The questions are then each written across the
top of a separate poster-sized piece of paper and posted around the perimeter of the
room. After a brief orientation to the topic and ultimate goal, participants are given a
stack of sticky notes and asked to write down an idea for each question. This process
of posting ideas under each question is repeated four or five times as individuals ro­
tate around the room. This ideation method puts everyone participating on the same
footing and values input equally. It also encourages subordinates and shy participants
to share their ideas. With each idea on a sticky note, grouping related ideas together
and analyzing the results becomes much easier.
IDEATION
The formation of new
ideas.
O
8-STEP STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING MATRIX
2. S ITUATION
ANALYSIS
Planning begins with a synthesis of primary and secondary research.
It provides background information on the industry, external environment, client, product, service or issue. It includes a market analysis and
segmentation study that identifies current trends in opinions, attitudes
and behaviors. Resources such as staffing, facilities and intervening
publics are also identified.
The situation analysis consists of two paragraphs. The first paragraph is
a statement of the current situation and a description of the challenge or
opportunity based on research. The second paragraph identifies potential difficulties that could impede success.
3. C ORE PROBLEM/ The core problem/opportunity is a one-sentence statement of the
OPPORTUNITY
main difficulty or prospect—including likely consequences if not
resolved or realized.
small number of primary and a larger number of secondary messages
for each public.
Primary messages are short summary statements similar to sound bites.
They identify a category of information and/or communicate what
action you want a public to take. They also tie the desired action to a
public’s self-interest(s).
Strategies Strategies identify what a public must do to fulfill an objective and the
channel(s) through which messages will be sent to motivate that action.
Multiple strategies may be required for each public.
Tactics Tactics are the creative elements and tools used to deliver messages
through specific channels. A number of tactics are required to support
each strategy. Examples are story placements, YouTube videos, Twitter
posts, special events, infographics, websites or blogs.
6. C ALENDAR AND BUDGET
4. G OAL AND OBJECTIVES
Goal
Secondary messages are bulleted statements that give credibility to the
primary message with facts, testimonials, examples and stories. They
provide the ethos, pathos and logos of persuasion.
ACTION PLANNING
RESEARCH
1. B ACKGROUND
Messages Message design is public specific and focuses on self-interests. Create a
Calendar Calendars show when each tactic begins and ends and the relationship of
The goal is a one-sentence statement of the overall result needed to
solve the problem or seize the opportunity. The goal does not have to
be quantified.
tactics to each other in a time continuum. Calendars are organized by public and strategy to show the work required. A Gantt chart is recommended.
Budget Budgets are also organized by public and strategy. The budget projects the
5. B IG IDEA, KEY PUBLICS, MESSAGES, STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
Big Idea
A “big idea” is a creative, overarching strategy and message that appeals to
all publics you will target. Describe your big idea in one sentence. Then
include a bullet for each of these three components: Big idea strategy,
message and visual representation of the idea. An optional fourth bullet
could be a slogan that encapsulates the big idea message and strategy.
Key Publics Key publics include a description of each group that must be reached to
achieve the goal and objectives. Identify:
• Objectives accomplished by key publics • Opinion leaders
• Demographics and psychographics
• Motivating self-interests
• Relationship with organization or issue • Viable communication channels
Plan specific messages, strategies and tactics for one public before
moving to the next public.
28
cost of each tactic. It also indicates where costs will be offset by donations
or sponsorships. Subtotals are provided for each strategy and public.
will lead to the achievement of the goal. Objectives must be specific,
written, measurable, attainable, time-bound, cost-conscious, efficient
and mission-driven. If objectives are clear, key publics become obvious.
EVALUATION COMMUNICATION
ACTION PLANNING
Objectives Objectives are numbered or bulleted statements of specific results that
7. C OMMUNICATION
CONFIRMATION
The confirmation table checks the logic of your analysis in formulating
a persuasive plan. The action plan is reduced to a format that shows the
alignment of strategies and tactics with key publics and opinion leaders; messages with self-interests; and all of these components with the
objectives. The completed table becomes a tool to manage implementation of the campaign.
Key Public
Self-interests
Objectives
8. E VALUATION
CRITERIA AND
TOOLS
Primary Messages
Opinion Leaders
Strategies
Tactics
Evaluation criteria are the desired results established by the objectives.
Evaluation tools are the methodologies you use to gather the data.
These tools must be included in the calendar and budget.
