The real Breaking Bad: Underfunded, underutilized and undervalued, non-profit communications disaster recovery. Find out how to clean up other people’s failed efforts and get on to the job at hand. Learn how to clean up the mess, build strategy and get buy-in, in 60 minutes or less. Learn from feedback from non-profit marketing and communications leaders from across North America.

1. @stevevirtue

2. Non-Profit Disaster
Communications Recovery
@stevevirtue

3. the real
Non-Profit Disaster
Communications Recovery
@stevevirtue

4. I do not, nor have I ever participated in the development,
distribution or marketing of methamphetamine or similar substance
Quasi-Legal Disclaimer
@stevevirtue

5. Is this your communications
program?
@stevevirtue

6. the crowd
Cory Richards !
c/o Mashable

7. !
!
1. brand rebuild
2. c-suite buy in
3. plan, execute & measure
the promise
@stevevirtue

8. @stevevirtue

9. the resume
@stevevirtue

10. @stevevirtue

11. It’s not about me
It’s about you
Turn around, meet someone.
This isn’t wisdom, it’s just my experience.
This podium is yours next year.
You’re here, you have a problem.
Commit to fixing it.

12. @stevevirtue

13. resourceful
adaptive
dynamic
skilled
!
!
Cooking is Art!
creative
responsive
perform under
pressure
Meth lab = Communicators?
@stevevirtue

14. Legionnaires Disease Hostage Situations Labour Relations Issues
Salmonella Poisoning Lead in the Water Student Injuries
Streptococcus Labour Relations Bell Times
Meningitis Bomb Threats Predators
Hepatitis A & B Lumber Jacking Stolen Candy
Flood Rabid Bats Fire
Student Deaths Mould Bus Accidents
• Suicide School Closures Construction Delays
• Murder Crumbling Buildings Sexual Assaults
• Accidental EQAO Misappropriation of funds
• Medical Abused Students Environmentally sensitive
land sale
@stevevirtue

15. the

16. the
1) break out into
small groups (3-5)
2) talk about your
biggest challenges
3) what are the most
important things you do
4) define your allies &
antagonists

17. the
@stevevirtue

18. Communications was operated off the side of the desk
There was no strategy
Website was all about the organization but needed to promote the sector
No effort to prepare and share key messages to support members
No outreach to other groups who could be useful for intelligence
gathering and collaboration
the experts
What did you inherit?
@stevevirtue

19. the experts
What did you do?
I talked to stakeholder groups to gain a sense of what they thought
Evaluated whatever data I had or get get my hands on
Determine priorities
I think achieving a culture shift internally about how we needed to
communicate and who and why we needed to communicate with was a
bigger challenge than the external effort
@stevevirtue

20. !
who you have
what you have
what you want
what you need
Evaluate your surroundings
!
your allies
your detractors
your parameters
your authority
@stevevirtue

21. If you think you are too small to be effective,
you have never been in the dark with a mosquito.
- Anonymous

23. Little brands, big brands
me, us, we, them

24. @stevevirtue

25. Brand:
!
“it’s what they say
about you
when you’re not
in the room”
@stevevirtue

26. there was no brand
completely derelict
no one knew what brand was
there was a brand strategy, but no one adhered to it
I would rather have started from scratch than the place I was in
the experts
What was the state of your brand?
@stevevirtue

27. the experts
What did you do?
talk to everyone you can
start with the basics of brand management and rebuild
it took a huge effort to explain the value of branding but people needed
something to hang on to - and the brand strategy was it
we paired our brand strategy with a strategyc planning process that
aligned well - it wasn’t easy but it in the end, the effort was totally worth
it
@stevevirtue

28. the boardroom
@stevevirtue

29. the Challenge
inform & protect
!
what we do is easy
!
strategy - not products
@stevevirtue

30. “Communication is everyone’s
panacea for everything.”
- Tom Peters
!
@stevevirtue

31. “We just didn’t market this properly”
“That reporter is a hack, clearly biased.”
“How do we make this go viral?”
“Why didn’t we get in the Globe/Post this week?”
“Let’s make sure we review and edit quotes before
the piece is published?”
@stevevirtue

32. Your role isn’t to create
press releases, social media
and website content.
@stevevirtue

33. Your role is to add value to
corporate imperatives and
provide strategic counsel
@stevevirtue

34. the experts
I tested messaging and strategy on the executive team. Mostly I had to
sell them on taking a new approach
!
I think achieving a culture shift internally about how, with who and why we
needed to communicate with was a bigger challenge than the external
effort
!
To make others believe in the 'should be' you first have to start internally.
Once you've gathered support, lay out a step-by-step plan of action for
execution
!
Program metrics are invaluable to your success
@stevevirtue

35. Link strategy to objectives
Know their agenda
Use metrics
Set timeline expectations
Be an expert
Win in the Boardroom
@stevevirtue

36. THe Path Forward!
The Path
Forward
@stevevirtue

37. "Edison’s electric light
did not come about
from the continuous
improvement of the
candle”
Oren Harari
@stevevirtue

39. There is nothing so useless as
doing efficiently that which
should not be done at all.
- Peter Drucker
@stevevirtue

40. Stop
!
Start
!
Continue
the plan
@stevevirtue

41. What needs to Change?

42. redefine execution
@stevevirtue
1,500 = $20.00
250,000 = $ 00.12

43. No one has enough money..
!
Divide your audience into segments
to ensure your program is as
effective as possible - and to use
your resources wisely.
define segments
@stevevirtue

44. @stevevirtue

45. Improve your Assets
Step up your game
Change the communications paradigm
Improve your content
Focus on quality, credibility and authority

46. @stevevirtue

47. @stevevirtue

48. @stevevirtue

49. @stevevirtue

50. the experts
The most important thing we did was undergo a real strategic planning
exercise on our mandate from members, and how we should be delivering it
!
There has been a tendency to build plans around issues and how to address
them but not planning that looks at who we are and why and how.
!
You will always have an element of reactive communications but take time
and do some real, substantial planning for proactive messages.
@stevevirtue

51. Find the green lights !
Think big, even with small
budgets!
Avoid the toxins!
Build a plan, share the plan,
measure !
Be at the table when the money
is being divided !
!
final ideas
@stevevirtue@stevevirtue

52. summer reading
@stevevirtue

53. @stevevirtue

54. @stevevirtue!
!
about.me/stevevirtue!
!