Showing posts with label communications. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communications. Show all posts

Thursday, November 22, 2012

IABC Directions For 2013

I'm a member of the Canberra Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). A global reaching organisation, IABC helps communicators develop their careers and businesses.


Watch as President Kerbey Meyers and CEO Chris Sorek share IABC's plans for 2013.




Sunday, April 1, 2012

Create Great Events: Podcast



Last week I ran an events workshop for sporting codes and clubs in the Australian Capital Territory.  

Those attending were planning events ranging from  Australia's national fencing championships to the upcoming hot air balloon launch for a major youth organisation.

The conversation was lively: partly because we all agreed events play an important role in the life of most not for profits. In any given year the calendar of most community groups will feature at least one event. 

That's because events provide opportunities to meet face to face with your audience and impress people with your passion. 

This podcast describes planning essentials, especially how to create innovative events that make your organisation stand out and capture attention.

Next week I'll post tips and techniques on promoting your event.  You can automatically get it by adding your address in the email subscription box to the right.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Word of Mouth Marketing

 
Word of mouth may be the oldest form of marketing yet encouraging others to share your information with their family, friends and workmates remains the most effective and least expensive form of promotion. 

In this podcast listen in as we talk about how topics, talkers, tools, time and tracking combine to form the five pillars of an effective word of mouth campaign.

Until mid March we will post a new episode each week in our Not For Profit PR podcast series.

Automatically get the next edition by subscribing in the email box to the right.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Not for Profit PR: Starting Out In Social Media

In the latest in our PR audio series, North American broadcaster Wayne Kelly and I talk about how not for profits and community groups can get started on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media platforms.

We outline a very simple four step process for introducing social media into your PR. 

Click on the bar below and enjoy listening.  Let me know if you find this helpful and share your thoughts on what other information I should include in a future podcast on this subject. 

Thanks.

Automatically get updates by adding your email in the subscription box to the right.
 

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Secrets Of Not For Profit Media Success



In the third of our nine part podcast series PR for Not For Profits, North American broadcaster Wayne Kelly and I explore the secrets of how not for profits can successfully work with local newspapers, radio stations and TV  networks.

We investigate how to to make media outlets want to cover your story, how to become newsworthy and the three documents that get media attention:

Each week we post a fresh episode in our podcast series.  Automatically get the next one by adding your address in the email subscription box to the right.




Sunday, January 8, 2012

Not for Profit PR: Why You Need PR Now

This year we are launching a podcast series of nine episodes on Not for Profit PR.
(Click audio bar below.)

It explores how not for profits, charities and community groups can win the attention they deserve, on a budget they can afford. 

The idea came from the free communications workshops which we have been running for eight years and have been attended by 300 organisations.

Each episode will share ideas for getting attention on a tiny budget in areas such as:
 
  • Episode #1: Why not for profits need PR .
  • Episode #2: Fundamentals.
  • Episode #3: Working with the media.
  • Episode #4: Social media.
  • Episode #5: Word of mouth marketing.
  • Episode #6: Running a successful event: Part 1.
  • Episode #7: Running a successful event: Part 2.
  • Episode #8: Budgets, timetables and other essentials.
  • Episode #9: The people behind your PR.
Listen to Episode #1 for insights on the importance of PR for a not for profit like yours.

You can automatically get new episodes by adding your address in the email subscription box to the right. 

Why do you think community groups need to focus on marketing in 2012?




Monday, December 5, 2011

4Cs To Boost Your PR Career

 It is university graduation time in Australia and a hundreds of PR students across the country are leaving college and looking for their first real job.  It is time for them to set aside the books and begin their professional life in earnest.

Let me share some tips from leading US PR professional Cheryl Proctor Rogers who recently outlined the 4Cs to boost your PR career.  Cheryl was speaking at the Public Relations Society of America Conference in Florida in October. 

#1  Capabilities: You need to set out on a path of continuous self improvement to expand your PR knowledge and skills. You never stop learning in the communications industry.

#2  Careers:  Join networks and professional associations and take advantage of their training programs and opportunities to meet other professionals.  Network, network, network when you first start out and make it a hallmark of your career.

#3   Cabinet:  Presidents and prime ministers have cabinets of trusted advisers so why can't you? Seek out and learn from mentors, advisers, supporters, peers and friends. Draw on their experience to increase your own.

