Communication Strategy for Research Organizations

8/8/2019 Communication Strategy for Research Organizations

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Company Profile

The core of South-Land Business Consultants (SBC) is their team of over

250 dedicated, experienced Business Analysts. Over the last 35 years, they have

developed a range of solutions to solve the business challenges of clients across

industries and have an extensive toolbox of research services, but at the heart of it all, what exceeds their clients' expectations time and again, is the service and

quality they provide and the commitment of their research team.

Their Mission Statement is clear: To be a vibrant corporation where their

employees want to be their employees and their clienteles want to be their

clienteles.

Current Communication Strategy of SBC

To improve the quality of life for everyone related with SBC, the need is to

deliver outstanding performance in every area; and primarily, the way they

communicate. Strategies, plans, visions, missions, policies and performance

indicators all have their role to play. These need to be communicated to all the

stakeholders, the staff members, Researchers, associated agencies, businesses

and visitors; in ways which they can understand and with which they feel secure.

A staff survey showed that less than half are satisfied with the way they

communicate with each other. While there is a recognition that the

communication activities have improved, there is a high level of expectation that

these will continue to improve further, with particular concerns being expressed

about the lack of opportunities for people to feed-back their views andsuggestions to the core management.

Some of the ways the SBC communicate Externally includes:

Company Portal – www.sbc.co.nz which provide corporate news, statistical

information, contact details, A-Z of services

and other service information.

Southland Spirit – a Quarterly Magazine

posted to every clientele and potential

businesses, influential people, GovernmentDepartments, etc.

Through the staff as they deliver the services

to the public

“Best Value” Performance Plan – published

each June, summarising the year’s

achievements, areas for concern, future plans

and Performance Indicators.

Information Fliers – a range is produced onspecific topics and available from relevant

departments or in the reception area.

http://www.sbc.co.nz/




Borough Guide – paid for by advertising and available from various outlets

Media releases – regular communications to print, audio and visual media,

achieving a high level of use and response by the media.

Some of the ways the company communicate Internally includes:

“Camaraderie” – a quarterly staff magazine

Teamwork Specials – covering specific issues, often training documents and

briefings on latest enhancements in I.T. and other research methodologies.

Intranet – information for staff members in addition to an off-line version of our

website

Notice Boards – throughout our offices

Briefing Hours – Training Sessions held at each Branch Office on specific topics

Departmental communications – including team meetings, written bulletins -

varies between each department.

Business Objectives

Longer term business objectives of SBC are summarized as:

• To expand the business aggressively and offer above-average returns to

shareholders by April 2011.

• To maintain the spree of affirmative Return on Investment for an

extensive period.

• To become the leading Marketing Research Organization within the

Southland (N.Z.) by April 2012.

Goals

The goals for the company are many and

include:

• Retaining its existing market share.

• Positioning more competitively to

acquire new market share

• Improved competitive positioning in

comparison to other providers with

like services.



• Develop more relevant, effective and streamlined Research Operations to

improve reach and position as industry leader.

Communication Objectives

The Communication Strategy sets out ways in which the SBC can improve itsrelationship and reflection among those who are associated with them. The

underlying principle of SBC’s Communication Strategy can be summarised in the

following key points:

• To converse and reinforce the key messages to a large audience of

stakeholders, team members, general staff members and impacted

parties.

• To spawn business for the organization through highlighting its benefits to

the New Zealand’s business community, the Government, the

Industrialists and the SME’s.

• To construct a milieu with a positive character of SBC through effectual

communication, renovation, change management and capacity-building

activities.

• Build Synergy of the newly appointed team of Researchers by providing

prompt and accurate communication that helps build the team’s

effectiveness.

• Encourage input from and involvement of all concerned with frequent,

accessible avenues for constructive

feedback, including the following:

Support the campus’s efforts to

create a sense of community.

Acknowledge the roles of all

segments of the campus

community.

Target Audience

The target audience is primarily divided into two elements:

• External Audience

• Internal Audience

External Audience

At the local, regional and national level, the need is to inform and update the key

decision-makers about the research results and methods, so that they will



understand them and, perhaps, adapt them in the implementation of new

development strategies or within existing strategies.

At the international level, the need is to inform and update the international

researchers and development agencies about the results of your research and

the methods used to arrive at those results.

Internal Audience

Internal Audience are those groups that are directly involved in the fieldwork

and, by extension, researchers working on other research projects with links to

SBC. They include the Senior Management, The Middle Management and the

Lower (Field) Management; the Human Resource Department, field staff and

non-field staff members, the Administration and Facility Department.

Organizational Chart

Key Messages

It is especially important that relevant, accurate and understandable information

is given to that staffs that have the most direct contact with the public. Making

sure the front-line ambassadors know what is really going on, instead of picking

up often inaccurate news through rumour or the local media. The Plan contains

these key deliverables:

• Regularly scheduled meetings with the following groups:

• Steering Committee

• Project Management Team

• Quality Assurance Team

• The Regional Functional Teams



• Quarterly project newsletter circulated to the Human Resource

Department, including the above teams.

