Towards a corporate Towards a corporate communications strategycommunications strategy

Deborah HartDeborah Hart

Director of Communications and PolicyDirector of Communications and Policy

Royal College of PsychiatristsRoyal College of Psychiatrists

Towards a corporate Towards a corporate communications strategycommunications strategy

Who are you? (Who are you? (MissionMission & & VisionVision)) What are your strengths, weaknesses, What are your strengths, weaknesses,

challenges & opportunities? (challenges & opportunities? (SWOTSWOT)) Who do you want to communicate with? Who do you want to communicate with?

((Defining your audienceDefining your audience)) Where do you want to be in 3-5 years time? Where do you want to be in 3-5 years time?

((Strategic PlanStrategic Plan)) Working out how to get there and what you Working out how to get there and what you

need to do (need to do (Staffing, priorities and financesStaffing, priorities and finances))

Towards a corporate Towards a corporate communications strategycommunications strategy

What is a What is a Mission Mission Statement?Statement?

A A Mission Statement Mission Statement is a statement of is a statement of the purpose of a company, the purpose of a company, organisation or person, its reason for organisation or person, its reason for existing.existing.

The The Mission Statement Mission Statement should guide should guide the actions of the organisation.the actions of the organisation.

A A Mission Statement Mission Statement talks about the talks about the present.present.

What is a What is a Mission Statement?Mission Statement?

Cruse Bereavement Care ScotlandCruse Bereavement Care Scotland

We seek to help anyone experiencing We seek to help anyone experiencing bereavement to understand their grief and bereavement to understand their grief and cope with their loss.cope with their loss.

We work primarily through volunteers, We work primarily through volunteers, providing free care to bereaved people.providing free care to bereaved people.

We also train and educate individuals and We also train and educate individuals and organisations who may in turn be able to organisations who may in turn be able to contribute to the well-being of bereaved contribute to the well-being of bereaved people.people.

What is a What is a Vision Vision Statement?Statement?

When developing a When developing a Vision Statement Vision Statement , , think aboutthink about

What do we want to do going What do we want to do going forward?forward?

When do we want to do it?When do we want to do it? How do we want to do it?How do we want to do it?

Will it Will it draw people into draw people into your your organisation? Does it give organisation? Does it give hopehope for a for a better future? Will it better future? Will it inspireinspire people? people?

What is a What is a Vision Vision Statement?Statement?

A Vision Statement A Vision Statement is short phrases is short phrases or sentences that convey your hopes or sentences that convey your hopes for the future.for the future.

A A Vision Statement Vision Statement should be easily should be easily understood, inspiring, uplifting, and understood, inspiring, uplifting, and easy to communicate.easy to communicate.

What is a What is a Vision Statement?Vision Statement?

Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland

exists to promote the well-being of exists to promote the well-being of

bereaved people in Scotlandbereaved people in Scotland

MissionMission & & Vision Vision StatementsStatements

Which comes first?Which comes first?

When setting up an organisation, the When setting up an organisation, the Vision Statement Vision Statement will guide the will guide the Mission Statement.Mission Statement.

....and ....and The Strategic PlanThe Strategic Plan

Towards a corporate Towards a corporate communications strategycommunications strategy

SWOT AnalysisSWOT Analysis StrengthsStrengths Internal challenges (weaknesses)Internal challenges (weaknesses) OpportunitiesOpportunities External challenges (threats)External challenges (threats)

Towards a corporate communications Towards a corporate communications strategystrategy

Define your audiencesDefine your audiences

For instance for the RCPsych our audiences are:For instance for the RCPsych our audiences are:

InternalInternal• Members, TraineesMembers, Trainees• StaffStaff

ExternalExternal• GovernmentGovernment• Mental Healthcare ProfessionalsMental Healthcare Professionals• Patients, Carers and Mental Health OrganisationsPatients, Carers and Mental Health Organisations

• Public and MediPublic and Mediaa

(national and international)(national and international)

Towards a corporate communications Towards a corporate communications strategystrategy

Different communication tools are Different communication tools are dependent on your audiencesdependent on your audiences InternalInternal (your members and observers) (your members and observers) ExternalExternal (wider audience) (wider audience)

Do you have a database of members?Do you have a database of members? How do you currently communicate?How do you currently communicate?

The organisationThe organisation Your reportsYour reports

Towards a corporate Towards a corporate communications strategycommunications strategy

A Strategic PlanA Strategic Plan

““is a document used to communicate with is a document used to communicate with the organisation the organizations goals, the organisation the organizations goals, the actions needed to achieve those goals the actions needed to achieve those goals and all of the other critical elements and all of the other critical elements developed during the developed during the planningplanning exercise.” exercise.”

Towards a corporate communications Towards a corporate communications strategystrategy

WebsiteWebsite: needs to be redesigned to include : needs to be redesigned to include Vision and Mission statementsVision and Mission statements

Conferences/workshopsConferences/workshops across Europe: to across Europe: to disseminate your reports. Get key dates and disseminate your reports. Get key dates and agree a programme agree a programme

Email alertsEmail alerts: to members, observers and : to members, observers and database linking to reports on website.database linking to reports on website.

eNewsletter/newslettereNewsletter/newsletter: need only be : need only be quarterlyquarterly

Towards a corporate communications Towards a corporate communications strategystrategy

Press releases Press releases to relevant European to relevant European media & medical publicationsmedia & medical publications

Social MediaSocial Media:: FacebookFacebook Twitter Twitter Linked In: can set up a ForumLinked In: can set up a Forum ForumForum

Important that these are maintained and regularly used Important that these are maintained and regularly used – should be organisational rather than individual– should be organisational rather than individual

Towards a corporate Towards a corporate communications strategycommunications strategy

Whatever you decide to do is Whatever you decide to do is dependent on:dependent on:

Your agreed priorities and plan of Your agreed priorities and plan of action action

Staffing needs to take these forwardStaffing needs to take these forward FinancesFinances

Towards a corporate Towards a corporate communications strategycommunications strategy

Deborah HartDeborah Hart

Director of Communications and PolicyDirector of Communications and Policy

Royal College of PsychiatristsRoyal College of Psychiatrists