© 2014 LAURIE J. WILSON AND JOSEPH D. OGDEN
29
AS.480.546.81 CSR Campaigns
Spring 2022
Module 8 Lecture Transcript
Goal Setting, Objectives, and Message Maps
[Intro slide]
This week we begin our transition to the communication elements that constitute a
communications campaign. This is a big shift from our previous modules, which
centered on domain knowledge of Corporate Social Responsibility. However, we will
continue to integrate communications best practices and CSR best practices as we go.
[Slide 2: What is a Campaign—Dictionary. ]
So let’s start by considering what it is that we’re going to create. What exactly is a
campaign?
Here you see a standard definition, which turns on the fact that campaigns organize and
coordinate activities. We’ll talk a lot about how we organize, coordinate, and
orchestrate multiple activities in our campaign design, execution, and evaluation.
[Slide 3–orchestra]
When I think about a campaign, I think about orchestration. I think about careful
planning, coordination, and execution of a single idea across multiple tactics.
This orchestration begins with the perfect plan, which relies on research, strategic
planning, and coordination with a variety of experts.
Think of a communication campaign as a coordinated plan consisting of different
elements, which we refer to as tactics. Tactics range from commercials to banner ads to
social media stories, blog posts, and environmental signage. All together, these tactics
support various communication strategies – and those strategies support specific
CSR Campaigns, Spring 2022
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communication objectives. So the process of learning how to create a campaign
requires an understanding the interdependence of all campaign elements.
This week, we focus on goal setting, developing communication objectives, and creating
messages.
But before we learn how to make our own campaigns, it’s helpful to look at an existing
campaign for evidence and insight.
[Slide 4: Nike 1]
On this slide, you see two environmental advertisements and one magazine
advertisement for Nike’s latest campaign: You Can’t Stop Us.
[Slide 5: Nike 2]
Here you see another tactic within the You Can’t Stop Us campaign. Nike’s
communication on social media to attract talent and build employee pride.
[Slide 6: Nike 3]
Here you see two commercials and/or social media marketing videos that express the
You Can’t Stop Us campaign through video and sound. Stop here and watch these two
videos. They are both uploaded to Blackboard within this lesson.
Now that you’ve viewed both videos along with the other tactics in this campaign, think
about how this campaign was planned. What research, goals, and strategy put this
campaign in motion?
[Slide 7–Research]
So, we begin our conversation by discussing research and planning. The RACE method of
communications planning reminds us to begin with research. You’ll find this explained in
your readings for this week.
CSR Campaigns, Spring 2022
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[Slide 8 – Research]
Questions to guide your research are covered on page 63 in your readings this week
from Wilson and Ogden’s book: Strategic Communications.
[Slide 9 – Strategic Communications Planning Matrix]
Looking at the Strategic Communications Planning Matrix from this week’s readings in
Wilson and Ogden, it’s easy to see how the RACE method is applied to communications
planning. On the left hand side of the matrix is each step in the process: Research,
Action Planning, Communication, and Evaluation.
This matrix is uploaded separately to Blackboard to facilitate your work throughout the
rest of the semester.
Hint: you’ll be referring to this matrix quite often between now and the end of the year
so you should keep it nearby as a handy reference tool.
[Slide 10: Research]
Looking more closely at the Research section we see three sets of information:
Background, Situation Analysis, and Core Problem/Opportunity.
For our purposes, your client profile (last week’s homework) will suffice for
background/situation analysis research for your campaign.
However, part of this week’s assignments requires you to create a core problem or
opportunity statement.
The core problem/opportunity is rooted in the CSR issue you select, and it is the set-up
for your goal statement. The core problem and the goal are sort of two sides of the
CSR Campaigns, Spring 2022
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same coin. The core problem or opportunity shows us where we can make a difference
and the goal describes the type of change we want to create.
[Slide 11: Examples]
Here you see an example from a campaign designed from Lush Cosmetics. First, we
review Lush’s CSR activities.
Next, we see that the Core Problem, expressed in one sentence, focuses on LGBT youth
homelessness.
Alignment between a company’s CSR stance and the CSR core problem is important.
It is always expressed in one simple sentence.
[Slide 12: Goal and Objectives]
Now we move into the action planning part of our strategic communications work. We
are going to set a goal and objectives. As you see described here, the campaign goal is
expressed in a sentence, it does not need to be measurable, but it should be visionary
and inspiring.
Your communication objectives describe how your client’s CSR Campaign can support
this goal. So ask yourself: how can communications help achieve this goal?
Your communication objectives must follow SMART principles.
[Slide 13: SMART Objectives]
So let’s take a look at what we mean by “SMART” principles.
