A communication strategy is a cohesive plan to deliver specific information to a specific audience for a specific reason within a limited timeframe and with finite resources. It involves understanding the target audiences, their information needs, and selecting appropriate communication channels, messages, timing and resources to influence them. Developing an effective strategy requires reviewing objectives, audiences, messages, products, channels, resources, timing, branding and feedback.
2. Communication strategy
• To get the message right, the target audience
right, the channel right, and the timing right
frequently, consistently, accurately and
distinctively – needs a purpose, a plan, a
strategy, and skills
Knowledge Translation Toolkit
3. Understanding communication
• It is a two-way process
• Tools and channels must fit the message and
the audience
• It is time- and skill-intensive work
• There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach
4. What is a communication strategy?
• A cohesive plan...
• To deliver specific information...
• To a specific audience...
• For a specific reason...
• Within a limited timeframe...
• With finite resources
6. Target audiences
• Policy makers
• Parliamentarians
• Health managers
• Health care providers
• Training institutions and trainers
• Researchers and academia
• Media
• Civil society and non-government organisations
• Families and communities
7. What are their information needs?
•The way people receive and absorb information is
shaped by many factors
– Personal preferences and habits
– Literacy and education levels
– Level of understanding of the issue
– Degree of access to information
• Need to use a variety of formats
– Policy briefs, systematic reviews, newspaper articles
– Newsletters, brochures, emails, video clips
8. Communication channels
Politicians, government Program managers
officials
• Face-to-face meetings • Dissemination workshops
• Policy and discussion forums • Monthly/quarterly updates
• Policy briefs • Summary reports
• Brochures • Executive summaries
• Executive summaries • Audiovisual presentations
• Media
• Public websites
9. Communication channels
Civil society, NGOs, General public
associations
• Fact sheets • Magazines
• Brochures and other • Newspapers
handouts • Press releases
• Audiovisual presentations • Radio
• TV
• Web-based media
10. Communication channels
Academics, international Donors and funders
agencies and organisations
• Peer-reviewed articles • Full research reports
• Research databases • Audiovisual presentations
• Oral and poster
presentations
• CD-ROM
• Web sites
11. Communication strategy
• ‘Develop a communication strategy that will
ensure government adoption of evidence-
informed policies in its malaria control
strategy by 2011’
12. Audience Primary: Ministry of Health Secondary: Local communities
Has the most power to make the Most affected by malaria and any
changes required national control policies
Issue knowledge 7/10 4/10
Strategy Need ‘targets’ that have a decent Bias of design and delivery
understanding of malaria and towards individuals most
health systems ‘influential’
Need to understand Ministry’s Recognise that some may be
policy formulation process illiterate or have no access to
media
Message Needs to emphasize the Reducing malaria control into
importance of health systems smaller ‘bites’ of education
aspects of malaria control AND
suggest solutions
Basket Staged approach: 1:3:5 pagers, Posters, radio spots, meetings
policy briefs, meetings, newsletter with community leaders
13. Audience Primary: Ministry of Health Secondary: Local communities
Has the most power to make the Most affected by malaria and any
changes required national control policies
Channels Personally hand out documents Marketplace buskers
Mail hard and soft copies Town hall meetings
Upload to website Waiting rooms at clinics
Send to email contacts Churches
Health clubs
Timing Change in Minister of Health in March Weekly women’s meetings
Bimonthly vaccination days
Brand Simple
Two colours only
Include logo
Feedback Were the right tools used to reach the right audience?
Was the ultimate goal of policy influence achieved?
Did the audiences understand the message?
Did the communication work to change the national malaria policy?
14. Group work
30 minutes
Audience Primary Secondary Tertiary
Knowledge
Strategy
Message
Basket
Channels
Resources
Timing
Brand
Feedback
15. Further reading
The knowledge Translation Toolkit provides a
thorough overview of what knowledge
translation is and how to use it to bridge the
‘know-do’ gap between research, policy,
practice, and people. It presents the theories,
tools, and strategies required to encourage
and enable evidence-informed decision-
making.
The Toolkit can be viewed online at
http://www.idrc.ca/EN/Resources/Publicatio
ns/Pages/IDRCBookDetails.aspx?PublicationI
D=851
Hinweis der Redaktion
Message must reach the right audience, capture their attention amid all the other messages invading their space, and persuade them to take specific actionCommunication doesn’t just ‘happen’
Information must reach the audience and also catch their attentionInspire them to actionEffective communication is essential to achieving core goals (not just helpful)Do you have a communication strategy?...
Expand based on notesItems 1-5 done in group work previously
Who are your target audiences?Most important? Least?All audiences have no interest in your aims except in the context of their ownMust understand their needs to be able to tailor the message appropriately to themOne of the first steps – disaggregate and prioritize target audiences Must interact/communicate with: those with power to enable or prevent our objectives (those we are mandated to deal with) Should: can make the process easier or more difficult; other agencies Like: indirectly help or hinder; future spin-offs (general public)
To communicate effectively we need to consider their needs and their preferencesNOT our abilities and desires
What from this list do you do?What is missing? What wouldn’t work – why?
Clear goal – first step
Example of communication strategyClear SMART objective
Timing: important eventsBrand: policyFeedback: some short- others long-term
20 minutes for work – 10 minutes to present backDefine your objectiveDifferent communication strategies for each audience