Vitalize

January 15, 2013

Third in the NAVIGATE Series of CISC Community Partner Events

Generate more Buzz for your Biz!

Chicago

Welcome

• Communities In Schools of Chicago – Annie Rezac

– Kateri Nelis

– Katrina Pavlik

– Karen Roddie

– Kimberley Rudd

• Weber Shandwick Public Relations– David C. Rudd

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Getting Started

• Today’s Goals– Inform, Intrigue, Instigate and Inspire

• Agenda– Review the Communications “Big Picture”

– Transition to Grassroots Buzz

– Share Experiences

– Brainstorm Ideas

• Housekeeping– Refreshments & Restrooms

– Cell Phone courtesy

– Slides will be available

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Communications & You

• What Good Communications can do– Build Awareness

– Raise Funds

– Cultivate Support/Advocacy

Support Strategic Plans

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8 Communications Tips

• Review each Tip!

• Perform an Exercise!

• Look for BUZZwords!

• Watch out for BUZZards!

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Let’s Start at the Beginning

• What is your Manifesto?– “Changing the world, one _____ at a time”

• Content + Clarity + Feeling = Manifesto

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#1: Messaging

• Comprised of Key Messages– Known by everyone in your organization

– Kept fresh by changing priorities and impact

– Used often, part of common discourse

• Shaped as One Voice, Diverse Styles

• Always Leader-led

• Anticipated, not Predictable, POV

• Buzzwords: Talking Points/Brain Jogs

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#1: Messaging

• Can you verbally summarize your organization?– Who

– What

– When

– Where

– Why

– How

• Can you say it in 30 seconds or less?

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Group Exercise: Developing Messaging

• Form a duo or trio with the people sitting around you

• Spend a minute or two writing down your 5Ws/H

• Use someone’s “stopwatch” cell phone feature

• Take turns introducing your organization to each other, in 40 seconds or less

• Sensitivity aside, grade one another on your introductions: A (great), B (good) or C (needs improvement)

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#1: Messaging

• Case Studies– Chicago Teachers Union

– Open Books

– Urban Prep

– Others?

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#2: Defining the Purpose

• What Good Communications can help do:– Build Awareness

– Raise Funds

– Cultivate Support/Advocacy

– Support Strategy

• Buzzword: Brandraising

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#2: Defining the Purpose

• Specifically, what do you need/want Communications to do for your organization?– Deepen relationships with schools

– Build awareness within a geographic community

– Attract or retain employees

– Change public opinion following a crisis or challenge

– Establish your organization’s expertise

– Announce specific news (e.g., name change)

– Minimize “cult of personality” (e.g., founder-driven organization)

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#3: Buzz-building is a Team Sport

• Spokesperson vs Brand Ambassadors

• Equip your Team to Speak– Empower them with Information

– Unleash them with Training

– Give them permission to “not know and go seek”

• Equip your Team to Represent– Gear? Personality? Leadership Style?

• If your organization were an individual, how many of your staff members would be its Facebook friend?

• Buzzwords: Communications Training

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Buzzin’ it Old School Style

• Media Interviews

• Public Speeches

• Annual Reports

• Employee Newsletters

• “No Comment”

Buzzin’ it New School Style

• Everywhere

• Everybody

• Print, Online, Broadcast, Webcast, Digital, SMS, Streaming…

#3: Buzz-building is a Team Sport

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Group Exercise: Buzz-building is a Team Sport

Make a list of all of the places and ways your organization has communicated during the past three months. List Person and Place/Way. You have 60 seconds. Go!

Who Communicated? Where/How did they Communicate?

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#4: Every Team needs a Leader

• It’s probably YOU. (Because you’re here.)

• What’s Your Mission?– Are you juggling to keep balls in the air?

– Are you able to move things forward?

– Are you launching a communications function?

• Stabile, Progressive or Constructive– Knowing where you are helps you determine where you

need to go and what you need to get there

• Buzzard: TM-TL-TL

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#4: Team Leaders

• Stabile Communications Leaders– Work to meet established benchmarks– Well-respected output but little influence

on program– Have little room to introduce new ideas,

whether or not old ones are working– Have other job duties that take

precedence– May have low value perception for the

link between communications and “the bottom line”

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#4: Team Leaders

• Progressive Communications Leaders

– Stretch work beyond established benchmarks

– Innovate wherever possible– Use “peacock” techniques to do more,

engage staff in communications initiatives– Seek ways to measure the impact of

communications on “the bottom line”– Carve out communications as a distinct

function of their jobs

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#4: Team Leaders

• Constructive Communications Leaders

– Build new plans– Develop new benchmarks– Innovate consistently– May secure help, internally or externally,

to get the work done– May work exclusively in communications

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Projects Support Time

Stabile

Progressive

Constructive

Group Exercise: If you had more, what could your Leadership achieve?

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#5: Every Leader needs a Council.

• Colleagues– Internally: Program team members

– Externally: Other non-profit communicators

• PR or Communications Agencies

• Professional Development Groups– Examples: Community Media Workshop, Linked In

• The Media– Follow the types of stories you want for your organization

• CISC– Your Specialist and his/her resources

– Your fellow CISC partners

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#6: Pack up your Toolbox.

• What’s on hand to help you Communicate?– Print materials

– Online presence

– Advertising budget

• What’s missing from your list of essentials?

• What’s on your wish list?

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#6: Toolbox Contents

• Communications Plan– Traditional & Crisis

• Style Guide

• Website(s)– Internet, Intranet, Blog

• Social Media Site(s)– Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram,

Reddit, Youtube, etc.

• Newsletter (print or digital)

• Annual Report (print or digital)

• Short videos & PSAs

• Collateral Materials– Brochures, fact sheets, etc

• Press Releases & Alerts

• Opinion Letters/Editorials

• Branded merchandise (T-shirts, bags, lapel pins, balloons, etc.)

• Voicemail Scripts

• Email Signatures

• Signage, Receipts

• Paid Advertising

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#7: Determining Your Scale.

• Budget– Are there any monies available for communications?

– Do you have what you need to create Tools you need?

– Can you lobby/fundraise for more? Based on what?

• Reach– Who are your target audiences? How do they rank?

– Who is most important to reach right now?

– How will you measure who you reach?

• Impact– What are the desired outcomes of your work?

– What scale of improvement will “matter” to you?

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#7: Determining Your Scale.

Budget

Imp

act

Reach

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#8: Be Memorable.

• Communications that Build On– Multi-year planning

– Part of strategic planning

– What gets measured, matters

• Communications that Complement– Each element represents your organization

– Aim for continuity

– Protect your brand

• Communications that Lever– Leverage for Programs, Fundraising & Growth

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Brainstorming Sessions

• Comments

• Questions

• Ideas

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Break Time!