#4   Community:  Volunteer to help out with PR for a not for profit. Your first job may not give you the range of professional opportunities you would like.  Helping a charity is good for the soul and importantly can lead you down different communications avenues.

Good luck if you are just starting your career.  Remember the success of your career will be proportional to your effort, enthusiasm and the generosity of your spirit. Enjoy the journey.








Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Disney Story Telling Secrets

Recently I heard the Creative Executive of the Disney Company,  Joe Rohde, talk about Disney's approach to turning raw ideas into  commercial success.

The Disney Company has built its success on storytelling to become one of the world's great brands. It uses compelling narratives in film, theme parks, resorts and other ways  to engage global audiences.  And, it has been doing this for generations.

Joe spoke about how Disney translates ideas into reality through themes.

A theme is a simple statement that distills the essence of an idea and infuses it with spirit and feeling. 
 
Similar to a brand statement but more than a mission statement or key message, a theme is the fundamental building block for the communications and business decisions surrounding a new project.

Once Disney selects a theme it cascades downwards to guide the design and shape of a  project. At a working level it gives Disney's people a framework to add, modify or reject suggestions.

Themes lead to stories.  And here Disney taps into the ancient art of story telling.
 

Stories help us make sense of the world around about us. They allow us to find the familiar patterns of life.  Joe is quick to add that stories- any story - needs fresh information or insights to keep our interest. 

The stories it selects (within a given theme) and the telling of them make Disney so successful, so different.  They inspire Disney staff to venture into new ways of thinking in pursuit of creative difference.

Disney is continually researching, seeking new information and challenging its people to enter new corridors of thinking rather than ambling down the predictable hallways of the mind. 

So is Disney approach to themes be relevant to you and me?

Perhaps it might encourage us to look for the themes that best sum up what we and companies do.  And to seek out the compelling stories that we can use to engage one another and the wider world.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Science Of Twitter and Facebook Updates

Last week the US PR podcast "On The Record" interviewed Dan Zarrella of Hubspot about the science of timing Facebook and Twitter updates. 

Zarrella has studied when people are most effective on these platforms by drawing on data from two years of quantitative research.Although his material mostly covers US data, it reveals interesting insights, particularly about Twitter.  It seems:

•You stand a better chance of getting your content retweeted, if you tweet later in the day or on a Friday.

•To get click throughs, Thursday and Friday are popular days to sprinkle links in your tweets. 

•When tweeting your own content, it's OK to tweet the same information multiple times. For example tweet once in the morning, in the afternoon and then again in the evening. This exposes your message to the greatest number of people, many of whom may miss your original tweet. However the trick is to change the wording of each tweet over the course of the day so, although information is the same, each post appears slightly different.

Zarrella's Facebook insights are also interesting:

•Avoid posting too often to Facebook because feeds tend to stay around a lot longer on this platform than Twitter and you can annoy people by updating too frequently. Twitter users tend to have more followers than Facebook friends so Facebook posts come through an account at a slower rate and are visible longer. 

•People who post once every other day seem to attract more friends. 

When brands publish on weekends they tend to get more "likes" because apparently there is less competition from other brands as business updates slow over the weekend. 

•Videos tend to work much better on Facebook because they are easier to watch than on Twitter. 

It would be interesting to see Australian stats on the how's and when's of engaging others on-line.

Credit to Eric Schwartzman and Dan Zarrella.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Defence In Communications War

If the Australian Defence Force loosened its control over communications it would gain more control over its public image. 

I say this as the Australian Defence Academy is embroiled in a sex scandal which Australia's media is reporting in detail.This latest incident follows a litany of problems with the public image of Defence. These include claims of ongoing equipment cost blow-outs, inappropriate behavior by service personnel, poor maintenance and pay glitches suffered by frontline troops. 

Defence is known for keeping an iron grip on its media relations and communications with the public. This must frustrate the thousands of servicemen and women who perform creditably each day often in tough, tough circumstances. They really deserve to have their efforts recognized. 

Occasionally we learn about their work but mostly it is rare for Australians to meet a serviceman  or woman in the course of a normal year and hear or see what they do. 

I also know a lack of information from Defence has frustrated the generation of journalists I have worked with. 

