Strategic Communication

Defining Strategic Communication

For communication to be considered strategic, first and most importantly, the intended goal of the communication must be carefully defined. The goal must address who will be reached by the communication, what the audience currently thinks or how the audience currently acts, and how these may change based on receiving the communication. A press release regarding a change of business ownership may be intended to reach current customers. It may aim to increase customer confidence in the new ownership, drive sales, or alert customers to changes taking place on the customer-facing side of the business. Each of these potential goals would require a fundamentally different message in the press release, so clearly defining the goal at the outset will define the communication itself.

Next, the audience of the communication must be clearly understood. While it is common to hear audience groupings such as “males, 18–24” or “homeowners,” these categories are only a first step. The audience must be defined in the most detailed terms possible in order to support the development of appropriate messages. For example, within the category of “males, 18–24” one may want [Page 1680]to reach individuals making their first vehicle purchase, those considering enrolling in a community college, young parents, first-time voters, etc. The location of the target audience is also key. For example, individuals considering enrolling in community college who live more than a reasonable travel distance from a specific college will be more interested in online course offerings than those who live nearby, or may not be interested at all.

Third, the “messenger” or means of communication needs to be determined. Simply writing a press release is not enough to ensure the delivery of a message, for example. It must be sent to a carefully chosen group of journalists, news outlets, or other media contacts. Depending on the content, it may be sent to a single contact. A nationally distributed television advertisement will be handled differently from an advertisement intended to be distributed via Google Adwords, or any other online advertising channel, for example.

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