PR PLACE GUIDE Category: PR
Developing and writing
a communication
strategy
PR PLACE GUIDE & TOOLKIT
Author: Ann Pilkington
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PR PLACE GUIDE Category: PR
Developing and writing a communication strategy
Author: Ann Pilkington
ABOUT THIS GUIDE AND TOOLKIT
This guide explains what a communication strategy is and how to develop one. It includes a communication strategy
template that can be used as the basis for your own strategy. It also points you to further resources on PR Place to
help you plus recommendations for more in-depth reading.
INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY?
• A strategy sets out the thinking that informs an organisation’s communication or a specific campaign. It can be
thought of a bit like a business case in that it sets out the rationale for a particular approach, with a budget. It is a
written description of a strategic planning process that has taken place.
• A communication strategy differs from a plan. A plan is a collection of tactics with timings that are designed to
deliver the strategy. It may sit as an appendix to the strategy document.
• A plan that simply pulls together a number of tactics without a strategy behind them isn’t strategic and is really just
a calendar.
• It is important to understand the difference between strategy and tactics. Let’s imagine that your goal is to get
promoted. Your strategy might be to get a qualification and do more networking. You might devise a plan for the
year that includes signing up for the qualification you want to get and networking events that you want to attend –
these are tactics.
• A communication strategy does not exist in isolation, it must always be designed to help the organisation deliver its
objectives.
WHY HAVE A STRATEGY?
There are many reasons:
• Communication is more effective because it is based on research and strategic thinking.
• It acts like a business case for a particular approach to communication. A well thought through strategy is hard to
argue against.
• It demonstrates clearly how communication delivers value to the organisation.
• You will do less communication! This may sound counter-intuitive, but a strategic approach means all
communication is done for a reason and activity that isn’t delivering a strategy can be stopped.
From the literature > According to Gregory1, we should plan strategically because it:
• Focuses effort • Helps demonstrate value for • Reconciles conflicts
• Improves effectiveness money • Facilitates proactivity
• Encourages the longer term view • Minimises mishaps
Continued...
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HOW TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY
Developing a strategy need not be onerous and it can be fun. Think about who you can involve in the process.
Involving your stakeholders is a good way to get their support as well as useful input. It also helps to show
others that communication is a strategic function that is evidence based, planned strategically and evaluated.
So, let’s get started……
Linking to organisational goals or objectives
• What is the organisational objective or goal that your communication strategy is designed to support? This might
be increasing employee engagement, selling more products or maybe a behaviour change programme such as
getting people to live healthier lives.
• Perhaps there is a problem to be solved. But a word of caution – not all problems can be solved by PR and
communication. You must ensure you really understand what the issue is or you might waste a lot of time trying
to fix the wrong thing. Think about using creative problem solving techniques2 to get to the heart of the matter.
You may even find that it isn’t a communication problem at all, it may be that a process or product needs to
change.
Example from practice
A local authority press office is tasked with getting more people to sign up to a group energy supply scheme.
It means residents can save money on their gas and electricity, but the scheme requires a minimum number
to be viable. Despite a lot of publicity, take up is slow.
Through creative problem solving, it is discovered that the real issue is that people don’t know that they are
able to switch suppliers. This results in a complete shift of messaging in the campaign to educate people
about switching.3
• Not all organisations are good at providing their PR and communication teams with clear direction. If this is the
case, you can add real value by helping the organisation to articulate what it wants to achieve. Don’t wait to be
told – tease it out of them. They will be glad you did.
• Of course, it may be that the need for a communication campaign has been identified and initiated by the PR and
communication team, for example as a result of spotting emerging issues.
From the literature
For public relations to act as a strategic function, it needs to encourage development of capabilities in
analysing issues and opportunities. The knowledge base of PR practitioners will not be respected if it is
based predominantly on personal experience, intuition, common sense, methodologically weak research or
habitual practice. Likewise it is not enough to know how to execute tactics without being able to provide a
rationale to support a course of action.
Heather Yaxley in the Public Relations Strategic Toolkit4
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WHAT DO YOU KNOW AND WHAT DO YOU NEED TO FIND OUT?
Every communication strategy should be informed by research. At this ‘input’ stage you use research to:
• Set benchmarks: where are you now and where do you want to be? For example if you want to get
people to eat more healthily you might want to know how many people are already eating five portions of fruit
and vegetables a day. You use this knowledge to inform your objectives, for example by aiming for a percentage
increase in this number.