Australians have a deep affection for their soldiers, sailors, airmen and women stemming from the legend of the ANZACs. So perhaps Defence would be better served sharing their stories in a open, transparent way with rest of us rather than only communicating  when faced with scandal.

Disclaimer: I served 30 plus in the Australian Army including as the Army's first Director of Public Affairs.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

People Will Support You But Persuade Them First

Persuasive communications have always been important.  Today they are the new communications black because we live in an era of challenging and challenged messages for which we can lay the blame squarely at the feet of politics.  
Over the past two decades citizens around the world have developed a heightened level of wariness about what they see, hear and read about the events around them. Politicians with their insufficent explanations or plain mistruths have taken the lead in devaluing the public discourse.  
Which makes it that so much harder for the good guys: the not  For profits who need to pass essential information to their communities. Alas these days there are no free passes for any organisation when it comes to communications. Every ear, every eyeball and every heart string has to be earned.
 ________________________________
 Every ear, every eyeball and every heart string has to be earned
 ________________________________

Not for profits are therefore forced to adopt the strategies and tactics of the big end of town when it comes to building and delivering persuasive messages. And this includes wrapping persuasion packaging around a core set of key messages such as:  
  • Testimony from happy clients who benefit from a not for profit's services.
  • Stories of front-line staff making a difference.
  • Endorsements by relevant celebrities, local leaders, academics and other public figures.
  • Comparisons with the successes or failures of like minded groups.  
  • Contrasting an organisation's services with a situation where they were or are not available.  
  • Presenting data and detail showing how a not for profit makes a difference.
  • Independent research showing why an issue is important and how it is trending. 
  • Using all communications channels to cater for all the different ways people consume information. 
  •  And of course using simple, plain language to inform a community bloated on a massive communications overload.  
Fail to use some form of persuasion packaging and your marketing will always struggle.   

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

9 Tips For Clearer Campaign Messages


We live our lives in an environment of communications clutter.  Each day thousands of messages from other people - governments, businesses, community groups - bombard us. A few are important but most contribute to the ambient noise continually engulfing us.  
The implication is clear: successful campaign messages need to be simple, clear and relevant to the needs and interest of your audiences. So here are my golden rules for developing and using key messages that define your issue and cut through the clutter:
  • Firstly write down your key messages.  This sounds so obvious but sometimes we forget the very act of putting pen to paper instils discipline and allows you to share your thinking with others without distortion.
  • Use simple language, write in the active voice and express yourself in fewer than 20 - 25 words. Again this introduces discipline and focus into your information.
  • Make messages stand out so a busy or time-poor person can recall them. Mix logic with emotion.
  • Select three or five key messages that cover your issue. Sure you can have more but in my experience you will only use a handful. Limiting them focuses your efforts and increases the chances others in your organisation will understand and use them.
  • Use jargon- or technical-free language unless you are confident your audience knows what you mean.
  • Keep a copy of your key messages by your phone or computer to remind you to insert them into every conversation or correspondence that leaves your office.
  • Test your key messages with individuals in the groups you are trying to reach or through market research. Feedback is invaluable in tuning up your information.
  • Finally make sure at least one of your messages contains a clear call to action: a simple statement of what people should do when they choose to act on your information.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Simple Messages Are Good Messages But Even Better Marketing


Communicating your aims clearly is the crux of effective marketing and PR.  If you can’t deliver a message to an audience you can’t market. You might apply scientific models to communications but I believe it will always remain an art.  This is because communications involves people and individually and as a group we are complex, curious creatures who generally but not always act in our own best interests. 
So there is an art to effective communications.  It lies in providing people with relevant information. Information that is easy to understand and that blends logic and emotion. What you say and send must appeal to the heart as well as the brain.  

It is important that your information also offers a clear call to action.  This is a simple statement of what you want people to do whenever they decide to act on your information.  For example, your call to action might consist of asking people to call a hot line, visit a website, consult their family doctor or give to a charity.  

Most likely your business or not for profit has layers of detail ranging from the simple to the complex to pass along.  You are probably keen to get as much out to the greatest number of people in the shortest time possible.  While this is an admirable goal, it is often a futile practice.  You lack the time, energy and effort to simultaneously reach everyone and you most certainly lack the budget.  You also run the risk of overloading the citizen, client or consumer with facts, figures, choices and alternatives and swamping their ability to process your message. 

