The Communications Process - Step 2

Step 2: Implement

You've scoped your activity, written a plan, and developed your materials-now it's time to implement your activity.
A number of steps are typically involved in implementing a communications plan, including:
Researching existing resources
Briefing consultants/contractors
Developing creative
Writing materials
Testing materials
Buying media
Distributing materials

Communications involves transmitting and receiving information and/or messages. The information or message content may be embodied in tools such as:

• Advertising: TV, radio, print, web, outdoor.
• Publications: books, brochures, fact sheets, newsletters, posters.
• Events: launches, speeches, open days, public events.
• Media relations: media releases, media conferences, briefings.
• Web: web pages, web advertising
• Video and film
• Direct marketing
• Sponsorship
• Consultation
• Photos and graphics

Researching existing resources
In developing communications material, it always pays to avoid reinventing the wheel. Your first step should therefore be to find out what communications have previously taken place:

• on the subject at hand
• with the proposed target audience
• using the proposed methods or tools.

The benefits are doing this prior research are:

• It alerts you to what has worked (or not worked) previously.
• It sheds light on your issue, your audience or your methods.
• It encourages networking and information sharing between professionals.

Begin the search by talking to colleagues in your own branch and agency. Next, talk to other agencies. If you don’t know where to turn, try Strategic Communications Branch in Department of Premier and Cabinet - scb@dpc.vic.gov.au.

Don't feel shy seeking information from other communicators - most are more than happy to share their knowledge.

Once you’ve exhausted those leads, you can do desktop research to find secondary data-studies or surveys bearing on your issue. Have a look at case studies or get hold of previous communications plans to see how others have approached similar problems.

Vast amounts of basic research by the ABS and other organisations are readily available, including ABS data (Government intranet access required). Even the most basic information can provide important scope for your project.Briefing consultants/contractors
Frequently, communications projects require resources or expertise that cannot be provided by government in-house staff. In these instances, external consultants or contractors may be used.

Services purchased through the Marketing Services Panel should follow the business rules set out for that panel. When purchasing other types of services, however, it will be essential to ensure that you follow your agency’s financial delegations and rules.

Briefing consultants and contractors-can be difficult if you are not well prepared. It is crucial that your briefing clearly communicates your requirements to the supplier. You must make absolutely clear:

• what you want them to do
• what they are expected to deliver
• who the audience is
• who the stakeholders are
• the timelines
• the approval process to be followed.

When commissioning photos and graphics it is important to clarify issues of ownership and copyright.

Developing creative
Of all the concepts encountered by the communications practitioner, 'creative' is one of the most difficult to grasp.

The main purpose of creative, whether it is embodied in a 'look and feel', a slogan, graphic, proposition, strap line or theme is to assist the uptake and retention of your communications by the recipient.

The precise nature of the creative process and interpretation of creative by audiences - is a little mysterious, but seems to involve both cognitive and intuitive faculties. As such, good creative ideas cannot simply be made to order. Indeed, it's sometimes hard to even agree what is 'good' creative.

Professional 'creatives' usually have experience and training that enables them to more reliably produce useful and effective ideas than 'amateurs' - but anyone can have a 'great idea'. It's often a good idea to encourage all participants in a communications program to make suggestions, as a good idea may come from an unexpected source.

Creative services can be obtained through the Victorian Government's Marketing Services Panel (MSP). Use of this Panel is mandatory for Government Departments and is also available for use by other Victorian Government agencies.

Once some ideas have been generated, the challenge becomes packaging them in a creative execution that will deliver the desired outcome for the specified audience.

Despite the subjective element involved in creative, briefings of creative agencies should be as rigorous and comprehensive as for other consultants and contractors, and include the objectives sought, key messages, target audience, environment, and methods/media to be used. Using a formal Project Brief (Word 27kb) can help keep things focused.

Given the large subjective element in judging creative, it's always a good idea to undertake pre-testing of creative treatments prior to making a final decision.

Writing materials
Despite all the developments that have taken place in communications technology, the ability to write effectively remains as important as ever.

In order to produce text that communicates effectively, you have to fully understand:

• what you wish to communicate and why
• your audience
• your medium

To clarify what you wish to say and why, it can be helpful to write a problem/issue statement. Sometimes playing journalist and interviewing relevant people, including other staff members can help - you may even want to include what they say in the end product.

You must try to gain an audience perspective on your message/information. Interviewing target audience members is an excellent way to gain insight into how they view the issue, and what they are likely to respond to.

Different methods and tools have their own strengths and limitations. Some media - such as the Web have their own distinct requirements for writing (check out Authoring for the WWW - Word 37kb). Be aware of these when writing.

The final check that your writing is on target is to test it - preferably on members of the target audience. If this is not possible, test on the closest alternative audience available - such as your colleagues!

Useful resources include: Good Communications Guidelines for Writing Government Publications (PDF 52kb) and the Guide and Checklist for Creating Publications PDF (14kb).

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For hard copies, please contact 9651 5094.Testing materials
When your have developed some creative concepts or drafted materials, it is always a good idea to test them out before getting approval and proceeding with production.

Even if the creative/materials look great to the project team, remember that it's easy to get too close to the task at hand, to miss basic errors, or experience subjective bias which makes it hard to spot problems which others may quickly pick up on.

As with other types of evaluation, you need to budget for testing, and the budget should be commensurate with the overall scale and budget of your project. For example, a $1m TV campaign needs to be thoroughly pre-tested before finalisation, whereas a run of 200 fact sheets will require substantially less testing - perhaps just comments from colleagues.

Formal pre-testing activities often utilise focus groups or one-on-one interviews.

Buying media
The Victorian Government's Master Agency Media Service (MAMS) is a whole-of-government contract enabling advertising space to be booked and placed through government-appointed media buying agencies.

The MAMS contract enables all government bodies to take advantage of high service levels, negotiation of cost-effective advertising rates, and immediate reporting of expenditure and commitments.

It is mandatory that all Government departments and agencies book advertising through the MAMS contractors.

In some instances, entities receiving significant funding from the Victorian Government, and entities supplying and/or supporting Government programs may also be given access to the MAMS contract rates.

Detailed information can be found in the MAMS Guidelines.

Distributing materials
Having developed and produced your communications materials, it is essential that they are delivered effectively and efficiently.

A distribution strategy is a key component of any communications plan. It should enable you to:

• Efficiently and accurately reach your target audience.
• Maximise audience receptivity towards your message.

There is a continuum of approaches to this which ranges from mass delivery at one extreme to individual delivery at the other.

There is currently an increasing diversity of media choices and a consequent increased complexity in media consumption patterns. Coupled with improved digital technology, this has served to make individual targeting of items - e.g. through direct mail/e-mail - more popular with marketers than previously.

Other approaches to ensuring effective distribution are:

• Enabling your audience to self-select e.g. by responding to an advertisement.
• Use of intermediaries or gatekeeper groups to selectively distribute materials.
• Supplying self-serve materials to places frequented by the target audience.

Don't forget to inform staff! Staff especially public enquiry staff - usually need to know about new material prior to its public launch. If engaged at an early stage, staff are an effective ally in getting your message out.