Model Program/Campaign Plan Outline

Writing a plan: Good programs are sparsely written, in plain language. Use an outline format with bulleted lists where appropriate. Add narrative comments to explain ideas, as required. Plans presented to clients are also termed proposals.

(Optional) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / OVERVIEW

If lengthy, the program can begin with a brief synopsis outlining the problem(s) and opportunity(ies). Executive summaries should be no more than one or two pages, and should concentrate on only the most salient points and recommendations. Clearly state if an approval of the plan is being requested.

I. SITUATION ANALYSIS / INTRODUCTION

The introduction should capture the attention of the reader, outline the problem or opportunity, comment on its implications, and identify possible consequences if no action is taken.

• If the effort being outlined is complex, this review might be a detailed picture of current circumstances. The introduction can be much shorter if a simple, straightforward project is being proposed.

• As appropriate, include supportive or illustrative results from research completed to date. Concentrate on major findings; details about results and methods should be included in an appendix.

II. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Clearly set forth the outcomes to be attained. This section should draw upon the organization's mission statement and state organizational goals (the desired outcomes for the organization) and specific communication objectives (changes in behaviors necessary to achieve the desired organizational outcomes).

• Separately list organizational goals and communications objectives using simple statements to indicate desired outcomes.

  Examples (goals): To increase sales by $1 million by year-end. To increase market share from 22% to 28% by 2004.

  Examples (objectives): To generate 20,000 hits on the web site during December. To increase the candidate' positive (attitude) ratings in the polls from 45% to 55% by 10 days before the election.

• Both goals and objectives should be specific, attainable, achieveable within proposed time frames, and measurable. Later efforts to evaluate the program should be framed against these objectives.

• Objectives can be stated in terms of intended outputs (proposed activities) or intended impacts (how the program/campaign will influence people's knowledge, attitudes or behaviors). As possible, strive for objectives that aim at the highest level that can be attained and measured. Multiple objectives are common, but ought to be mutually exclusive.

III. (Optional) ACTION STRATEGIES / POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

In some cases, managers might propose changes in the organization's policies or practices as necessary prerequisites for an effective communications effort. Sometimes these recommendations can be are better outlined orally or in a separate document because of their sensitive or confidential nature.

• If major changes are called for, it is usually necessary to obtain concurrence prior to presenting other elements of the plan because the communication strategies might involve communicating about those changes. Examples include improvements in product design or services delivery, or enhancements in systems or procedures for handling customer/user responses. Minor procedural changes can be incorporated into the communication strategy discussion.

• Other recommendations might include communications-related activities upon which the program is predicated. Thus approval and confirmation might be necessary before other details of the plan can be fully developed. Examples include recruiting a particular spokesperson or securing a particular date or venue for an event--critical choices upon which the entire program/campaign will be based.

• For new organizations, action recommendations might relate to corporate identity issues, such as the organization's name or graphics. In marketing programs, recommendations might involve branding of a new product or service (name, logo, positioning relative to others in the category) or re-branding of an existing organization, product or service.

IV. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

An overview of communications activities that will be implemented to achieve stated goals and objectives should be outlined here. The strategy section should address "how" you will achieve your desired goals and objectives -- and should do so in a way that excites the client and makes the logic of the recommendation clear. This is where your creativity in problem-solving and programming will be demonstrated. Clients should be able to approve the plan in concept upon review the communication strategy.

• There is no single best way to organize the description of your recommendation. Depending on the recommendation, there might be a single "big idea" that meets several objectives, or a series of separate recommendations intended to address individual objectives. In the first case, simply stating what you plan to do is sufficient; in the second case, it might be useful to organize recommendations around each objective.

The communication strategy answers the question: What will you say to whom through what media? Regardless of how recommendations are presented or ordered, a plan must address the audiences to be reached, media to be used to reach them, and the key messages to be communicated.

Audiences. List key market segments, publics, stakeholder groups or other audiences to be reached, consistent with the objectives. Prioritize groups in importance, and categorize groups that can be addressed using similar communications activities. For example: internal v. external, primary v. secondary, management v. rank-and-file employees, active v. inactive publics, etc. Don't overlook less obvious groups, including intermediary groups (influentials) who can help communicate your message.

Media and Events. The discussion should outline the channels (media types) or vehicles (specific media properties) to be used to reach key audiences. One approach to media strategy is to think about five principal media groups : public media (differentiate between publicity v. advertising v. entertainment fare), interactive media, controlled media, events, and one-on-one communications.

