A strategic communication plan is a road map for identifying how to engage with your varied stakeholder groups, audiences and networks. It’s a powerful strategy tool to establish agreement among you and your colleagues to identify and agree on what contents needs to be said or displayed, to whom and in which context. The plan ensures consistency of messaging across distribution channels, sets expectations and builds assurance factors. The size and length of a plan can vary greatly based on the complexities of the objectives. This means a plan can be as basic as a single message to a single audience or as complex as a multi-phased, long-term roll out with many audiences who require relevant content in a number of online and offline channels. This basic template provides you with a beginning framework for mapping out and helps facilitate discussion. It will assist with determining the target audiences, key messages and distribution channels. If this tool brings value to you, feel free to share among your social networks.

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Communications PlanTemplate
A strategic communication plan is a road map for identifying how to engage
with your varied stakeholder groups, audiences and networks.
It’s a powerful strategy tool to establish agreement among you and your
colleagues to identify and agree on what contents needs to be said or
displayed, to whom and in which context. The plan ensures consistency of
messaging across distribution channels, sets expectations and builds assurance
factors.
The size and length of a plan can vary greatly based on the complexities of the
objectives. This means a plan can be as basic as a single message to a single
audience or as complex as a multi-phased, long-term roll out with many
audiences who require relevant content in a number of online and offline
channels.
This basic template provides you with a beginning framework for mapping out
and helps facilitate discussion. It will assist with determining the target audiences,
key messages and distribution channels.
If this tool brings value to you, feel free to share among your social networks.

2. www.omthreesixty.com.au
@OMThreeSixty
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Objectives
What are the high level outcomes you need to achieve?
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Goals
What are the goals which will help achieve the above objectives?
From a business perspective:
 Short-term: eg business synergies and cost savings, transition business and staff
through a change management program
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 Medium-term: eg position brand, build trust
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From a communications perspective, eg articulate value proposition to staff, reach target
audiences
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Key messages
A global key message underpins all other key messaging
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Core key messages are reflected within all communications depending on audience
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Evidence, proof and support opportunities for the above key messages, eg company
values, case studies, targeted media coverage
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Risks & issues
What are the key risks which could affect successful communication outcomes? As an
example, risks may include a misinterpretation of message, loss of talent, loss of
customers, brand reputation loss
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Risk mitigation
Outline how each risk will be mitigated and minimised through timely and relevant
responses and activities. See the next page for helpful guidelines.
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Audiences and communication channels
Who do you need to reach and what is the most effective communications channel to reach
them?
Audience Location Channels
eg Shareholders
North America, Europe,
Australasia
Stock exchange
announcement,
email, information
pack
eg Product
Development Team
Melbourne
Team meeting
livestream with CEO,
FAQ handout, email

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Event Comm Audience Channel Drafted
Signed
off
Target
distr.
eg Merging two
services into
one
Internal
announcement
Staff Email 01-07-15 07-07-15 09-07-15
Internal
announcement
Staff Intranet 01-07-15 07-07-15 09-07-15
Transition
information and
next steps
Affected
customers
Email, letter 01-07-15 07-07-15 11-07-15
New service offer
available
Prospective
customers and
general public
Website,
new
brochure
01-07-15 07-07-15 15-07-15

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Guidelines for effective issues management communication
 Be the most informed and available source of information. Be ahead of the
story. Never get caught playing catch-up to other stakeholders (either
internal or external)
 Establish a regular communication rhythm (regularity to depend on comms
need – escalate as necessary from weekly to daily to multiple times a day
contact)
 Key messages should reflect your organisation’s overall messages. They
should reinforce the positive and be action/solution oriented if possible
 Legal counsel to be briefed and to agree to all materials if required
 Keep communicating, particularly if unfavourable, inaccurate information is
in the public domain. If not corrected, it could have future negative
consequences requiring additional communication planning and activities.
 Consider questions that will be asked in order to prepare answers for them –
including the questions you hope you will not be asked
 Consider need for additional materials such as a fact sheet, backgrounder,
web site resources, FAQs
 Staff Notification – as soon as practical, disseminate all information to
affected staff.
 Value employees as influencers – keep them well informed and maintain
transparency. Understand and use internal ‘grapevine’.
 Any media meetings should be supervised. Know ahead of time who the
journalist is and what he or she is planning on covering.
 Notify partners and key other groups as soon as possible, definitely before
information has reached the public domain.
 Communications updates – ensure key audiences are kept up to date.