A good starting point in deciding what people need to receive is to distil the complexity of your information into key messages. Key messages are the essential information people need to know about your issue or organisation.  If they come away from any meeting with you, what are the critical things they should be aware of and act on?

Our daily routines are lived out in constant communications clutter.  Thousands of messages bombard us daily. Some are skilfully crafted while the majority make up the ambient noise we have all learned to live with. So if you want your key messages to cut the clutter they need to be suitable, persuasive and delivered in enough time that people can absorb them and then act. 

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Queensland Leaders Earn Praise For Flood Communications

This past week has been a torrid time for Australians particularly Queenslanders.  

While Queenslanders lived through devastating floods that covered an area the size of several European nations, the rest of the country sat transfixed by the unfolding tragedy. The floods completely stopped and then dominated the national conversation. And they are likely to be the key topic of conversation into the coming months.

Last week's events were both tragic and historic.  One aspect worth noting has been the quality of local leadership. Here in Canberra I could only witness the unfolding events, but it seemed that local Queensland leaders  did what their communities expected of them - they led.  They were supported by all the communications technology of the modern era, 24 hours news rooms, people reporting through Facebook, Twitter and other digital channels and extensive radio and newspaper coverage.  But we should not forget that their own personal communications in this crisis were good. 

Top marks must go to Queensland Premier Anna Bligh. For  weeks she and her team have had to face the flood crisis first in regional Queensland and then as it affected Brisbane.  She communicated with a mix of authority, technical detail and compassion. In numerous media appearances she impressed as knowing what she was talking about while being warm and down to earth. Her communications ranged from essential information about surviving the floods to the inspirational calls on future rebuilding.  Her tearful line about don't forget we are Queenslanders is likely to merge into State if not national folklore. 

Local mayors in affected towns and cities also communicated effectively.  They spoke with authority, genuine concern for the communities they lead and and every so often with a dash of that Aussie humour that can lift spirits in tough times. 

And really how refreshing all this was.   In  an age of public cynicism about politics, there were local politicians talking plain, in sync with their communities and obviously trying their very best in calamitous circumstances. 

Recent history such as the aftermath of the Victorian and Canberra bushfires shows that today's heroes can easily become tomorrow's villains.  In the coming months critics will pour over every shortcoming and failing before and during the flood crisis and in the reconstruction phase.  Of course there will be many things that could have been done better and indeed should have been done better.  

But let's remember when the pressure was intense and lives were in the balance, many of the people who will be criticised in the future, stood up, communicated well and provided leadership.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Connect With People Who Connect With Others

Key influencers are one audience with the power to help or hinder your communications efforts particularly if you work in a not for profit organisation.   
They are the individuals others turn to for advice, information or help when it comes to making important decisions. They can boost your communications efforts by helping you to reach individuals or groups of interest and by swaying opinion and encouraging action. In previous times key influencers relied mainly on personal contacts to pass along information. However with today’s explosion in social media and on-line platforms the key influencer is often an e-influencer.
Key influencers draw their authority from their organizational status, personal qualities or any combination of both. They might be experts in their chosen field or enjoy professional respect such as doctors, teachers etc. They could lead professional associations, government agencies, businesses or community groups. Or they might get pleasure from  sharing their specialist knowledge or experience through networking. Sometimes celebrities, movie stars or sportspeople are recruited to support causes. While they might create publicity, the community can smell out paid endorsements and their value can be dubious unless they have a genuine commitment to the cause.   
Common types of key influencers for local not for profits are: 
  • Members of Parliament, funding staff in government agencies, civic or city government leaders.
  • Business leaders.
  • People the media routinely quote as authority figures.
  • Leaders of patient groups, school committees, service clubs, sporting bodies and other community groups.
  • State and national advocacy organisations.
  • Academics with expertise in an issue.
  • People recognised through national honours and awards.
 A key influencer can help a not for profit in three ways. If they believe in your cause they can give it credibility by championing it within their networks. They can “translate” information into language others can understand and are well placed to pass on information through their own organization’s online and other communications channels.   
Key influencers can also help by:
  • Referring potential clients to your services or information.
  • Encouraging people to support your cause and to attend your events.
  • Inviting you to speak at their gatherings or by appearing at your events.
  • Backing your issue in the media, on-line and in daily conversations.
 Key influencers vary from environment to environment.  For example you may be influential when it comes to advising on not for profit services.  However others would probably not seek out your advice on buying a car – unless they felt you had proven expertise in automobiles.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Are You An Audience Addict?