• Decide your strategic approach: before you decide what to do to get everyone tucking into more fruit and veg, you
need to understand what will make them change their behaviour and what the blockers/motivators might be. Never
assume that you know the answer.
You may not need to do or commission original research (known as ‘primary research’). Have a look within
your organisation first. What information does the marketing team have, or HR maybe? Then look outside the
organisation and see what you can find out. Go to reputable sources – that means someone or an organisation that
is qualified to do research. Look closely at how the data was collected – is the methodology published? Who did it?
Why did they do it? There is a lot of dodgy data out there. Be smart in your choice.
Jargon buster:
• Desk research (sometimes also called secondary data): using data that already exists
• Primary research: carrying out original research for your own purpose
If you can’t find what you need then you may need to commission some research. This is a specialist skill – even
doing a short survey requires lots of thinking and testing. Go to someone with the necessary skills. Check their
credentials – have they got a qualification in research? This is important, because if the research isn’t done properly,
your campaign won’t work.
The approach to research will need to be decided. Usually this will be between qualitative research (for example a
focus group) or quantitative research (for example, a survey). The other important thing to consider is who you will
research. The ‘sample’ must be relevant to your task.
Jargon buster:
Sampling: the method you will use to identify the people that you are going to research. Unless your
communication is going to address a very small group, you can’t research everyone. There are different
methods of deciding who you are going to research.
Example from practice
An American university wanted male students to start drying their washing on the line. Using the dryers
went against their ‘green’ policy of cutting down on energy use. So they embarked on a campaign with an
environmental theme – but nothing changed. Then they did some qualitative research with the male
students. They learned that they wouldn’t put washing on the line because it wasn’t seen as ‘manly’.
No amount of green messaging was going to change their behaviour.5
Continued...
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From the literature
There are a number of reasons why research and measurement are important. Firstly, they mitigate against
the potential waste of time and resources allocated to activities that mistakenly assume what is important
communication for employees. Research is associated with a more strategic, planned, approach to practice
that is attributed to other professions, such as marketing.
Dr Kevin Ruck in Exploring Internal Communication6
PR Place free resource
Download a free copy of Dr Kevin Ruck’s Exploring Internal Communication chapter on research via PR Place:
https://www.prplace.com/resources/guides-toolkits/exploring-internal-communication-book-free-chapter/
WHO DO YOU NEED TO TALK TO?
The key is to segment your stakeholders into as much detail as possible. Remember that there is no
such thing as “the general public” or “all employees”. Your initial research will inform this stage. For
example, if you discover that a blocker to healthy eating is the price of fresh food, part of your approach may be to
target supermarket bosses and buyers.
Jargon buster:
• Stakeholder: anyone who can be affected by, or affect the organisation.
• Audience: often used interchangeably with the term stakeholder, but implies more of a one-way approach to
communication
• Publics: used more in academic writing, rarely in practice.
Anne Gregory puts it very simply: stakeholders can be defined as those who have a stake or interest in the
organisation, while publics may be defined as stakeholders that have an issue with the organisation.7
Once you have your list of stakeholders, put yourself in their shoes. Think about what they want or need to know.
What are the blockers or motivators for that person or group? Think about things from the stakeholder’s perspective.
From the literature
At a broader level, stakeholders can be divided into internal or external; or more narrowly using demographic,
geographic and other variables. Internal stakeholders could be segmented by occupation, department,
location, grade level, union membership, length of service, for example. Gregory (2009: 185) confirms
practitioners should ‘move from the general to the particular’ when segmenting. She details a circular model
to map stakeholders, with those with the highest stake placed nearer the centre. Prioritising may depend on
the nature of the issue being addressed.
Heather Yaxley in the Public Relations Strategic Toolkit8
Continued...
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PR Place free resource
Download the PR Place free Guide to Stakeholder Identification and Mapping via PR Place
https://pracademy.co.uk/insights/guide-to-stakeholder-identification-and-mapping/
PR Place free resource
Download a free chapter on identifying stakeholders from a project perspective from Ann Pilkington’s book
Communicating Projects via
https://pracademy.co.uk/insights/communicating-projects-book-free-chapter/
SETTING OBJECTIVES
Achievable
Use the research you did at the start to inform your objectives and set measures. Objectives should be SMART:
Specific. Measureable. Achievable. Relevant. Timed.
An example of a SMART objective would be: By the end of 2018, 80% of office-based employees know the benefits of
taking more exercise during the working day.
