This document provides an overview of Resource Media, an organization that offers communications strategy and media outreach services focused on environmental and health policy issues. It outlines their strategic communications pyramid approach, with sections devoted to defining goals, identifying decision-makers and target audiences, crafting core messages aligned with audience values, selecting credible messengers, targeting appropriate media, and implementing tactical outreach. The document encourages strategic planning and evaluation to effectively reach goals.

1. Unlock the Power of Communications:
Create Communication Plans that Win

2. About Resource Media
• Communications Strategy
• Media Outreach Campaigns
• Environmental and Health Policy
Focus

3. San Francisco Seattle Boulder Kalispell Sacramento
30 Staff
9 Offices
Bozeman Portland Salt Lake City Anchorage

4. If you
remember
one thing…

5. Strategic Communications Pyramid
Goals
Decision Makers
Audience
Values & Core Concerns
Message
Messengers
Targets
Tac8cs

6. It’s All
About the
Plan

7. Workbook

8. What’s Your Biggest Challenge?

9. Strategic Communications Pyramid
Goals
Decision Makers
Audience
Values & Core Concerns
Message
Messengers
Target
Tac8cs

10. Goals: Specific & Measurable
Headline: Obama Reinstates Offshore Drilling Moratorium

11. Goals: Defining Success

12. Strategic Communications Pyramid
Goals
Decision Makers
Audience
Values & Core Concerns
Message
Messengers
Target
Tac8cs

13. Decision Makers: Who Can
Make It Happen?

14. Connect: Decision Makers
and Target Audiences

15. Strategic Communications Pyramid
Goals
Decision Makers
Audience
Values & Core Concerns
Message
Messengers
Target
Tac8cs

16. Identifying the Best Audience
Consider:
• Their influence with
the decision maker
• Your influence with
them — are they
“gettable?”

17. Audience: Targeted and Specific

18. Audience: Who’s Against You?

19. Strategic Communications Pyramid
Values
Goals
Decision Makers
Audience
Values & Core Concerns
Message
Messengers
Targets
Tac8cs

20. Values & Core Concerns
What Moves Your Audience?
• Health & Safety
• Prosperity
• Family
• Legacy
• Freedom

21. Values &
Core
Concerns

22. Values & Core Concerns
Who’s against freedom?
“America will never seek a
permission slip to defend the
security of our people.”
– George W. Bush

23. Values & Core Concerns
Your Values Opposition’s Values
• Health and safety • Prosperity (oil
• Prosperity (fishing industry jobs)
and tourism jobs) • Security (energy)
• Family
• Legacy

24. Strategic Communications Pyramid
Goals
Decision Makers
Audience
Values & Core Concerns
Message
Messengers
Targets
Tac8cs

25. What’s Your Biggest Challenge?

26. Message
• What is the threat?
• What values are at stake?
• What is the solution?

27. Message
• Clean water means healthy communities and a
healthy economy. [value]
• Oil spill disasters will only continue to threaten
wildlife, jobs and our energy security. [threat]
• Clean energy is cheap, available and safe and
it doesn’t spill anything. [solution]

28. Make Yourself Quotable
“Cutting down the rain forest for money
is like burning a Rembrandt to cook soup.”

29. Use Imagery

30. Use Anecdotes
• Local people
• Local places
• Local history
• Heritage

31. Strategic Communications Pyramid
Goals
Decision Makers
Audience
Values & Core Concerns
Message
Messengers
Targets
Tac8cs

32. Messengers:
Rocky Mountain Front

33. Messengers:
Credible Experts or Local Spokespeople
• Fishermen
• Health experts
• Scientists
• Business owners

34. What to Look for in Spokespeople
• Genuine
• No ax to grind
• Their story supports your message
• Talk about issues through their values
• They look the part

35. Strategic Communications Pyramid
Goals
Decision Makers
Audience
Values & Core Concerns
Message
Messengers
Target
Targets
Tac8cs

36. Targets:
Your Audience’s Favorite Media

37. Traditional
Media
One-Way
Communications

38. Web 2.0
Two-Way
Street

39. Strategic Communications Pyramid
Goals
Decision Makers
Audience
Values & Core Concerns
Message
Messengers
Targets
Tac8cs

40. Tactics: A Few Examples
• Traditional media outreach (phone call, press
release, pitch letter, editorial pitch, Op-Ed, B-roll)
• Blogger outreach
• Press conferences and teleconferences
• Facebook fan page
• Twitter
• Flickr

41. Viral Video

42. Media Tours

43. Twitter

44. Facebook

45. Recycle Your Content

46. Communication Fundamentals Remain

47. Take-Aways

48. Think Pyramid!
Goals
Decision Makers
Audience
Values & Core Concerns
Message
Messengers
Targets
Tac8cs

49. Effective Communication Always Requires:
VISION
VALUES
VOICES

50. Evaluation

51. Evaluation

52. Evaluation
• Are you reaching decision makers on your issue and
swaying them to your side?
• Are your target audiences responding to your
message?
• Have milestones been met in the course of your
campaign?

53. Jump Right In!

54. Suggested Next Steps
The Basics
• Communications Workbook
More Advanced
• Messaging Workshop
• Strategic Planning
• Social Media Integration
www.resource-media.org

55. Worth Exploring!
• Search Engine Optimization - June
• Social Media 200 - July
• Communicating Science - August
• Framing & Messaging – September
• Media Relations - October
• Story Pitching - November
• Blogger Relations - December

56. Contact act: to Help!
We’re Here
Belinda Griswold Sian Wu
Program Director Program Director
belinda@resource-media.org sian@resource-media.org
206-374-7795 ext 101 206-374-7795 ext 102
www.resource-media.org