Owosso nonprofits

Strategic Messaging:From “Get the Word Out” to “What’s the Word?”

Tim Penning, Ph.D., APRSchool of CommunicationsGrand Valley State University

Contact Info

• Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

• Twitter: twitter.com/penningink

• Blog: www.gr-pr.blogspot.com

• This presentation will be available on slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/penningink

Opening Exercise

What are the “communication frustrations” for your nonprofit organization?

My biggest frustrations:

“We just need to raise awareness”

“We just need to get the word out”

Need to get beyond “just”

Success is Planned

Research based

Objectives

Strategies

Tactics

Objectives

2 OsOutput – what WE do

Outcome – what our PUBLICS do in response

3 AsAwareness

Attitude

Action

4 Elements of a Good Objective

One specific public

One desired outcome

A timeframe by which that outcome happens

A way to measure

Ex: Increase to 30% the percentage of our donors who give more than once a year by December 31, 2011.

ActivityPUBLICS OBJECTIVES

How to Meet Objectives?

STRATEGY!

But what is strategy?

Strategy is…

The thought behind the message

The reason you’re confident it will be effective

A consideration of more than “getting the word out”

Types of communication strategies

Timing of the message

Targeting and segmenting publics

The medium used

Partnerships

Intervening publics, opinion leaders

**Message appeal

Need to get audiences to:

Pay attention

Understand message

Believe message

Remember

Respond—change mind, act on message

Paying Attention

“Media uses and gratifications” theory

Passive/active audiences

Triggering events

Understand Message

Clarity—no jargon, acronyms, assumed understanding

Relevance

Tone/voice—proclamation or conversation; 1st, 2nd or 3rd person voice

Believe the Message

Source credibility (sincerity, expertise, charisma)

Cognitive dissonance (predisposition)

Attribution theory (perceived intentions)

InvolvementHigh = central processing = WHAT is said

Low = peripheral processing = WHO says it

Remember the Message

Make it memorable, personally relatable

RepetitionMessage consistency

Multiple tactics (media mix)

Multiple sources

Act on Message

Adoption Process Affected by “Diffusion

of Innovation”

Activity

Think of a public and a message you want them to adopt.

How would you strategically lead them through the process?

Message Appeals

Laswell’s 8 basic appealsPower

Wealth

Respect

Skill

Well-being

Affection

Enlightenment

Physical and mental vitality

Appeals—Maslow’s Hierarchy

Message Content, Structure

Drama, anecdote

Statistics

Surveys and polls

Examples, how-to

Testimonials, endorsements

Emotion

Call to action

PR Ethics

NOT ‘spin’

Advocacy of a point of view

Enable informed decision making

Provide information

Build or maintain relationships

TacticsWhat are you using now? (Are they appropriate?)

Web site (which can include all that follows)

Social media

Annual report

Newsletter

Advertising

Media relations, op-eds

Brochures, reports

Events

Reach and Persuasion

Final activity

Go to your publics and objectives list

Come up with a strategy

Write a key message based on the strategy

Pick an appropriate tactic to deliver the message

Questions, Discussion