Setting objectives is essential. If you don’t have an objective you don’t have anything to measure your success
against. If you can’t prove how well you campaign went then why should anyone take the PR and communication
function seriously? Objectives focus effort and stop you doing things that aren’t of any value. They help to
demonstrate that PR and communication is a function to be taken seriously.
There are some things to look out for when setting objectives:
• They must be about communication. It sounds obvious, but PR may not be able to get people to eat more fruit and
veg as part of a healthy lifestyle if it is too expensive or there is nowhere local to buy it.
• There should only be one thing per objective – otherwise you can’t measure it. An example of doubling up would be
setting an objective around awareness and behaviour change, e.g. ‘80% of employees are aware of the need to take
more exercise and agree that they will’.
• They should be about outcomes. Too often objectives are only about process – issuing a number of newsletters,
getting people to some to an event. Think about what you want people to think, feel or do as a result.
• The ‘A’ in SMART is there for a reason. Don’t set yourself up to fail. Your objectives should be achievable.
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From the literature
Objectives – the specific, measurable statements that break down the aims into the steps that must be
achieved if success is to be realised; be clear on outcome objectives (think, feel, act) and process objectives
(number of brochures distributed).
Anne Gregory in Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns : A Strategic Approach9
As all government communicators will know, successful evaluation depends entirely on setting meaningful
C-SMART objectives. These are SMART objectives, with an additional C for ‘challenging’. …….. Running
a successful campaign requires clear objectives, underpinned by a theory of behaviour change that
understands how communication activity will be effective.
Alex Aiken, Executive Director of Government Communication10
Example from practice
Winner of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Excellence Awards – Best Public Sector
Campaign 2018 was the UK Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) campaign about the new driving
test. In 2017, the DVSA prepared Great Britain for the most significant changes to the driving test since the
1970s.11
The following is an example of a SMART objective from the campaign that is about process:
‘Driving examiners have the information they need to deliver the new test six months before launch on 4
December 2017.’
An objective about outcomes is:
‘Driving examiners understand the planned changes to the driving test and what they mean for them.’
However, for this objective to be SMART it would be need to have a timescale and a measure. It also breaks
one of the rules about objective setting in that it is a double objective talking about ‘understanding’ and ‘what
it means for them. It would be better worded as:
‘By 4 December, 80% of driving examiners understand what the planned changes to the driving test
mean for them.’
DECIDING YOUR STRATEGIC APPROACH
It sounds a bit strange to have a section called “strategy” within a document called a communication strategy. It
simply means explaining what your strategic approach is going to be.
This is where you can draw on communication theory or psychology.
Your strategy will depend on the task. If you want to get people to eat more healthily then you are going to have to
persuade them to change their behaviour. Your strategy will be to use relevant communication theory or psychology
to achieve this.
If your task is to improve employee engagement, then your strategy should be one of genuine two-way
communication that gives employees a voice.
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You should explain your approach and use it to guide your tactics. For example, there is no point saying that you are
going to give employees a voice and then come up with a list of tactics that simply talk at employees.
Think of your strategic approach as the golden thread that runs through your communication strategy linking
everything together.
The golden thread of strategy implementation - example
Monitoring,
Strategic
Objectives measurement and
approach
evaluation
Th
eg
olde
n thread
Budget and
Stakeholders Messages/story
resources
From the literature
There are many communication planning
Check how it is going.
Review Measure against objectives
models in circulation that all follow a
Act
similar formula.
Implement the plan
What are the right tactics for the situation?
Decide
However, the RADAR model development Map out a plan. Set clear objectives
by Dr Kevin Ruck of PR Academy in his Assess What do we need to do? What are the options?
How should we apply communication theory?
book Exploring Internal Communication
highlights the importance of thinking about What is the situation? Who is affected?
Research What do we already know about the
how theory will inform what you do.12 affected groups?
PR Place free resource
Download the free PR Place Guide to Communication Theory for PR and Internal Communication via
https://pracademy.co.uk/insights/guide-using-communication-theory/
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WHAT TO SAY: STORYTELLING, NARRATIVE OR KEY MESSAGES?
Telling a story can be much more compelling than having a list of bullet point key messages.
Storytelling enables people to repeat things more easily and stories can capture attention. Facts and
figures that are part of a story can be easier to remember. This doesn’t mean that messaging is dead. Sometimes you
just need to tell people something and even if you opt to tell a story, a set of messages is a good starting point.
Storytelling isn’t right for every situation so use the approach intelligently. For example if you want to explain your
company’s financial results to City journalists you will need the figures and an explanation of how they were achieved.
