Communications strategy template

1. Review your environment

Key political, economic, socio-cultural and technological (PEST) factors that may affect your project

How will you manage the risks and realise the opportunities?

PEST factors / Our actions

What are the most significant strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for your project?

What mighthelp you to manage the risks and realise the opportunities?

Strengths / Our actions
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

2. Your overarching objectives

Strategic communications objectives

Objectives (max 5)

3. Your stakeholders and audiences

Priority target groups

Target stakeholders and audiences / Why they need to know and what do you hope they will do?

NOTE: Develop separate detailed contact list of named people and organisations

4. What are your key messages?

What messages will your audiences respond to?

Overarching message - the one thing you want all audiences to understand
Audience 1 / Core messages/killer facts
Audience 2
Audience 3
Audience 4

5. Your key timings

Expected dates for milestones for your project around which your communications may be planned

Date / Output or activity
Date
Date

NOTE: think about launch, key publications, stakeholder events, key conferences, external opportunities

6. Your communications channels

How might you reach your target stakeholders and audiences?

NOTE: Think about media engagement, social media, podcasts/vlogs, seminars/events, blogs, emails to key influencers, short summaries for varying audiences, activating stakeholders/networks on your behalf

NOTE: Check affiliations, acknowledgments and correct use of brands on all outputs

NOTE: Meet funder requirements for oversight of your outputs

7. Communications resources and capacity

Who will help you communicate your work?

When? How? What would you like them to do?

Who? / Action required

NOTE: Think about PCU, Department, University, funders, stakeholders and collaborators

NOTE: Do you need to buy in any skills/capacity? If so, consider budget

8. Evaluation and impact

How will you track progress on your communications objectives?

Who needs to know?

THINK ABOUT: Facts/figures/stories to demonstrate results and impact?

NOTE: When will you review your communications activity and impact?

This template was adapted by Lucy Lloyd, PCU’s Communications Manager, from a template created by the Health Foundation.

The Health Foundation’s communications toolkit for health improvement researchers provides moreuseful information and notes. See the toolkit.