• Advertisers typically present a complete media plan that addresses message reach, frequency and efficiency (cost per thousand) calculations in order to justify a particular spending plan.

• Other programs often are in the form of proposed activities, with many details yet to be specified and verified. In this situation, concentrate on the appropriateness of each recommended tool. For example, an internal communications program might outline specific employee communication tools to be deployed. An external publicity plan might explain how a campaign will target daily newspapers or all broadcast media in a region, but not list them all.

Messages. A key message or theme is the main idea to be communicated. Example: A new food product is nutritious (versus low cost or convenient--two possible alternative themes). A good key message or theme should be clear, direct, relevant, timely, memorable and honest. Themes also can be creative, dramatic or newsworthy. But most of all, they should be consistent with the objective. The individual communications produced in a campaign are executions of the theme, which can vary in terms of specific phrasing and presentation but still communicate the same core idea(s).

• Marketers of new products and services often focus messages around how a product or service is different from others in a category (reflecting how it is positioned), the key benefits provided, and features that support differentiation or benefits claims. Importantly, an advertising slogan is merely a continuity device that supports the key message or theme. The "take-away" thoughts of audiences should be the same, whether the slogan is used or not.

• Messages in public relations and political communication often involve the newsworthiness of an organization, product, service, candidate or cause or what the message sponsor is doing to build/maintain/preserve a relationship with the audience.

• Messages in managerial communication, technical communication and information campaigns often focus on providing people with facts or key information needed to perform particular tasks effectively, to improve their efficiency, or to avoid risks.

V. TACTICS

This section contains the details of the plan, and might be of less interest to some clients. However, it provides the program/campaign manager with a roadmap for implementation and internal control.

• Many other programs are open-ended or evolutionary; details are not final when plans are written. As tactics are identified, managers must seize unanticipated opportunities as they present themselves.

The primary tactical issues relate to tasks, calendar and staffing.

Tasks. Most programs contain a detailed listing of the activities or projects expected to be completed. This tasks list defines the scope of the effort.

Calendar. Schedule is a critical issue in many programs because there is an ideal time to reach target audiences. Many timetables start with the desired time for exposure, then work backward to determine deadlines for the production, approval and distribution of materials or messages.

Staffing. Effective execution of a plan requires assigning duties to particular individuals or outside organizations. The details might or might not be presented to a client, depending on the circumstances. However, the staffing plan is critical to effective internal program control.

• Many proposals written by outside consultants contain biographical information selling the experience and credentials of the people who will perform the work. Plans detailing staff assignments on individual projects are for internal use only.

• Programs conducted in-house might need to address staffing if the program involves outside consultants, new or temporary staff positions, or the reassignment of duties among existing staff members.

The format of the tactics section can vary. Some tactics can be organized by category, while others are best understood by clients and staff in a timeline. Many plans combine the calendar, tasks and staffing plan in a single document.

VI. EVALUATION

Good proposals address how results will be assessed. The specific techniques are defined by the objectives outlined in the plan. For example, if changing attitudes is an objective, attitude change should be assessed in some way. Three broad types of measures are typically used:

Quality measures include rudimentary, qualitative reviews of production or completed projects, opportunities for improvement, and assessments of overall quality. These are often conducted for the internal use by the communications department and can be incorporated in future plans for similar activities.

Output measures quantify the number of communications distributed, coverage obtained (based on circulation or number of exposures) and impressions created (number of people who actually saw message). Output measures generally are derived from audience data available from public media and research services (such as ratings services or clipping or broadcast monitoring services).

Impact measures use surveys to determine changes in awareness (knowledge), attitudes (opinions) or respondent's reports of past or anticipated/intended actions (behaviors). Results can also be measured in the aggregate by analyzing audience group behaviors (such as buying, investing, giving, working, and voting patterns based on organizational records or other sources). Ideally these behaviors can be traced directly to the program/campaign.

VII. BUDGET

Obtaining budget approval is one of the primary reasons why a formal written proposal is prepared. As such, budgets are often set out in a separate section. Formats vary based, but ultimately are recast to conform with charts of accounted used by accountants.

Consultants and agencies generally seek approval of their total spending plans, including compensation (fees) and reimbursement for direct (out-of- pocket) expenses.

Programs conducted by in-house staffs generally focus only on out-of-pocket expenses. However, a frequent question is whether costs are to paid from existing budgets or net new allocations.

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Updated October 2003