Transcript Communicating for Change Bothner and Bradley 10-2-13

{Strategic Communication}
Communicating for Change
A workshop for the Healthy Communities Initiative
Vera Bothner
Tami Bradley
October 2, 2013
“People who work together will win, whether it be against complex
football defenses or the problems of modern society.”
- Vince Lombardi, 1959-1967 Green Bay Packers coach
{Strategic Communication}
Today’s focus:
1. Audience
2. Message
3. Media
“With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it,
nothing can succeed.”
- Abraham Lincoln, 1858
{Strategic Communication}
Want Influence?
Eliminate your blind spots*
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The Fast and Furious
Ready, Fire, Aim
The Upsiders
The Over Estimators
The Narrow Field of Dreamers
The Gut Reactors
No GPS Crew
*Spitfire Strategies
{Strategic Communication}
Want Influence?
Eliminate your blind spots*
1
2
A clear sense of
the decisions
that need to be
made
An understanding
of who makes the
necessary decisions
*Spitfire Strategies
3
An informed
hypothesis
about how the
decisions will
get made
4
An
understanding of
how the
organization can
influence the
decision-making
process and a
game plan for
making that
happen
Community Change Framework
Community
Mobilization
Community
Education
Environment
that Supports
Community
Health Policies
Advocacy
with
Organization
al Decision
Makers
Educating
Government
Policymakers
Why is communication important for
public policy and CCF?
• Audience centered
• Builds relationships
• Action oriented
{Strategic Communication }
AUDIENCE
{Strategic Communication }
Target audience
• Who are you trying to reach?
– Legislators
– City council
– County commissioners
– School board
– Media
– General public
{Strategic Communication }
Know your audience
• Who do you want to reach?
• What do they believe? What are they doing now?
• What’s keeping them from believing or doing what you want
them to?
{Strategic Communication }
Listen
“One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears-by listening to them.”
-Dean Rusk
{Strategic Communication}
Listen
• Target audience
– What do we know?
• Demographics
• Interests
• What do they know about our policy/issue?
– What do we need to know?
• Are they open to our policy?
• Who do they listen to? Follow?
• What will get them interested in supporting our policy?
{Strategic Communication }
How to listen
• Quantitative
– Email
– Mail
– Phone
• Qualitative
– Focus groups
– 1:1 conversations (in person, phone)
– Intercept interviews
{Strategic Communication }
How to listen - online
•
•
•
•
•
•
SurveyMonkey
Twitter: Follow and monitor
Facebook: Likes, Friends, Events
LinkedIn: Business network
Blogs: Monitor
Websites: Getting to know organization
{Strategic Communication }
MESSAGE
“The pure and simple truth is rare pure and never simple.” – Oscar Wilde
{Strategic Communication }
Action
– Vote
– Testify
– Organize
– Tell their neighbors
– Change a business policy
– Modify language
{Strategic Communication }
{Strategic Communication}
Develop Messages – Guidelines
Positive language
Plain English
Length
Sound bite rule – 27-9-3
Stories + visuals + anecdotes
Rule of Three
Bridging
Quotable
{Strategic Communication}
Bridging Language
Uses transitions to bring you back to your key messages:
What’s important to remember . . .
Let me just add . . .
That reminds me . . .
Let me give you some information about . . .
But the facts are . . .
Here’s another way to look at that . . .
{Strategic Communication}
Message Development Worksheet
What I want to communicate MOST is:
1. Message
• Story
• Example
2. Message
• Story
• Example
3. Message
• Story
• Example
{Strategic Communication}
Getting your message out:
Working with the media
“Forget the bullet points. Tell a story.”
Andy Goodman
{Strategic Communication}
Why work with the media?
To achieve objectives:
• Sell ideas, vision, mission
• Change attitudes
• Low-cost means for message
• Position your organization as a leader
“If you don’t exist in the media, for all practical purposes, you
don’t exist.” Communications Consortium Media Center
{Strategic Communication}
How the media work
Media have a job to do – and so do you
• Internal structures and bosses
• Timeframes
• Inside the reporter’s mind
Types of Media
• Broadcast
• Print
• Small markets
• Larger markets
Know your media
{Strategic Communication}
When to work with the media
• News Tip
• News Release
• News Conference
• Guest Editorials
• Other
{Strategic Communication}
Prepare - Before the Interview
Get to know the reporters
Get together background information
• Be prepared
Develop a media policy
Ask questions:
• What information interested in?
