What's the foundational first step for every successful communication initiative? Strategy. You can't just do some stuff. You need goals and a plan. What's your strategy for strategy? How do you get the upfront buy-in you need? How do you manage the (neverending) feedback loop? We'll talk about managing up, down and all around to ensure successful communication projects. This presentation was a keynote session at the 2013 CASE Annual Conference for Publications Professionals.

1. What’s your strategy
for strategy?
Susan T. Evans | Senior Strategist | mStoner
CASE Annual Conference for Publications Professionals | October 2013

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Good morning!
SusanT. Evans,
Senior Strategist
mStoner
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4. "If you don't know where you're
going, any road will get you there."
#truethat #casepubs

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Jack
William & Mary
Class of 2010
Rebecca
JHU: Peabody
Conservatory
Class of 2013
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9. page 8monstersuniversity.com/edu/

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ImagineYou...

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ImagineYou...

12. Strategy is difficult
It takes time
It involves risk
It requires decisions

13. Strategy is difficult
It takes time
It involves risk
It requires decisions

14. STRATEGY:
Define | Persuade | Follow

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Strategy is a general, undetailed plan of
action, encompassing a long period of time,
to achieve a complicated goal.
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Strategy is a general, undetailed plan of
action, encompassing a long period of time,
to achieve a complicated goal.
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intentional

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Strategy is a general, undetailed plan of
action, encompassing a long period of time,
to achieve a complicated goal.
12
intentional
a set of options

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Strategy is a general, undetailed plan of
action, encompassing a long period of time,
to achieve a complicated goal.
12
intentional
a set of options
a course of action

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Strategy is a general, undetailed plan of
action, encompassing a long period of time,
to achieve a complicated goal.
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intentional
an efficient use of resources
a set of options
a course of action

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• Not just a buzzword

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• Not a detailed plan
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• Not just a buzzword

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• Not a detailed plan
• Not the tactics
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• Not just a buzzword

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• Not a detailed plan
• Not the tactics
• Not the phase you skip
because you’ve waited so long
to start the project
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• Not just a buzzword

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http://mstnr.me/LOsJ2l
Strategy is what you don’t do and
what you do first.
@susantevans #casepubs
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25. Buy in
Legitimacy
Sponsorship
Roles
Accountability
Foundation

26. Reminders
Communication
Priorities
Expectations
Limitations

27. On Track
Attention
Support
Resources

28. What if I don’t?

29. 1.The work will
take more time.

30. 2.The scope will creep.

31. 3. Priorities will be unclear.

32. 4. It will be easier to stop.

33. 5.Your results might
be vanilla.

34. STRATEGY!!

35. STRATEGY!!

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MISSION
FINANCIAL GOALS
YOUR PROJECT

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The Tyranny of .edu Audiences

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The Tyranny of .edu Audiences
• prospective students
• parents
• faculty
• staff
• current students
• alumni
• donors
• legislators
• local community
• employers
• ...

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This is not where the decisions get made.

40. Strategy = Managing

41. We can convince a person that a statement is correct;
we can convince a person of its correctness.
We cannot convince (though we can persuade) a
person to believe it or to act on the belief.
Persuade!

42. Refuse to start.

43. Eliminate the guesswork.

44. Listen to stakeholders and target audience.

45. Talk about the data (and the competition).

46. Repeat yourself.

47. Show confidence.

48. Ride the coattails of a visionary.

49. Don’t waste a perfectly good crisis.

50. Stop asking for feedback, approval, permission.

51. When all around you lose their heads...

52. Stand up for
strategy on your campus!

53. Susan T. Evans
Senior Strategist
susan.evans@mstoner.com
@susantevans
Thank you!
mStoner