Identify appropriate resources for long term, effective communication

Transcription

1 GSM Communications Strategy Interim (3 month) CDO Report June 2014 Drawing up a communications strategy to enable our community development work is an art, not a science and there are lots of different ways of approaching the task. We have developed a ten step plan (See Appendix 1) to take us through the process. Theses steps will develop a communications plan that will do the following: Identify key stakeholders (i.e. those that have a key stake in the work of GSM, be it physical, financial, civic, spiritual, moral, etc) and appropriate communications (see Appendix 2) Establish Communication Objectives- Priorities Address key stakeholder needs Establish mechanisms/channels resources Develop key messages for those channels Identify appropriate resources for long term, effective communication Draft a communications schedule Regularly review and refresh the communications plan Key considerations On embarking on this communications plan project there a number of key considerations: Objectives Our objectives are the key to the success of our communications strategy. Communication is only a tool for achieving those objectives. To put it another way: the right objectives should ensure that our communications strategy is directed by what we want to achieve not by the communication itself. * We need to ask ourselves if GSMs communications are currently doing all that they can to achieve our core objectives. To put it simply are we travelling in the right direction and is what we are saying to our partners helping or hindering that journey? - Do we need to revisit the organisational objectives/mission statement? - Do the core objectives of the organisation include all 4 ministries of GSM: Merton Hall Farm House; Michael House, Heritage Centre and GSM itself? 1

2 - Do the core objectives reflect and strengthen the relationships between those four ministries? - If not then we need a new mission statement *By ensuring that our communications and organisational objectives are aligned will also help to reinforce the importance and relevance of communications and thereby make a convincing case for the proper resourcing of communications activity within our organisation. Audiences We should identify those audiences that we need to communicate with in order to achieve our organisational objectives. The best audiences to target in order to achieve an objective may not always be the most obvious ones, and targeting audiences such as the media may not always help achieve our objectives. Everyone would like a higher media profile, yet activities aiming towards this may ultimately be self-serving and only communications driven, with no wider impact. They can even have a negative effect if you dedicate resources towards this that would otherwise be put towards communicating with key stakeholders. By identifying, strengthening and deepening relationships with key stakeholders we will be able to build a network of partners who will want to share our story and us theirs. Messages Strategic targeting and consistency is therefore key to our messages. We must create a comprehensive case covering all the key messages, and emphasise the different elements of the case for different audiences. To maximise impact we should summarise the case in three key points which can be constantly repeated and these points should fall from our objectives and associated mission statement. Communications is all about storytelling: using interesting narrative, human interest stories and arresting imagery all of which abound in the Christian faith which at its core is a story to be lived and shared. In the four ministries of GSM church we need to constantly and consistently be using this, implicitly and explicitly as appropriate. Understanding our key stakeholders will help us to understand the way to shape and present our story in a compelling and relevant way. Tools and activities We must identify the tools and activities that are most appropriate to communicating the key messages to all the stakeholders. These will be suggested by our stakeholders, messages, or a combination of the two. For example, an annual report is a useful tool in corporate communications whereas an newsletter lends itself well to internal communications and social media in its many forms gives opportunities to build relationships, engage and share content and ideas. Resources and timescales We must ensure that we tailor our tools and activities to the level of time and human and financial resources available. By identifying the appropriate channels for the appropriate stakeholders will help us to both manage resources and identify where we have a lack of capacity. 2

3 The key rules we need to observe are always to deliver what you promise and never over promise. Future Evaluation and amendment Once we have developed the communications strategy we will need to evaluate and continually review it. This process will be set out in the strategy itself. Example audiences to consider are our staff, funders, key political targets and media. Questions we should consider asking are: What do you read/see/hear? What works/doesn't work? What do you want to see more of? What information do you need that you are not currently supplied with? How often do you want us to communicate with you? Putting the theory into practice We have begun the 10 steps (See Appendix 1 ) of developing the strategy and specifically have been addressing the first three steps on our plan: 1, Whom do you intend to communicate with? 2. What will success look like? 3. What are your audiences like? The approach in the first 2 months has been 2-pronged. That is to identify the key stakeholders and to begin asking the questions that will inform the strategy. Demonstrating that communication needs to take many forms, we have engaged in a number of ways: in depth face to face interviews with clergy and other staff, questionnaires as well as a myriad of informal communications. We have engaged with all major internal stakeholders (see Appendix 3); congregation, staff (clergy and non clergy) and visitors and a number of key themes are emerging which are demonstrated in Appendix 4. 3