• Focus of story?
• Who else talking to?
• Deadline?
{Strategic Communication}
Respond – During the interview (10 points):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Exercise your rights
Keep it short, simple and to the point
Be prepared to be interrupted
Keep your focus
Use positive language
- I don’t believe … Here’s what I believe
- It won’t work … Let me make a suggestion about how it might work
{Strategic Communication}
Respond: During the interview
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
If you don’t know, say so, then find out
Do not speculate on other issues
Utilize the silence
Never say “no comment”
Phone interview - notes
{Strategic Communication}
Respond: During the interview
10. TV Interview:
• Wear solid colors, gray, off white or pastel shirts or blouses
• Have demeanor appropriate to subject
 Smile and be friendly if good news
 Compassionate and serious if not
• Lean forward slightly in your chair
• Keep eyes on interviewer – not on camera
{Strategic Communication }
MEDIA
http://www.kwch.com/news/news-adkkwch-video-zoos-elephant-exhibit-needsnew-money-to-move-forward20130909,0,4853289.premiumvideo
Sedgwick County Zoo volunteer chair
makes the chase for more funding.
http://www.kwch.com/news/kwch-news-amzoos-elephant-exhibit-needs-new-money-tomove-forward-20130909,0,2028727.story
http://www.ksn.com/2013/07
/16/poll-shows-kansans-loveclean-indoor-air/
Statewide poll shows support
for clean indoor air law
{Strategic Communication}
Final thoughts:
Choose your battles carefully
The interview is not over until the reporter leaves
Invite the reporter to call with questions
Not typical to see the story before it is printed or aired
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.”
Will Rogers
Community Change Framework
Community
Mobilization
Community
Education
Environment
that Supports
Community
Health Policies
Advocacy
with
Organization
al Decision
Makers
Educating
Government
Policymakers
{Strategic Communication }
AUDIENCE:
- Community members
- Organizations
- Champions
MEDIA:
- Meetings
- Phone calls
- Email
Community
Mobilization
MESSAGE:
- Shared goals
- Leverage
- Coalition building
- Funding
- Training/Supporting
Environment
that
Supports
Community
Health
Policies
{Strategic Communication }
AUDIENCE:
- “Public” – targeted
segments
MEDIA:
- News media
- Social media
- Events
Community
Education
MESSAGE:
- Beliefs
- Behaviors
Environment
that
Supports
Community
Health
Policies
{Strategic Communication }
AUDIENCE:
- Elected officials – city,
county, state, federal
- Key staff
MESSAGE:
- Targeted information
- Brief
- Goal is “education”
- Also, build on other messages
-
Shared goals
Leverage
Coalition building
Funding
Training/Supporting
MEDIA:
- News media
- One-on-one meetings
- “Legislative Days”
- Reports, briefs,
summaries, PowerPoints
Educating
Government
Policymakers
Environment
that
Supports
Community
Health
Policies
{Strategic Communication }
AUDIENCE:
- Coalition members
- Organizations
- Businesses
- Nonprofits
MEDIA:
- Meetings
- Phone calls
- Email
- Toolkits/fact sheets
Advocacy with
Organizational
Decision Makers
MESSAGE:
- Shared goals
- Part of the team
- Make the case
Environment
that
Supports
Community
Health
Policies
{Strategic Communication }
COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
Target audience?
Message?
How?
Target audience?
Message?
How?
Target audience?
Message?
How?
Target audience?
Message?
How?
{Marketing and Public Relations}
Build Your Own Plan
Goal #1: By ____, ______________(policy goal)
Target audience
Messages
How?
Community
Mobilization
{Marketing and Public Relations}
Build Your Own Plan
Goal #1: By ____, ______________(policy goal)
Target audience
Messages
Community
Education
How?
{Marketing and Public Relations}
Build Your Own Plan
Goal #1: By ____, ______________(policy goal)
Target audience
Messages
How?
Educating
Government
Policymakers
{Marketing and Public Relations}
Build Your Own Plan
Goal #1: By ____, ______________(policy goal)
Target audience
Messages
Advocacy with
Organizational
Decision Makers
How?
{Strategic Communication }
Report out