 Most organisations want to reach as many people with as much information as possible in the shortest possible time. 
This is a natural ambition because they think this will speed up their chances of success.  After all we humans are an impatient lot and demand instant results. 
The cold, hard truth however is most of us have limited budgets, time and energy levels so reaching everybody quickly becomes expensive and exhausting. We simply do not have the dollars or stamina for this so we need to rank or prioritise our audiences.
Start out by asking which individuals and groups matter most to your business?
The answer will lead you to identify your must reach audiences and help to put a laser-like focus to your marketing. The must reaches are people on whom you depend heavily, who are or will be personally affected by your work or who can markedly influence the success of your services. When it comes to giving attention they must be your number one priority.  Most often they are your staff, volunteers, current and potential clients or customers and of course people with the funding.
Another significant group is those who can help you at some point or might benefit from what you offer.  Their support is less critical so you do not need to spend as much time with them. They could be regulators, kindred organizations or even professionals that refer people to your services. Of course they still need to know about you but not as often as the must reach group. 
A lesser priority still are the people who need occasional information.  For example your local community becomes important at fundraising time but probably don't  need to hear from you continually throughout the year.  
It's wise to set achievable audience priorities  yet recognise they need to be regularly reviewed as your circumstances and operational environment change.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Communications Audit Tool for Not For Profits


Before beginning a new communication journey, it is worth reflecting on the current state of your organisation’s PR and marketing. A communications audit provides the opportunity to review your efforts and assess their effectiveness. 

A communications audit is a valuable exercise whether you are a large or small not for profit. It provides a handy reference point to assess what is working and what is not. Based on this you can then decide what to continue with and what to abandon.

In my workshops I ask groups to complete a simple audit template which takes around 20 minutes. An extract is below. 


Communication activity


Frequency

Budget

Very effective


Effective


Not Effective

For example
Brochures






Gather those who are responsible for directing and those who are responsible for carrying out your PR and marketing to complete the audit. Often in small not for profits these are the same people. It is handy to have the CEO or Chairperson involved because they know what is coming up, set future priorities and importantly control the communications budget. 
 Limit the audit to what you have done in the past 12 months and begin filling in the template. 
 In the column labelled Communication activity individually list what you currently do. For example you might use: 
  • Print collateral such as brochures, fliers, newsletters. Even list your annual report if this is how you make key people aware of what you do.
  • Media relations such as media releases, interviews, media conferences, letters to the editor.
  • Digital platforms such as your own or others’ websites, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter, Foursquare.
  • Events such as those you stage and those where you join with others.
  • Word of mouth marketing such as liaising with influential people and asking clients for testimonials.
  • Advertising such as radio, TV, newspapers or on-line advertising.
  • Direct marketing such as direct mail, email campaigns, telesales
  • Other activities.
 This list is not exhaustive but I hope you get the idea. 
 
 In the column labelled Frequency write down how often you do these tasks. For example it could be something you do regularly such as keeping in contact with funding agencies. Or it might be something that happens throughout the year such as approaching the media.  Or it might be something occurring once a year such as publishing the annual report.
 In the column labelled Budget you need to identify the dollar cost of each activity and the number of hours spent on it each month. Small organisations often have little to spend on marketing and PR, but compensate by devoting considerable time to communicating. It is important to identify both types of costs.
In the column labelled Very effective place a tick for a particular activity that you regard as successful and would want to repeat. Or you might rate an activity as effective (which is still a high score) so place a tick against that item in the column labelled Effective.  Or you might judge something as just not working, so tick the Not effective column.
Each communication task can only have one effectiveness rating and assigning a rating is based on either on evaluation data you have collected or an educated best guess of what works and what does not. (More on evaluation data in a later blog post .)
 A completed template shows at a glance the relative effectiveness of each item on your communications menu. You can now decide what to keep, improve or ditch.  Ideally you would want to continue an activity that was low cost in dollar terms and staff time but very effective.  Something that was effective but expensive might warrant more effort to make it work even harder.  Something graded not effective needs a massive overhaul or should be dropped.
You should conduct a simple communications audit least every 12 months and make sure you keep a record.  This then becomes an important document from which you can judge your progress. 

