Regardless of efficacy and efficiency, project goals and outcomes must be realistic in order to optimise the role, range and use of strategic communications in achieving good outcomes for the brand and organisation.
In a previous article, we discussed about the differences in optimising efficiency and efficacy for strategic communications programmes or campaigns. The key take-away is to combine both a ‘numbers’ layer to communicate progress through quantitative measurements. Determining efficacy would also include qualitative metrics measured through proxies that provide more context and perspective about the programme and campaign.
We would encourage being highly transparent with stakeholders to secure clarity and understanding of the goals as well as co-ownership of the outcomes.
Therefore, it is important that the discussion with stakeholders include an injection of realism when it comes to deciding and agreeing upon goals and outcomes.
It is critical to head off myths about strategic communications outcomes. Here are some of these myths.
Myth 1: Communications can secure discovery and awareness just by making an announcement, distributing information to audiences, or providing access to products and services
The challenge to address here is the notion of ‘if you build, they will come’. No matter how popular or critical an offering is, the assumption that external parties are just waiting to validate the product or service to their audiences is misguided. Instead, the conversation should be about how to explain the value of the offering to the target audiences.
Myth 2: Communications can position the brand to appear one way, while the organisation is trying to make an unanticipated move in another direction, whether to confuse competition, or to appear strategic.
This borders on inauthenticity. It will backfire if the brand relies on any form of community, relationship or direct-to-customer model of sales. No one likes to discover that they are wrong about a brand they have invested time, or emotions in. At the minimum, it will be a case of lost customers, or it might escalate into an issues management scenario. Competitors will be alerted to the extra noise being created, and will figure out what the organisation was trying to hide anyway.
Myth 3: Communications can provide ‘air cover’ through awareness, while the real work is done at through the relationships we have with [insert customer name here] and by other functions.
This type of thinking will lead to less trust with the communications function over time, since actions are regarded as unimportant and does not contribute to success. It is important to call this mindset out from the start, and to demonstrate commitment to the business goal. Determining appropriate and relevant measurements that connect to goals must be clear and show connection.
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We are Brand Utility is a strategic communications and business consultancy. Our principal consultant is a registered management consultant, certified and recognised by the Institute of Management Consultants Singapore.
We work with brands in the corporate, professional services, retail, travel, and technology spaces.
Guiding and leading the communications outcomes conversation
Sometimes, it can be better for the organisation if the communications team was to lead the stakeholder outcomes conversation. It would deliver more value for an organisation to have a proactive communications function that seeks to unite stakeholders through an integrated position on goals, and the programme or campaign that can deliver the outcomes desired.
This does not take any agency or decision-making away from respective functions.
Instead, viewed through a lens that encourages integration and cooperation, the communications function is ofttimes the team that interacts and engages cross-function sufficiently to understand each function’s range, strengths and willingness to compromise for the bigger good.
By taking the lead, it requires the communications team to build the positioning, key messages and the narrative for the project to succeed. Having a neutral project lead can help with coherence between functions, as these teams might only ever work together when it is a critical project for the organisation or a launch or refreshes of offerings.
Communications can step up to lead – and away from being cover for other team – and therefore be responsible for the planned outcomes as well.
Planning for realistic outcomes
When planning for outcomes, assuming stakeholder co-ownership, we would encourage the communications team to ask the following questions:
What is the primary (and secondary) business goals this project is supporting? What would the best/optimal outcome look like?
Can you describe it in terms of revenue, growth, scale, expansion, sales or positioning?
Why do we need to achieve this level of outcomes?
Is this part of a larger plan, and if so, what is the larger plan aiming to achieve?
How will our project fit into the larger plan?
How much time do we have for the larger plan, and for this project?
If we achieve these results, how do they roll up to the business goal?
What if we split the project up to support different results/offerings/items etc?
What resources do we have to achieve the optimal results level? Will resources be taken away at some point – and can the results also be diluted?
Here are the steps to consider when realistic outcomes have been discussed, negotiated and agreed upon:
Understand the business goal that the project is supporting, and any sub-objectives of the goal as well
Determine what are appropriate and relevant metrics, proxies that map to the goals and objectives
Secure buy-in from stakeholders that these are the correct set of measurements for the project
Create the steps or milestones when measurements are to be made, and explain the projections or assumptions ahead of time that point to progress or delays with the project
Add these measurements to the master project plan along with the reporting template and timelines
Share the updated master project plan, and secure buy-in/agreement/approval one final time before execution
With the two-step process described above, the communications team should have a good sense of taking the lead and delivering agreed-upon outcomes for the project. These outcomes would have been thoroughly thought through; and importantly that the communications team was involved in helping to craft the path towards achieving them.
We are Brand Utility is a strategic communication and business consultancy business consultancy. We work with brands in the corporate, professional services, retail, travel, and technology spaces.
We offer strategy and tactics to support growth outcomes - revenue, scale, regional expansion, and market entry – for our clients.
Areas of support include:
Strategic communications: Approach to market, brand concept and map, positioning, messaging, story and narrative, thought leadership
Marketing: Campaign/programme planning, story-based marketing execution, digital marketing, community amplification, content planning and production, go-to-market execution
Lead generation and growth marketing: Digital advertising, social media advertising, social commerce, e-commerce
Integration of marketing with business operations: We plan and execute as a marketing and/or PR lead for your brand
Discover more about our services at our website.
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