Strategy
Communications strategies work when they help teams act with purpose. The connection between direction and delivery is essential for success.
It’s also elusive in many cases. Weighty strategies can sit on shelves after months of work – as if the final document is the end point. Teams without strategies can be extremely busy doing stuff, but don’t always know if the effort pays off. Â
We see this play out in organisations of all sizes – from micro businesses to large public bodies.Â
Our strategies give leadership teams clear direction and a plan that turns ambition into reality.Â
How we develop communications strategies
Our seven-step approach is geared towards identifying the building blocks that any strategy needs. It gets to the heart of the challenge, maps key audiences, shapes messages, sets measures for success and creates a detailed resource plan.
This approach starts with a crucial question that we find is frequently overlooked in the keenness to do stuff: what does your team want communications to achieve?
This is different from the tactical question: what do we want to do?
It’s deliberately focused on outcomes, rather than the outputs – hold an event, write a press release, build a newsletter.
These outcomes could include:
- Building support for a proposed project or programme.
- Reducing costs.
- Increasing sales or generating leads
- Influencing and changing behaviour.
- Connecting people with your services.
Getting buy-in for what you want to achieve is key to shaping the right communications approach. It’s transformational for those who invest time in answering this question properly.
Strategies to structure success
Our approach to creating strategies can support clients who are starting from scratch and those who are re-positioning.
Every strategy is bespoke – our solutions are as unique as our clients’ projects. We have helped developers set new messaging and engagement for their projects, skills providers engage employers, and consultancies reshape their comms approach. Â
Our popular package includes a sprint workshop, which are designed to help teams understand the challenges facing them and agree the objectives that shape the strategy.
The sprint workshops are led by a senior member of the Distinctive team and supported with:
- Comms audits to identify strengths and gaps in your position.
- Competitor analysis.
- Sector research.
- Stakeholder feedback, gleaned through structured interviews and surveys.
Get in touchÂ
Need a communications strategy that gives your team direction? Talk to us about how we can help.
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