CSR Campaigns, Spring 2022
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SMART is an acronym for a specific type of goal or objective that has the following
qualities: It is Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Realistic, and Time-bound. Your
communication objectives must follow these principles.
Each communication objective you write must contain all of these elements.
[Slide 14: Example of Goal and Objectives]
Looking back at the example of Lush Cosmetics, we see how the goal supports the core
problem.
Again, the goal is expressed in one sentence, which focuses on addressing the core
problem. It is not measurable, but it is clear and sets in motion the campaign efforts
that can be coordinated and orchestrated to achieve a very clear aim.
Next, we see how SMART communication objectives will enable the organization to
achieve this aim.
You will find a template in Blackboard to guide you toward creating your core problem
statement, goal, and SMART objectives for your campaign which is part of your
homework for this week.
[ Slide 15: Message Map]
Now we look at the second part of your homework for this week: Creation of a Message
Map. For your campaign, you will develop primary and secondary messages and you will
also identify your campaign tag line and hashtag.
In the Strategic Communication Matrix, you see a description of each of these
messaging elements.
[ Slide 16: Message Map-Guidelines]
CSR Campaigns, Spring 2022
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Here are some guidelines for developing your message map. This template is also in
Blackboard to guide your work.
First, identify your campaign tagline. In the Nike example, the campaign tagline was: You
Can’t Stop Us and it worked across every campaign element, because this simple
message always supported the more nuanced messages.
Next, list the stakeholders from your stakeholder map who will make up your primary
audiences. Think about what you are trying to achieve and who will be most affected.
Your primary stakeholders were in the inner ring of your stakeholder map.
Develop campaign messages that will resonate with these audiences.
Then, list the stakeholders from your stakeholder map who will make up your secondary
audiences. These stakeholders are important in this campaign, but they are not the
main target audience.
Develop campaign messages that will resonate with these audiences while maintaining
a universal appeal.
[Slide 17: homework]
So let’s review your homework one more time. Remember there are templates available
in Blackboard to help you stay on track.
It’s important to note that as you develop your campaign, some of this information will
evolve. The more you learn about your CSR problem and your audience segments, the
more your creative campaign ideas will evolve.
My suggestion is to consider these building blocks as a first draft. However, your final
campaign document may reflect changes that occurred as your ideas matured.
[final slide]
That concludes this week’s lecture. Be sure to review the examples in your readings
and the slides from this lecture.
CSR Campaigns, Spring 2022
Page 6 of 6
1
Feed SoCal food drive
Non-governmental organizations
operating in the LA area and
engage in charities
The Walt
Disney
Company
Represents
long-term
beneficiaries
of TWDC’s CSR
Schools and non-profits
Develop projects encouraging
children volunteerism
1
Client – The Walt Disney Company, Los Angeles, California
Mission Statement
The Walt Disney Company (TWDC), the world’s largest media and entertainment
conglomerate, has branded itself as the leading multinational concerned with
entertaining, informing, and inspiring people globally. Disney’s brand revolves
around creating stories and giving people unique experiences. According to its
website (https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/), TWDC’s mission statement is:
To entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of
unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds, and
innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment
company.
TWDC’s mission statement reflects the company’s commitment to using the power of
stories to change people’s lives. This mission statement informs the company’s
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) focus on the environment, community, and
volunteerism. TWDC’s strategic focus on environment and volunteerism generates
2
greening production, zero emissions, reducing waste, and developing lower impact
product goals. Disney’s VoluntEArs make a difference in local communities by
helping and inspiring people. They volunteer in LA Regional Food Bank, serve senior
citizens, build playgrounds in Anaheim and contribute to other charities such as Feed
SoCal food drive.
Operations/Footprint
TWDC’s headquarters are in Burbank, California. TWDC’s different consumer
products, small business units (SBUs), parks, resorts, and studios employ many within
Los Angeles County. Its CSR programs and initiatives have to incorporate the
expectations and interests of stakeholders in this region. The organization has
strategically positioned its CSR within Los Angeles as part of its business operations
to ensure the organization benefits as a whole. Its CSR campaigns include
contributing to local food banks, working with Children’s hospitals, volunteering in
Girls and Boys Clubs, and offering schools and non-profits chances to develop ageappropriate projects that reinforce volunteerism. TWDC’s website notes that the
company ensures its brands and products are attractive to ensure it sustains its bond
with consumers and neighbors in communities. TWDC has worked with other
institutions to enable them to offer vital services to local and other communities
(TWDC DDM – Disney Digital Media, 2022). Some beneficiaries of TWDC’s CSR
programs include Children Hospital, Los Angeles. It has engaged in special
programming to join firms such as KABC (Los Angeles) and NFL’s Los Angeles
Rams to raise money for the Los Angeles United Way of Greater LA Pandemic Relief
3
Fund. It also raised funds for World Health Organization’s COVID-19 solidarity
Response Fund. Disney’s theatrical group created virtual events aiming to collect
funds geared towards the pandemic’s emergency assistance fund (The CSR Journal,
2021). TWDC also partakes in environmental projects such as trash pick-ups and tree
planting within Los Angeles areas.
