ALBERTA INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

COMMUNICATIONS BASICS FOR MOMENTUM

T O D A Y’ S G O A L

To be able to answer the question:

How do I talk about this phenomenally cool thing that I am doing within AISI that gets other people as excited about it as I am?

S K I L L B U I L D I N G

For yourself at home.

For a teacher.

For a farmer.

For a grocery store.

For a chef.

List five benefits of an apple…

T H R E E P R I N C I P L E S

There are three core principles that underlie all successful communications:

– Talk about benefits and results, not features

– Pick a specific audience, and write to their point of view

– Leverage word-of-mouth

ALBERTA INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

THE AUDIENCE-CENTRIC

STRATEGY

T H E A U D I E N C E

The Halo Effect

broad halo

narrow focus

T H E A U D I E N C E

Primary Target Audience

– Who you want to influence,

– Who are the most likely to be influenced,

– And who needs to be influenced to impact your program

Secondary Target Audience

– Everyone else that is not critical to the message, that you can include only after the primary audience is successfully addressed.

T H E A U D I E N C E

When describing a target audience

– Be specific - describe individuals, not groups.

– Describe their knowledge of the issue, and their relationship with you/program.

– Describe their motivation to pay attention, and why they might reject your message.

– Describe their attitudes and self-image.

– Describe their demographic and lifestyle characteristics.

Adults 18+ is not a target audience. It is a population.

ALBERTA INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

SOME INSIGHTS INTO PARENTS & THE PUBLIC

P E R S P E C T I V E

Everyone tends to think and talk about the system through the lens of their own experience.

They have a “micro” perspective of the system, as opposed to a “macro” perspective.

For me it was how well my kids could read by the end of grade one.

W H Y ?

Exposed to the system through only one facet.For me it was how well my kids could read at the end of

grade one.

Strong feelings that people have may cause them to explicitly focus on the relevant, immediate cues in their situation.

We are not here to look at the big picture, we are looking after our son.

Our own experiences with the system are considered to be a valid perspective.

Everybody has gone to school so they think they know how it works or should work. It makes education one of the professions that is easily criticized.

E V A L U A T I O N

Parent satisfaction is based upon their child’s happiness with going to school.

Our greatest advertising is our kids. They are our primary stakeholders. If the kids are going home happy, not because they had fun, but if they say I had a great day in class and this is what I learned. If they can talk positively about their daily experience, that is our greatest advertisement with our parents.

E X P E C T A T I O N S

When people describe the outcomes of education, they don’t talk about what the children know (subject matter), they talk about who the children are.

Self-discipline is as important as reading, writing and arithmetic. Kids will be able to teach themselves anything they want. And it is as important because the three conventional R’s will be learned better in that type of environment.

What should be delivered? Adults with a proper set of values and work ethic and do a good job at where they are at, can deal with the public, understand how to behave, dress, conduct business, do their job.

ALBERTA INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

A NEW NOTION OF COMMUNITY

C O M M U N I T I E S

C O M M U N I T I E S

Parents

C O M M U N I T I E S

Parents

Cultural Association

C O M M U N I T I E S

Parents

Cultural AssociationChurches

C O M M U N I T I E S

Parents

Cultural AssociationChurches

BRZ

C O M M U N I T I E S

Parents

Cultural AssociationChurches

BRZLocal daycares

H O W

Gather a list of all the different community social networks that touch and surround your school.

Prioritize the ones that have the most interest in education.

Find out what communications channels they have.

Identify a benefit-driven key message for each network.

The AISI Communications Toolkit has some excellent approaches to reaching local community social networks.

ALBERTA INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

FEATURES VERSUS BENEFITS

And benefits always win.

D R I L L F E AT U R E S

– Bahco long flat bit for drilling in wood

– Made of high-carbon steel, heat treated all over

– Hardened blade, flat part forged directly from the round shaft

– Flat part and shaft are ground

– Flat bit with positive cutting angle for faster drilling than with conventional bits

– Length: 400mm

– 330 mm long extension shaft for flat bits of 16 to 40 mm diameter also available from drop down box

D R I L L B E N E F I T S

B E N E F I T S

People don’t buy program features, they buy program benefits.

– You can let them figure out the benefits for themselves, or you can tell them the benefits directly.

A feature is a characteristic of a product, service or program.

A benefit is what the feature does for you.

C R E A T I N G B E N E F I T S

Change your point of view.

Whenever you function from your own point of view, you automatically fill in the blanks with assumptions.

A customer's perception of each feature's results is what attracts him or her to a particular product or service.

B E N E F I T S

Feature

So what?

So what?

So what?

So what?

B E N E F I T S

Feature

What problem or concern can this problem address?

Why does this feature matter to my audience?

C R E A T I V E S E C R E T S

Tell a story about the program.

Make it real.

– Use testimonials from teachers and students - let them tell the story.

– Use photos of the program in use. The subject of the photo is more important than the form.

After you have the first draft, ask yourself if you really need the first 2 or 3 paragraphs.

Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating.

– Avoid superlatives, generalizations and platitudes.

– Be specific and factual.

Use the colloquial language that your audiences uses in everyday conversation.

ALBERTA INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

GROUP EXERCISE

Let’s take one of your initiatives and work through the audience, the relevant social networks and the benefits.

ALBERTA INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

DISCUSSION

Thank you.

ALBERTA INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

For more information, please do not hesitate to call either

Philip Coppard Trudy White Matthews(403) 685-3662 (403) 543-4589

Thank you.