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Volume 5 | February 2008 Issue | |
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With the new year comes an opportunity to redefine your business goals and adjust your tactics to adapt to new customer needs. In this issue, we highlight three communication methods to set your company apart from your competition and increase your overall visibility. Check out our campaign examples and keep us in mind when developing your next communications plan. |
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Take Your Communications Plan to the Next Level Press releases, media relations and case histories are all great ways to tell your organization's story. But how can you get them to really listen? Today’s audiences are overwhelmed with e-mails, news headlines and advertisements. More than ever, it’s important to think creatively in order to be heard. Here are a few techniques that, when applied effectively, can ensure your messages will stick. Be Relevant to Your Audience Always think about your audience first – what’s the most effective way to reach them? Are they Web-savvy or do they prefer more traditional means of communication? There are many methods to help you communicate effectively with your audience: direct mail, newsletters, blogs, targeted online campaigns—naming only a few. By understanding the habits of your audience you can deliver targeted messages that have meaningful impact. Extend Your Reach While a press release or a newspaper article may reach a lot of readers, it’s hard to effectively communicate with several audiences via one outlet. Using different methods that are tailored to each audience will help you effectively extend your communications reach. For example, be sure to package and send or e-mail copies of significant news articles to your targets. Get through the Clutter Today, one of the biggest challenges organizations face is simply getting noticed. If you want to be heard in a world that is over exposed to the media, it’s important to take creative risks to get through the masses. By exploring new delivery methods like those mentioned below, you can strengthen your campaign and stand out above your competition. Carolyn Grisko & Associates Inc. is currently working with U.S. Cellular on its Connecting Rural America campaign. The grassroots coalition of elected officials, public safety groups and other local and national organizations is working to ensure that rural citizens have access to high-quality wireless telecommunications. Strong media relations has been critical to the campaign, but below are three examples of how we are applying non-traditional campaign methods to effectively connect with target audiences.  Online AdvocacyThe Connecting Rural America Website enables users to get involved and make their voices heard by key decision makers. Visitors can also customize letters to the editor and submit them online to local media. PostcardsIn a return to the traditional grassroots, we created 8.5”x11” cardstock flyers with tear-off postcards. Thousands of postcards have been returned and we have used them to draw legislative attention to the issue. Informing Elected OfficialsTo further raise legislative awareness, we tracked and collected all press coverage in support of the issue. The clips were then compiled as part of a campaign overview, and then hand-delivered to decision makers. |
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