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Repositioning Your Brand: Book Review

Repositioning: marketing in an era of competition, change and crisis
Easy read with practical information
is authored by US marketers Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin.

Both have written a book of uncommon wisdom for marketers in the post Global Financial Crisis world. 

It is hardly suprising Trout (and Rivkin) has produced this book now.  Communicators know that competition is fiercer than ever, budgets are under pressure and the old ways of communicating are under serious challenge. Since the 1980s Trout has been writing and offering solid, practical marketing ideas in compelling, clear prose for communicators of all descriptions.  My bookcase holds several of his earlier works and while their 80s and 90s covers now look dated and daggy each is well-read and much loved.

Repositioning calls on companies not to manufacture but to adjust the perceptions people have either of them or their competition.  Why?  Because people are complex creatures when it comes to communications. We are overloaded with information, few of us can tolerate confusion or risk, we lose focus easily and once we have made up our minds that’s pretty much it.  It is hard to move us from our existing attitudes so only by working within the framework of how people already think can organizations achieve sustainable results.

The authors suggest two basic strategies to get people to thinking differently about your brand.  Reposition the competition and/or go out all out to compete on a simply defined value proposition. Big companies often struggle to carry out either one. They are slower to turn around than the Queen Mary and because of their size and complexity many have trouble managing their way out of problems or managing their way into opportunities.   Of course big firms are well placed to compete on price.  However this is often a short-lived strategy and one only available to the bigger players.  For the rest of us someone else can always mark down the sales docket lower than we can, plus research shows most price promotions rarely succeed in the long run. 

Reframing the competition means hanging a negative on a rival to reflect a favourable comparison on ourselves.  Given most marketers are positive, upbeat souls and most managers are disinclined to controversy it can be difficult to steer an organization in this direction. Yet Trout and Rivkin cite examples in the olive oil, prestige cars, vodka and other industries showing how this strategy can fence in the competition.

We instinctively know successful marketers need to communicate value to the marketplace because as one chapter title proclaims “value is the name of the game”.  Value can come through doing something special, getting new technologies to the market first or stressing whole of life costs over mere purchase price. It can also come from adding premiums others cannot match or at its most basic by being  plain nice and helpful to your customers.

The book cautions repositioning is not easy.  It takes focus, management leading from the front and advertising and public relations combining in a linear, well thought out fashion.  The key ingredients for any repositioning strategy are time and commitment.

The book sells for $42.95?  Is it worth it?  It is to me.  Right now I am putting together a marketing strategy for an iconic project with high expectations.  It has involved many dedicated people for many years and the public has definite opinions.  I am sure Trout and Rivkin's insights will help me plan a better campaign. 

Friday, August 20, 2010

15 Key Questions Bosses Should Ask About PR

Most bosses intuitively know the power of PR.  However they are so busy running the business they focus on communications only when a crisis hits or when staff present a fresh PR proposal.  Most are willingly to leave the details to their PR professionals.

But by asking pointed questions a boss can quickly determine the value of any communications, PR or marketing proposal they are asked to approve:
  • Does this plan support my business or operational plan?
  • Does what it is being recommended build on our previous good work and avoid our past communications shortcomings?
  • Are my audiences clearly identified by geography, interests, beliefs or other common characteristics?
  • Are the messages we want to share clear, unambiguous and easy to understand? 
  • Could our information be misunderstood or misinterpreted and cause unintended consequences?  
  • Is our information persuasive and backed by evidence such as facts and figures, case studies but above all by stories of ordinary people who benefit from what we do?
  • How, when and where is information going to be delivered to audiences?
  • What opportunities do audiences have to offer their opinion?  
  • Is there a processes to improve communications based on feedback?
  • Are the communications tools proposed the right fit for the audience? 
  • Is there a mix of approaches so if one communications channel fails, others may work?
  • What is the communications timetable? 
  • Will we deliver consistent communications or are we communicating by episodes?
  • How will I know if this proposal is working?  
  • What is the process to monitor, measure, evaluate and adjust what is being proposed?
Bosses can't be expected to know everything particularly about the ins and outs of communications.  But they should able to ask penetrating questions when it comes to approving a new PR or marketing budget.