It Starts Here: Creating a Campaign Communications Plan Rebecca Smith Vogel Senior Director Communications and Stewardship Stanford University

What can your campaign communications plan do for you?

Save you time and energy in the long run

Make the best and most efficient use of your resources

Make sure none of your constituents is left out

Encourage internal consensus-building

Focus high-level messaging and campaign structure

Pinpoint deliverables for every stage of the campaign lifecycle

Identify and drive key milestones and deadlines beyond communications deliverables

Before the quiet phase, if possible About 12-18 months prior to launch When there are key stakeholders identified to weigh in and approve your plan Ideally (but not necessarily) when key elements of high-level messaging and campaign structure are known When should you start?

Before the quiet phase, if possible

About 12-18 months prior to launch

When there are key stakeholders identified to weigh in and approve your plan

Ideally (but not necessarily) when key elements of high-level messaging and campaign structure are known

Which comes first, the budget or the plan?

Identify stakeholders Who needs to weigh in at the beginning of the process? Who will have to execute the plan? Who needs to review and approve the plan? At what point(s) should you involve stakeholders?

Who needs to weigh in at the beginning of the process?

Who will have to execute the plan?

Who needs to review and approve the plan?

At what point(s) should you involve stakeholders?

What are the key elements of a good plan?

The campaign will be comprehensive; every gift counts The president should be highly present in all collateral The campaign branding will be used in school-level campaign collateral Messaging will rely heavily on alumni nostalgia; campus beauty shots will be featured prominently All printing will be on recycled paper with soy-based inks Identify assumptions and guiding principles

The campaign will be comprehensive; every gift counts

The president should be highly present in all collateral

The campaign branding will be used in school-level campaign collateral

Messaging will rely heavily on alumni nostalgia; campus beauty shots will be featured prominently

All printing will be on recycled paper with soy-based inks

Define Key Audiences

Alumni Undergraduate alumni Graduate degree holders Dual degree holders

Undergraduate alumni

Graduate degree holders

Dual degree holders

Parents Alumni parents Non-alumni parents Parents of undergraduates Parents of graduate students

Alumni parents

Non-alumni parents

Parents of undergraduates

Parents of graduate students

Faculty Current faculty Emeriti

Current faculty

Emeriti

Staff Development Partner departments (Alumni Association, University Communications or Public Affairs/Media Relations) Other university

Development

Partner departments (Alumni Association, University Communications or Public Affairs/Media Relations)

Other university

Students Seniors Student groups

Seniors

Student groups

Friends, local community, “influencers,” outside interest groups (environmental groups), government

Donors (segments of alumni, parents, friends) High-level annual fund Major gifts Special donor societies (Founders’ Circle) Trustees or other volunteers Segment key audiences

Donors (segments of alumni, parents, friends)

High-level annual fund

Major gifts

Special donor societies (Founders’ Circle)

Trustees or other volunteers

Alumni Planned Giving prospects Young alumni Schools/interests/ affiliations Alumni in reunion years Local vs. distant International Segment key audiences

Alumni

Planned Giving prospects

Young alumni

Schools/interests/ affiliations

Alumni in reunion years

Local vs. distant

International

Prioritize each group/segment into primary and secondary (and maybe tertiary) audiences

Inventory existing collateral first Can you morph your donor newsletter into a campaign newsletter? Can you build out a new section for the campaign within your existing Website? Can you add a campaign progress section to your alumni magazine? Will your existing annual fund mailings serve to update alumni about the campaign? Is there an annual mailing from the president to alumni that you could get campaign messaging into? Can you include campaign messaging in the university’s annual report? Can you work with the campus news paper(s) to communicate with faculty/students/staff?

Can you morph your donor newsletter into a campaign newsletter?

Can you build out a new section for the campaign within your existing Website?

Can you add a campaign progress section to your alumni magazine?

Will your existing annual fund mailings serve to update alumni about the campaign?

Is there an annual mailing from the president to alumni that you could get campaign messaging into?

Can you include campaign messaging in the university’s annual report?

Can you work with the campus news paper(s) to communicate with faculty/students/staff?

Map key audiences to existing collateral Create a chart that shows your primary audiences opposite existing collateral that reaches them now where you think you’ll be able to include campaign messaging. Look for holes– are there key audiences that won’t be reached through existing collateral?

Create a chart that shows your primary audiences opposite existing collateral that reaches them now where you think you’ll be able to include campaign messaging.

Look for holes– are there key audiences that won’t be reached through existing collateral?

This is where you may need to create something new

Special “cases” Launch Volunteer training/updates Core campaign communications Case statements Secondary or tertiary level case materials Style guides Business materials Campaign events Midpoint Finale

Launch

Volunteer training/updates

Core campaign communications

Case statements

Secondary or tertiary level case materials

Style guides

Business materials

Campaign events

Midpoint

Finale

Internal communications How are you going to ensure consistency in branding/messaging across the university? Intranet Template downloads Style guides Logos Approved copy and quotes Photography

How are you going to ensure consistency in branding/messaging across the university?

Intranet

Template downloads

Style guides

Logos

Approved copy and quotes

Photography

Include schedule(s) By Lifecycle Quiet phase Ready for launch Mid-point Finale– Declaring Success Annual schedule Make sure schools are on board

By Lifecycle

Quiet phase

Ready for launch

Mid-point

Finale– Declaring Success

Annual schedule

Make sure schools are on board

Include a section that outlines the process by which materials are going to be reviewed and approved– who, what, when, how?

Examples from The Stanford Challenge

Launch mailing

“ Level 1” case statement

“ Level 2” case statements

“ Level 3” case brochures

“ Level 4” white papers

Proposals

Web

Video

Web

Online donor rolls

Volunteer extranet

Staff intranet

Campaign events

Direct mail

Campaign newsletters

University annual report

Stewardship reports