4 KEY THEMES POSITIVE: WORSHIP, MUSIC, COMMUNITY, FAITH, LOVE, PEOPLE, FELLOWSHIP, OUTREACH, GOD, CARING, LIBERAL, FAMILY, INCLUSIVITY, WELCOMING, HEART OF THE CITY, SUPPORTIVE These themes are reflected in some of the phrases that have come out of the interviews conducted, both positively: The church as free and rooted. Consistency with the appetite for risk The need for fuzzy boundaries - that's where the opportunities come Uncertainty is v important: it s part of faith GSM energy into church and wider world And just as important, offering challenge or criticism: NEGATIVE: MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS, TAT, TOURIST, BUREAUCRATIC, MARKETING, SHOP, OFFICE, CLUTTER, CORPORATE, JUMBLE, DIVISION, ERRORS, UNINSPIRING Definition of congregation is difficult Looking after all your congregation. The need to communicate that the church is a worshipping community Looking towards the hosting institution These reoccurring themes centre around apparent conflict of church and communications / business. One of the clear challenges of developing the communications plan will be to help all stakeholders to see this as an opportunity rather than a threat to the vibrant life of GSM. We need to communicate internally that a more transparent, professional and consistent approach to GSM communications will further enrich that life and its links to the wider Cambridge community. 4

5 Key areas of activity: In addition to those key engagement activities and meetings (Appendix 5) we have begun to look at opportunities to raise GSM s profile in the wider community, (university, city) regionally and nationally, and consolidate its message. (Appendix 6) An example of this was the celebration of the development project including a hugely successful tea party open house event and the rededication of the church by Bishop Stephen. Tour de France We have been attending TDF strategy and logistics and legacy meetings with the City Council and ensuring that staff at GSM are updated on road closures and routes in to work on 7 July. We have consequently arranged the following: The tower will be open as usual on 7 th July with restricted visit times (20 mins instead of 40). This reiterates our message of accessibility and inclusivity as opposed to the idea also originally considered, of an exclusive tower event. In the afternoon, once the barriers are removed and people are able to move more freely, move will be hosting a Big French Tea Party in the churchyard and inviting Marie Curie (official charity of the TDF) to have a stall. We have requested as many staff as can get in to be at GSM that day, and are actively recruiting volunteers for stewarding what we assume will be a very busy day. The Big French Tea Party also follows a theme from the Big Tea Party on the launch weekend further enforcing the message of hospitality and allowing us to foster a sense of inclusivity and welcoming. We anticipate hosting further themed Tea Parties at other key points in the year. The BBC are also aware of GSM s role on the day and conducted an interview on the top of the Tower to be broadcast along with other Cambridge/TDF interviews this week on Look East. Although we came relatively late to the TDF party it is felt that GSM will certainly be able to capitalise on the unique visitor opportunities and further reinforce the messages that we are striving to promote. Michaelhouse It has been decided that Kate and Sue will meet regularly to discuss forthcoming events and planning for Michaelhouse and GSM to look for ways to work collaboratively pursuing the overall aim of celebrating the overarching ministry. For example: 8 November we will market the War storytellers (in the afternoon at MH) with the Theatre Matters performance (at GSM in the evening at GSM) Working together alongside Rosie and Curating Cambridge. It is a great opportunity to present the combined offering of GSM, MH and Heritage within a wider Cambridge event. We are also exploring the possibilities of combined hiring. By using the new flexible space at GSM to enable overspill or complimentary space for MH hirers and exhibitors once 5

6 again enhancing the holistic opportunity. Regular GSM hirers are also being encouraged to use MH Café catering whenever possible and quotes are being provided. Website The current website has served GSM for a number of years, but in that time the whole phenomenon of social media has developed as well as the mediums by which users access content (ie lap tops, tablets, smart phones,etc ) It s therefore a very appropriate time as part of developing a communications plan to fully review and refresh the website to ensure that we exploit those opportunities and provide for the GSM stakeholder needs. The website renewal is really a microcosm of the whole communications plan and in order to be effective needs to involve all of the steps outlined earlier in this report. That work has begun and it is hoped to able to develop a draft structure for the revised website by September 14. 6