Transcript Corporate Communications

CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS
A presentation to the new Moncton City Council
.
Paul Thomson, Director, Corporate Communications
Corporate Communications:
Our goal
 To make our city, organization, and all our bosses, look as
good as we possibly can
 To increase awareness of City programs, services, attributes
and differentiators in order to further the City’s goals and
objectives
 We do this by delivering, integrated, targeted
communications to key stakeholders
Corporate Communications
 Identify major communications
issues/opportunities to be tackled in order for
the City to realize its goals as stated in its
mission, vision and strategic priorities
 (i.e. take every opportunity to
reinforce our key priorities)
Corporate Communications:
What do we do?
 Media Relations
 Issues Management
 Internal (Employee) Communications
 Crisis Communications (planning)
 Translation
 Collateral Development (brochures, ads, signs, Resurgo etc.,)
 moncton.ca
 Manage the corporate brand
 Communications Plans (for specific initiatives)
 Strategic Advisors
 Presentations
 Handle complaints, communicate with our stakeholders
 Event coordination and management
Corporate Communications:
What do we do for you?
 Key message development and communication
 Remarks (let’s talk about this)
 Translation
 Strategic Advisors
Corporate Communications:
What do we have for you?
 E-mail prioritization code
 Media portal www.moncton.ca/media portal
 Council-only web page
Corporate Communications:
Issues Management
 Corporate Communications communicates council
directives and decisions
 Proactive—we try to identify issues before they become
ISSUES
 Reactive—is the reality. Process/toolkit in place.
 Sometimes it’s messy. That’s democracy.
 Two-way communication: listen as well as disseminate
messages
Corporate Communications:
Two-way communication
 Two-way communication: listen as well as disseminate
messages
 Identify ways to listen to key audiences as well as
developing messages for them (consultative process)
 Identify ways to establish, maintain, and develop good
relationships with those publics
 Find the WIIFM – benefit based communication
 Develop an effective public consultation process-enhance number of meaningful opportunities available
for public input, participation and influence in decisionmaking process on major directions taken by the City
Corporate Communications:
Employee Communications
 Always start from the inside out
 Goal: To ensure that employees never find out major
organizational news from media
 Improve employee engagement and alignment
 Drive clear and consistent messaging through all
communications
 Communicate mission, vision and values
 Strengthen and reinforce brand
 Organizations deliver their brand through their people
Media Relations: Key Messages
What makes news?
 Change
 Controversy
 Human interest
Key Messages
Wall Street Journal
Key Messages
Globe and Mail
Key Messages
Telegraph-Journal
MONCTON’S WATER IS
CONSISTENTLY ABOVE
Guidelines for Canadian
Drinking Water Quality
Key Messages
Times and Transcript
Key Messages
 Only 3-4 key messages
 Use anecdotes, paint a picture, tell a story
 The more you say the less people
remember
 Repeat them—often
 Bridge
Key Messages
 Identify key audiences (really drill down)
 This can drive your strategy and tactics
 What do you want to see re: coverage
 The better your understanding of what matters
most, the less you have to worry about the
details
 Henry Kissinger/Bill Clinton: who has questions
FOR MY ANSWERS
 Substance first then sizzle
Key Messages
Understanding the media
 Crazy pressure-driven environment filled with
distractions and deadlines
 Make an effort to understand them and
everything it takes to get a story out
 Deadlines for electronic and print
 Media relations is an art not a science
 Lots of junior people here
Thank you