Governance Structure
Walt and Roy Disney founded TWDC in 1923. They focused on cartoon production.
Over the years, the business name has changed from the original “Disney Brothers
Cartoon Studio: to “The Walt Disney Studio” to “Walt Disney Production” and to the
“The Walt Disney Company.” The name changes represent different stages of
development, with the company diversifying to film production, parks, and television
studios. TWDC has eighteen people serving in various capacities in its executive
leadership and a board of directors comprising eleven members leading it towards
attaining its mission. Susan Arnold and Bob Chapek are the chairwomen and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO), respectively (Walt Disney Company, 2020). TWDC is
owned by different shareholders, including the Walt Disney family, the Vanguard
Group, and BlackRock.
Image / Reputation
TWDC builds its reputation by reinforcing its commitment to social responsibility.
The company is renowned for its CSR programs across the globe. TWDC has built a
model brand for CSR by strategically weaving the needs of its stakeholders and
shareholders into its businesses. Incorporating integrity, honor, and social
4
responsibility into its unique corporate power gives the global brand the ability to
impact, inspire, create experiences and encourage children and adults. Through
creative inclusion, positive products, positive experiences, and environmental
protection, TWDC brands itself as an integral part of the Los Angeles community
(Williams, 2019). As a global leader in the media and entertainment industry, TWDC
ensures it keeps people worldwide informed and can reach the company as the need
arises. They have intensive press coverage on different events such as new shows,
leadership, and business strategies. They have a detailed and up-to-date website that
provides information on recent events, programs, personalities, careers, news,
investor relations, and social responsibility. They also have a Twitter account with
632.8k followers and have made over 2300 Tweets on different subjects (Walt Disney
Company, 2011).
Current Stance toward CSR
TWD demonstrates its commitment to environmental and philanthropic causes. The
company launched the Walt Disney 2030 Environmental goals in December 2020.
The company grounds its environmental sustainability approaches on scientific
assessments to ensure positive environmental impacts. Philanthropic causes include
donating to various COVID-19 relief funds helping millions of Americans whose
livelihood was disrupted by the pandemic. TWDC’s website has a social
responsibility icon demonstrating several causes the company pursues as part of its
corporate social responsibility. They include diversity and inclusion, where the
company demonstrates how it showcases different people, content, and cultures
5
(Wisneski, 2020). Charitable giving showcases the company’s activities in
volunteerism and wish-granting. Other content on the website includes how TWDC
operates responsibly and annual CSR reports. It has a segment highlighting its CSR
campaigns’ impacts on different local communities. Such transparency and intense
coverage of its CSR raises TWDC’s profile as a company committed to CSR. It builds
a positive public image and reputation by demonstrating how the company uses its
resources to impact local communities positively.
6
References
Freeman, R. E., Dmytriyev, S., & Strand, R. G. (2017). Managing for Stakeholders in
the Digital Age. In A. Rasche, M. Morsing, & J. Moon (Eds.), CORPORATE
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Strategy, Communication, Governance (1st ed.,
pp. 110-135). Cambridge University Press.
The CSR Journal. (2021, April 28). The definitive Disney global CSR
report. https://thecsrjournal.in/global-report-disney-csr-corporate-socialresponsibility/
TWDC DDM – Disney Digital Media. (2022, February 25). Children’s hospitals &
wish granting. Social Responsibility. https://impact.disney.com/charitablegiving/childrens-hospitals-wish-granting/
Walt Disney Company [@WaltDisneyCo]. (2011). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Twitter.
Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://twitter.com/waltdisneyco
Walt Disney Company. (2020, March 2). Disney – Leadership, history, corporate
social responsibility. The Walt Disney
Company. https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/
7
Williams, A. (2019, March 6). Disney’s stakeholders & corporate social
responsibility (CSR) strategy. Panmore Institute. https://panmore.com/disneystakeholders-corporate-social-responsibility-csr-strategy-analysis
Wisneski, K. (2020). The Walt Disney Company and Corporate Social
Responsibility [Doctoral
dissertation]. https://pilotscholars.up.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1042&c
ontext=hon_projects

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