• Team events, upcoming seminars, honouring of some dignitaries and any

celebration for the milestone achieved.

• Covering communications for training and other implementation activities.

• Communications integrated with existing vehicles of publicity.

Communication Mix

Communication

ChannelBest For...

websiteStatic information, announcing events, possible two-

way communication if you post surveys

ManagementHeads up when change is coming; general information



newsletter

HR Links

newsletter

General explanation of what’s happening; all staff

members (Field and Administrative)

Directors

memosExplain new direction and programs

SurveysFeedback on limited number of specific questions;

evaluate effectiveness of communications.

Email In /

Out

Announce events; respond to emails that come in;

Figure out client’s concerns and questions.

Cabinet

briefings

Policy decisions; budget requests; any change in

methodologies

Groupmeetings Detailed two-way on proposals, interactive discussions,find out budget and workload implications of proposals

Training

sessions/workshops

Communicate specifics of how to implement new

programs;





• Human resources to organise the election of a staff representative to

advise management and board discussions.

Implementation plan

Tactic Responsibility Timeline

Objective # 1:

Backgrounder on the

organisation for

inclusion in all new

staff induction

packages

Human Resources

manager

Completed by 30 January

2011

a half day workshopwhere staff discuss the

organisation’s mission

and values as they

relate to their work

Communicationmanager (from the

Director’s Office)

First workshop to be heldon 1 March 2011 and then

yearly thereafter.

Objective # 2:

Dissemination of the

minutes from board

and management

meetings

Executive Director’s

Executive Assistant

Within 1 week following

each meeting.

Overview of the main

Board decisions at a

monthly staff meeting

representative of

Senior Management

To be done at the first

monthly staff meeting

following each board

meeting.

Objective # 3:

A staff handbook Human resource

manager

To be completed and sent

to staff for feedback by 1

May

Internal newsletter with

policy and procedures

section.

Communication

manager/human

resource manager.

First issue to be

disseminated on 15

February

Objective # 4:

an update on the

programmes in the

monthly internal

newsletter.

Programme managers To be submitted to

Communication team 2

days before the newsletter

is disseminated. First

issue is 15 February.

An update on the Programme managers At each monthly staff



programmes at the

monthly staff meeting.

meeting

Distribution of

programme

newsletters.

Editors Immediately following the

release of each issue

Objective # 5:

Ensure that there is

ample time for staff to

provide feedback on

the items presented at

the staff meeting.

Human Resource

Manager

At each monthly staff

meeting.

Circulate the agenda

for upcoming board

meetings

Senior Manager At least one week prior to

board meeting.

Election of a staff

representative to

advise management

and board discussions

Human Resource

Manager

Election to take place on

10 February.

Budget

The amount of money available with the Management to be spent over in

another 6 months is tentatively NZ$ 4000, which accounts for approximately

11% of the total budget evaluated for the achieving organizational goals. It is

intended to be distributed evenly among the various departments for

enhancements of the communication channels.

The amount of money that would be available in future will depend on the

performance and effectiveness of the implementation of the communication

strategy.

2% Purchasing all advertising and promotion media, including internet,

newspaper, radio, TV and direct mail (postage).

+

4% Producing (design, artwork) and printing all communications. This includes

newsletters, brochures, web sites, press kits, etc.

+

1.5

%

Organising special events.

+



3.5

%

Salaries, consultants and freelancers.

=

11

%

Total percentage of the organizational budget going to marketing and

communications.

Evaluation methods

There will be a strong emphasis on evidence-based advocacy, and an evaluation

plan to fully monitor and evaluate the progress of the communication

management. It is expected that the experience in the first years will inform

necessary changes to be made in the coming years as well as show enough

favourable evidence to justify further and larger trials that may lead toexpansion of the programme in other cities or may be going global.

• An increase in awareness of Research Marketing methodologies can be

measured by the frequency of requests for reprints of promotional

material.

• In the case of its awareness of the web-portal www.sbc.co.nz could

enhance its website tracking tools to help measure the effectiveness of

their communication plan.

• If the company proposes the hoardings, road-side campaigns for brandpromotion, measuring call volume or internet inquiries is a simple method

to evaluate the response to the communication plan.

References and Resources

1. Engaging Internal and External Audiences through Communications Tools

(2001), By Marijke Hallo de Wolf. Available Online at:

www.sdcn.org/webworks/strategies/engaging.htm (December 2005).

2. Reflecting an Organisation's Information and Communications Culture

(May 2001), by Michael Glueck. Available Online at:

www.sdcn.org/webworks/strategies/reflecting.htm (December 2005).

3. Internal Communication Strategies - The Neglected Strategic Element

(2005) from Robert Bacal. Available online at: http://performance-

appraisals.org/comstrat.htm (December 2005).


http://www.sdcn.org/webworks/strategies/engaging.htm

http://www.sdcn.org/webworks/strategies/reflecting.htm

http://performance-appraisals.org/comstrat.htm



http://www.sdcn.org/webworks/strategies/engaging.htm

http://www.sdcn.org/webworks/strategies/reflecting.htm



Documents

Communication Strategy for Research Organizations