Download Developing a Communication Plan

Creating a Communication Plan
Learning Objectives
• Create a communication plan
• Frame your message for specific audiences
• Select communications channels that will reach
your audiences
What do we mean by communication?
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Word of mouth
News stories (print, radio, television)
Posters, brochures, and fliers
Outreach and presentations to other community
groups and organizations
• Special events and open houses
• Websites
• Social media
A communication plan identifies
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Purpose for communicating
Audiences
Message (for each audience)
Communication channels and strategies
Delegation of tasks
Timeline
Evaluation metrics
Your purposes for communicating
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Get your issue on policy makers’ agenda
Raise awareness, educate general public
Engage partners
Advertise events & activities
Counter opposition
Publicize successes
Maintain interest over time
Your potential audiences
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Implementation team
Community members
Decision makers/funders
Your organization’s leaders
Professional colleagues
• Consider literacy, culture, languages, values
Plan message content & format
• Determine the purpose of communication
• Analyze audience
• Develop a preliminary message for
each audience
• Craft a message that is brief
and to the point
NCI, NIH Making Data Talk,
Tailor communication to audience to ensure
• Relevant: Addresses an issue of importance to…
&
• Credible: Provides support for issue in format that is
trusted by…..
Each of your intended audiences
Safe Routes To Schools – Tailoring the
message to the audience (relevance)
Walking and biking to school
• Is good for children’s health
• Is good for the environment
• Is safe, thanks to the changes
we’ve made
• Builds community
• Is fun
Select the Communication Channels that will
reach each audience
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Bulletin board display
Article in school newsletter
Flyer
Brief report with 1 page highlights at staff meeting
Media coverage
Social media (e.g., Facebook)
Website
Tailoring requires knowing your audiences
Get feedback on message
• Content
• Format
• Communication channels
Interpersonal communication channels are
among the most effective
Work with individuals and organizations
that each audience trusts
and views as
“opinion leaders”
Rogers, 2003 Diffusions of Innovations Theory
Activity – Beginning a Communication Plan
Begin to complete section 4 on the Activity
Sheet.
• Identify two or three audiences
• Develop a message for one of those audiences
• Identify two materials/communication
channels for that audience.
How might you pilot test your message prior to
communicating it widely?
Tips for Presenting Audience-Friendly Data
• Avoid technical terms
• Avoid difficult math
concepts
• Focus on main message
e.g., cohort
e.g., relative risk
• Explain impact of data
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Make data’s relevance clear
Instead of detailed
arguments
Avoid Overly Complex Graphics
Present in way that gets people’s attention
• Make it local – include information on local data, events,
people, or groups.
• Describe the impact – how will your issue make a real
difference in the lives of intended audience.
• Make it timely – link to a topic of interest today, right now.
• Link the issue to someone prominent -- involve a well
known person or group.
Incorporate
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Simple graphics
Stories
Photos (with permissions)
Quotations
Summary statistics
Maps
Use Photos and Summary Statistics
Reproductive Health & Pregnancy Outcomes
What’s Great?
• Vance Teen pregnancy rates are
down by 13% since 2010.
• Vance ranks eighth in the state, its
lowest rank in over 20 years.
• Granville Teen pregnancy rates are
down by 24% since 2010.
What’s Not So Good?
Work with committed coalitions with
resources
Organized interest groups can work with you to
communicate the issue and engage mass media,
social media, and other channels to promote
their views.
Work with Local Media
• Choose Spokespeople
– Individuals with personal stories about living in neighborhoods
where walking is unsafe
– Professionals who view walking as important to health (doctors,
nurses) or to academic performance (teachers, principals)
– Researchers who can share data on the increase and impact of
physical inactivity
• Write op eds for the local newspaper
• Distribute press releases
• Become active on social media pages of local media to
promote events and campaigns
Work with Local media – Build Relationships
with your media contacts
• Engage with local media through social media
• Call the reporter and introduce yourself
• Have a good story & practice your pitch before you call
• Plan a good strategy, think about how to create excitement
• Keep your word. Do what you say you will do.
• Follow-up.
• Send thank you notes.
CDC’s Healthy Communities Program, 2008
Meet with legislators
• 1. Introduce yourself
• 2. Discuss the purpose and main message
• 3. Reinforce main points with hand outs
• 4. Get recommendations on next steps and future
meetings.
Learn more
• http://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/gettraining.html
• http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/socialmarketing/traini
ng/index.htm?s_cid=tw_ob370