That is description, not storytelling. However, if you wanted to explain to customers how and why the company was
formed, then using storytelling is more appropriate.
Agreeing what you are going to say and how you are going to say it keeps things consistent which is why it should be
captured in the communication strategy.
PR Academy free resource
Download the PR Place free Guide to Storytelling via
https://pracademy.co.uk/insights/do-tell-stories/
Channel strategy
You may want to explain what channels you will use and how you will use them. This won’t always be necessary but it
can be helpful to document what type of content goes in what channel and have this signed off.
MONITORING, MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION
Remember that golden thread – your measurement and evaluation links to your objectives. If you have set well-
constructed objectives, you simply need to see if you have met them. It really is as straightforward as that.
Understanding research methodology is as important at this end of your campaign as it is at the start when it was all
about inputs to the strategy.
Having said that, leaving measurement and evaluation to the end is risky – you might deliver a whole campaign and then
find out that it hasn’t worked. The answer is to check as you go. Set some KPIs through the campaign. These may check
outputs as well as outcomes. If something isn’t working you have time to change it.
Jargon buster:
• KPI: Key Performance Indicator. A term used in project management. It is a measure of success that can be
used throughout a project to ensure that it is progressing towards a successful conclusion.
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From the literature
• Many of the evaluation methods and techniques that the industry took for granted for so many years are no
longer enough. As organisational silos are coming down, PR professionals are being asked to work across all
forms of media and use, and measure, these new channels and tactics. Work must encompass paid, earned,
shared and owned media. To be effective at our jobs, we now need to plan and measure our communications
in a truly integrated manner.
• To prove the value of communication in an age of accountability it is vital to move beyond measuring just the
content (or ‘media’) analysis that largely sufficed for the previous 20 years. Now communication professionals
must show the effect that their work has had on the objectives of their respective organisations.13
Richard Bagnall, Association of Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC)
Free PR Place resource
What have you learned through the strategic planning process and development of your communication strategy?
Author of the PR Place Guide to Reflective Practice, Heather Yaxley says: ‘Reflective practice supplements a CPD
strategy by enabling individuals to focus on their own learning and development. Validation of existing and new
knowledge occurs through structured examination of practical experiences – and the way in which learning happens.
This personal approach to developing sustainable professional practice involves continuous application of critical
and reflexive thinking by studying, analysing, applying and reviewing theoretical concepts, practical problems and
opportunities for personal learning and development.’
Download the free PR Place Guide to Reflective Practice via
https://pracademy.co.uk/insights/reflection-and-professional-development/
BUDGET
Plan then budget or budget then plan? There is no right or wrong answer. You may be given a budget to work with or you
may be using your communication strategy like a business case to pitch for budget.
Make sure you understand how budget setting in your organisation (or client) works. Do you need to include staff costs if
you are in-house for example?
A communication strategy can be starting point
for negotiation around budget and you may not get
all the resources you need. It sounds obvious, but
if you don’t get all the money, you can’t deliver the
whole campaign.
In project management terms this is known as the
‘iron triangle’ of time, cost and quality (or scope). It
is a useful reminder that if one of these three items
changes, there must be an adjustment elsewhere.
So, if you are asked to do more (i.e., increase your
scope) then you are going to need more time or
more money.
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DEPENDENCIES AND RISKS
Dependencies: a dependency is something on which the success of your communication strategy depends. It is usually
something outside of your control. It might be a “precedence relationship” that means something which has to happen
before you can do something. It can be helpful to include these in your strategy as it highlights to others things on which
you depend.
Risks: a risk is something that might happen and, if it does, will have an impact on your ability to deliver your
communication strategy.
SCOPE
Set out what exactly the communication strategy is for and the time period that it is designed to cover. This can go at the
start or the end of your document.
VERSION CONTROL AND SIGN OFF
Who will approve the strategy? Include a section to track who has signed it off and the different versions that you may
have to produce. Version control can be done numerically. The first version draft could be v0.1 and the signed off, final
version V1. Any further iterations can be V1.1 etc. Or check to see if there is a preferred method of version control in your
organisation. Again, this can go the start of the end of the document.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Done last, but goes first! An executive summary at the start of your strategy should carry the key points from your
document, summarised into no more than one page. An executive summary is just that – a summary, don’t write it
like an introduction. It should be written in such a way that if someone read only that they would know what you are
proposing. It should set out the case for your approach in a succinct and compelling way.
