A presentation given to Non-Profit marketing managers about marketing strategy. Including developing a marketing communications plan and brand.

1. Enhance Your Goals
with Communications
March 2008

2. Who we are…
• Flint Communications
• Part of the Flint Group

3. What we’ll cover…
• Who are you?
– Determining your “brand” positioning
• Who needs to care?
– Identifying and analyzing key audiences
• What do they need to know?
– Determining key messages
– Matching them to audiences

4. What we’ll cover…
• How do you reach them?
– Identifying the best way to deliver your
messages
After lunch…
• Hands-on planning session

5. Who are you
What is your
brand
?

6. Your brand is not…
A brand is not a logo
A brand is not identity
A brand is not a product

7. Your brand is…
A brand
is a person’s
gut feeling
about a product,
service or
organization.

8. Your brand is…
not what
you
say it is…

9. Your brand is…
what they say it is.
It’s the position you have in their mind
or heart.
Photo by Elvire.R.

10. So…
Where are you
positioned today?
Where do you want to be
tomorrow?

11. Examining your positioning…

12. Begin with who you are…
• Mission, vision and core values of your
organization.
• Who, where you serve?
• Who else is out there?
– Serving the same audience, same services?
– Competing for the same dollars?
– Talking to the same donors?

13. If I asked…
• What is the “one thing” you do best?
• Are there other unique distinctions
between you and your “competitors”?
• If you had one minute to tell someone
about your organization, what would
you say?

14. And more questions…
• What words would you use to describe
your organization?
• Where do you make the greatest impact?
• What do you do to make life better?
• What is the reputation of your
organization?

15. Think about your history, your
staff and volunteers, and more.
• Where are you strong?
• Where are you weak?
• What “gets in the way” for you?
– Obstacles
– Issues
– Current or past events
• “I wish they knew ____ about us.”

16. Summarize your
unique distinctions.

17. Who
needs to care?

18. Determine target audiences.
• List all possible audiences.
– External (include customers, clients, members, etc)
• Individuals
• Businesses
– Internal
• Staff, Board, Committees, Volunteers
• Identify who could possibly influence them.
• Include other funding sources, regulators,
thought leaders, associations.

19. What do you know about them?
• Individual Demographic information:
– Average age
– Gender
– Family lifecycle stage
– Income
– Education
– Geographic
• Businesses Demographic information:
– Size by revenue
– Size by number of employees
– Industry
– Geographic

20. Who
needs to care
the most?
Prioritize your audiences.

21. Prioritize Target Audiences
• Analyze all audiences
– Individual
– Businesses
• Awareness vs. Potential
– Use matrix tool to plot audience
• Focus efforts on audiences with high potential
– High Potential/Low Awareness
– High Potential/High Awareness

24. What
does each audience know – or
need to know?

25. Awareness
Knowledge Where are
they
Liking
now?
Preference
Commitment

26. What
resonates with —and engages—
each audience?

27. What hurt do you address,
what need do you fill?

28. What makes them care?
• Psychographic information:
– Interests
– Hobbies
– Leisure pursuits
– Cultural
– Beliefs, thought patterns
– Core Values

29. What issues
might get in the way?
• Reputation
– Industry
– Organization
• Frustrations

30. What does each
audience need
to know?

31. Develop…
your positioning statement…
…and an elevator speech.

32. A brand positioning statement…
….is a statement that defines the place a
brand occupies in the audience’s mind
relative to competing offerings.
This statement is the foundation for all
communications material but is not the
external message.

33. Brand Positioning
Positioning Statement:
We aim high on everything we do.
Brand Promise Statement:
We aim high on everything we do; higher than
our clients’ expectations, higher than their
goals for business growth. This takes passion.
This takes fire. This takes knowing that good
enough is never good enough. And it isn’t good
at all if it doesn’t get results.

34. Develop a Great Elevator Speech
Image by jepoirrier

35. Elevator Speech
What it is:
A brief, compelling
description of
– Who you are
– What do you do
– Why does it matter
Needs to be short
and concise – easily
said in
a short elevator ride!
Needs to pass the So
What? test

36. Elevator Speech
Example – printing company:
“At ACME Printing we help companies
save time and reduce costs by making it
easier for them to print their invoices and
accounts receivable forms and process
their payroll checks.”

37. Develop
Key Messages

38. Key messages…
• Open the door to direct communication with
your audience.
– Bridge what your audience already knows
with where you are trying to take them.
• Are customized to each audience.
• Address the hurt and the need.
• Are the “one thing” that audience needs to
know.
• Are backed by proof or supporting points.
• Get your audience curious.

39. Key messages are…
• Concise: avoid jargon and acronyms
• Active: make every sentence active
• Positive: talk about what one can do, not what
you can't
• Short: one memorable sentence, 10-15 seconds
to say.
• Specific: address a particular challenge and
audience.

40. And…where and how
will they get my message?

41. Develop
Communications
Strategies

42. Effective strategies….
… influence a target audience to achieve a
specific outcome by using selected
messages, messengers and channels or
mediums to reach the target.

43. Strategies…
• Objectives
– Educate
– Awareness
– Action
• Who
– Prioritized target audiences
• Key Messages
– Persuasive, compelling messages that resonate with target
audiences
• Initiatives
– Define How and What you need to accomplish
• Tactics
– All the different ways you reach people
– Vehicles for delivering key messages

44. Strategy Example
• Objective
– Strengthen current donor relationships
• Who
– Cass/Clay businesses with 50+ employees with High
Potential/High Awareness
– Adults in Cass/Clay with household incomes of
$75,000+
• Key Messages
– Brand key messages
– Cause/program specific based on donor’s interest

45. Strategy Example
• Initiative
– Nurture current and past donors through annual fund
raising campaign
• Tactics
– Hold kick-off meeting
– Launch media campaign
• TV
• Radio
• Print
– Set up speaking engagements at specific targeted
businesses
– Send out media releases with campaign milestones

46. Strategies…
• Action plans
• Steps needed
• Who’s responsible
• Timeline
• Budget
• Evaluate

47. Last words
Don't get trapped into feeling like you
have to know everything to get started.
Learning happens as you make and try out
new strategies and messages.