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Washington Partner Perspectives For February 28, 2007

Today’s questions are answered by Gwyn Walcoff, Senior Vice President of Public Relations

As Senior Vice President of Public Relations, Gwyn Walcoff brings a wealth of experience to the communications team at Washington Partners, LLC. Having operated her own independent public relations firm for 18 years, Gwyn has provided national business-to-business and public awareness programs for major client companies including health care, education, professional practice, pharmaceutical, non-profit associations, and global foundations.

Gwyn's scope of services includes strategic communication planning, media relations, community relations, crisis communications, corporate identity development, and event management. Gwyn has promoted corporate social responsibility (CSR) by developing cause-related programs that altruistically unite client companies with the key audiences they depend upon for success. Gwyn is the author of, and mentor for students at 75 Universities nationwide for a pharmaceutical client's CSR program.

Raising awareness of your organization within key centers of influence should be an ongoing process. Attempting to capture a top-of-mind position with important sources of funding or legislators only when a need arises is difficult at best, and more often unsuccessful. Creating advocacy is a full-time job.

Do education stakeholders need to engage in public relations activities to publicize their positions as an essential part of their lobbying effort?

Walcoff
Raising awareness of your organization within key centers of influence should be an ongoing process. Attempting to capture a top-of-mind position with important sources of funding or legislators only when a need arises is difficult at best, and more often unsuccessful. Creating advocacy is a full-time job.

Many education groups are modestly funded. Is an effective public relations effort out of their reach?

Walcoff
The operative word here is “effective”. If properly researched, planned, implemented and evaluated, cost is not the issue. Many award-winning programs have been delivered on a “shoe string”. (See below)

How does a smaller group get heard on a major issue like No Child Left Behind or college affordability without spending large sums of money?

Walcoff
Create an internal staff function dedicated to pro-active or pre-emptive communications. Maintain a current media list as well as a list of influentials in the private and public sectors. Prepare a communication plan based on the goals, objectives, strategies, tactics and activities needed to serve the needs of your organization. Your message directly to your federal or state representatives is a very effective tool as public servants are influenced by what matters to their constituents.

Communication Planning 101:

1. OVERALL GOALS FOR THE PR PROGRAM

• Keep these few in number (3-5 max, one may be enough)
• Should be consistent with management goals and mission
• Think in terms of end results, rather than process alone

• Groups or sub-groups with whom you need to communicate
• Consider:

Who needs to know or understand?
Who needs to be involved?
Whose advice or support do we need?
Who will be affected?

• Think in terms of awareness, attitude or action you desire (the end result). Verbs: recognize, accept, endorse, support, grow, develop, “raise awareness among”, etc.
• What specific results do you desire, and what you think is possible (measurable)
• Each objective should cite an audience, an outcome, the measurable level of change (%), and time frame. Example: at the end of six months, raise the level of awareness for UIC among physicians in the 30-mile range by 10%.

• How will you approach the challenge in order to achieve your objectives?
• What can you build on or take advantage of?
• What messages, themes or appeals will you convey to specific audiences?
• You will probably have several strategies for one objective, and some strategies may serve several objectives.

• How you will use your resources to implement the strategy and work toward objectives

• Specific activities required under the tactics to carry out strategies

• How will we know if we are reaching our objectives?
• Measurement? Observation? Opinion? Feedback?