LEARN MORE:
Books
• Evaluating Public Relations by Tom Watson and Paul Noble
• Heather Yaxley’s chapters in The Public Relations Strategic Toolkit
• Exploring Internal Communication edited and co-authored by Dr Kevin Ruck
• Communicating Projects : An End-to-End Guide to Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Effective Communication
by Ann Pilkington
Online
• Government Communication Service Evaluation Framework 2.0 https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/
uploads/2018/06/6.4565_CO_Evaluation-Framework-2.0-v11-WEB.pdf
• The AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework https://amecorg.com/amecframework/
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Guide and toolkit: developing and writing a communication strategy
Communication strategy template
You can use the following headings as the basis for your own communication strategy. Be guided by the
presentation style of your own organisation of client.
Section heading Content
Housekeeping section – this can go Scope, sign off and version control
at the start or the end
Executive summary Write this last, but present it first, Make it persuasive
Background Linking to organisational goals and objectives. Set out the background,
explain the problem or the organisational goal/objective that your strategy
will support.
Research What do you know and what have you found out? Explain what research
you have done and what it has told you.
Stakeholders Who do you need to talk to? Explain who and why. You can include the
model or methodology you have used.
Objectives Set out your communication objectives.
Strategic approach What is the strategic approach that you will take, informed by the research
and knowledge of theory. A few paragraphs is usually sufficient.
Messages/story What are you going to say? You can include a channel strategy here or if it
is a substantial part of the overall strategy – give it its own heading.
Monitoring, measurement and Explain how you are going to find out whether you met your objectives.
evaluation
Budget and resources What it will cost and who will be involved in delivery.
Dependencies and risks Who are you relying on? And what could go wrong?
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Guide and toolkit: developing and writing a communication strategy
Communication plan template
Date Strategy objective Stakeholder Activity Status/notes
JUNE
1 June 80% of employees know Line managers Telephone conference
the value of taking more briefing to explain the
exercise during the wellness programme and
working day, by Christmas. how they can support their
teams.
JULY
1 July 80% of employees know Office based Desk drop of healthy lifestyle
the value of taking more staff at Head pack
exercise during the Office
working day, by Christmas.
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ABOUT PR PLACE
PR Place is PR Academy’s online community and resource hub. It is where public relations and communication
practice meets scholarship, where insight is derived from evidence, and where questions of career development
and professionalism are explored. It is a resource to help practitioners become more effective and assist with the
completion of professional and academic assignments.
PR Academy was established in 2007. It is the largest teaching centre for qualifications awarded by the Chartered
Institute of Public Relations. It offers qualifications online, face to face in London or through blended learning.
Discover more: https://pracademy.co.uk/insights/
For PR Place content ideas and comments, email: [email protected]
To find out about our courses, email: [email protected]
Endnotes
1. Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns : A Strategic Approach, 2010, by Anne Gregory
2. Creative problem solving teases out the real issue through questioning.
3. Example based on an exercise in a PR Academy CIPR PR Certificate workshop
4. From Heather Yaxley’s chapter “Situational Analysis” in the Public Relations Strategic Toolkit (2017) published by Routledge
5. From BBC Radio 4 Costing the Earth some years ago
6. Exploring Internal Communication: Towards Informed Employee Voice is edited and co-authored by Dr Kevin Ruck of PR Academy. Now in its third edition, it is the core text book for PR Academy’s CIPR specialist internal communication qualifications.
7. Anne Gregory quoted in Exploring Public Relations edited by Ralph Tench and Liz Yeomans (2014) published by Pearson
8. From Heather Yaxley’s chapter “Understanding Public Psychology ” in the Public Relations Strategic Toolkit (2017) published by Routledge
9. Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns : A Strategic Approach, 2010, by Anne Gregory
10. Alex Aiken, Executive Director of Government Communication writing in the forward to the Government Communication Service Evaluation Framework 2.0 published in June 2018.
11. See the full entry and all the winners on the award website: http://ciprawards.co.uk/excellence/ (accessed June 2018)
12. Dr Kevin Ruck is a co-founder and director of PR Academy. His RADAR model is discussed in his book Exploring Internal Communication: Towards Informed Employee Voice (2015) published by Gower (now Routledge). See page 120.
13. From the AMEC website - Richard Bagnall speaking at the launch of the AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework. The Framework is an interactive tool that encourages strategic planning leading to measurement and evaluation. https://amecorg.com/
amecframework/ (accessed June 2018)
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