PR Strategy Audit Document

XXX| Claire Ince, Harriet Chang, Leonard Tong
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XXX
Strategic Communication Audit
Claire Ince, Harriet Chang, and Leonard Tong
Word Count: 3,451

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Table of Contents
1. Methodologies 3
2. Situation Analysis 3
2.1 Operational Environment 3
2.2 SWOT 3
2.3 Competitor Analysis 4
2.4 Issues 5
2.5 Communication Needs 5
3. Current Communication Strategies and Tools 6
3.1 Social Media 6
3.2 Website 6
3.3 Digital Marketing 7
3.4 Events and Promotional Materials 7
3.5 Effectiveness of Current Communication Strategies 8
4. Goals and Objectives 8
4.1 Goals 9
4.2 Objectives 9
5. Messages 9
6. Target Publics 9
6.1 Primary 9
6.2 Secondary 10
6.3 Tertiary 10
7. Recommendations 10
7.1 Membership Rebrand 10
7.2 Feedback Loop System 10
7.3 Client Newsletter 11
7.4 Website Redesign 11
7.5 Social Media Management Tools 12
7.6 Media Relations 13
8. Implementation 13
8.1 Budget 13
8.2 Checklist 13
9. Evaluation 14
10. References 15

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1. Methodologies
Research conducted for the purpose of strategic communication analysis can be undertaken
using a variety of methods, which can be quantitative and/or qualitative.
It is widely recognised that while each methodology may be effective alone depending on the
context in which it is being used, a combination of both methodologies will provide the most
accurate picture of the effectiveness of communication strategies (Mahoney, 2017).
Consultation with relevant communication theories also assists in effective analysis, and in
the formation of a strategic communication plan (Mahoney, 2017).
In this analysis of the effectiveness of strategic communication on the XXX side of XXX,
both quantitative and qualitative methodologies have been used (Mahoney, 2017). The
recommendations at the end of this document are underpinned by Social Exchange Theory,
Diffusion Theory, and Media Effects theory, and have been modelled on Grunig’s four
models of communication (Mahoney, 2017).
2. Situation Analysis
2.1 Operational Environment
The XXX side of XXX exists to provide community organisations in the XXX area with:
• Volunteer Recruitment and Placement
• Training for volunteer managers
• Workshops and volunteer policy support
• Networking opportunities (XXX, 2016)
XXX is run independently of the government, consists of 50 employees (including 3 paid
staff), and currently has a clientele of 200 not for profit organisations.
While competitors do exist (see 2.3), XXX is the only not for profit volunteer recruitment
agency situated in the XXX Region.
2.2 SWOT
STRENGTHS
• Large organisation
• Over 50 staff who all bring specialised
expertise
• Paid staff have defined roles and experience
in the field in which they work
• Staff newsletter
WEAKNESSES
• Passive communication
• One-way communication on
social media
• Limited information for potential
organisations
• Unbalanced website

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• IT Services
• Debt clearing service
• Over 200 organisations have signed up
• Outdated web design
• No external advertising for
potential organisations
• Limited use of social media to
target organisations
• Limited digital marketing
OPPORTUNITIES
• Over 200 organisations have signed up
• Social media
• XXX media outlets
• Potential for sponsorships
• Partnerships with XXX and XXX
• Specialised media outlets
• LinkedIn Groups
THREATS
• Competitors
• Government legislation- e.g. fair
work ombudsman
2.3 Competitor Analysis
In order to determine industry standards for volunteer recruitment agencies, HVC’s website
has been compared to two competitors.
XXX XXX XXX
Web Design Logo and name
Large images
Slideshow header
image
Social media icons
Logo with no name
Small images
Still header image
Social media icons
Logo and name
Large images
Slideshow header
image
Social media icons
Service page Clear separation
between volunteer
and organisation
services
Grouped service
page
Grouped service
page
Services for
organisations
Volunteer
recruitment
Training
Workshops and
policy support
Networking
No clear list of
services
No clear list of
services
Framing theory suggests that the ways in which information is presented and framed,
determines its effect on the audience (Mahoney, 2017). As outlined in the table above, there
are some commonalities between the framing of information across all three organisations,
however, there doesn’t appear to be any kind of ‘industry standards’.

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XXX is the only organisation which clearly separates organisations and volunteers upon
entering the website, and of the three, is the only one that explicitly outlines their XXX
services, and the only one that doesn’t include any form of client testimonials.
2.4 Issues Identified
In the context of strategic communication, ‘issues’ are subjects that do and/or may be
problematic for an organisation (Mahoney, 2017).
In consultation with the above SWOT analysis and the following qualitative analysis of
XXX’s current communication strategies and tools, two overarching issues have been
identified within the XXX side of XXX. In order to provide a complete picture of the issues
and the impacts they may have on the current and future operation of XXX, James
Mahoney’s adapted version of David Bach and David Allen’s (𝐼𝐴)%
framework has been
used (Mahoney, 2017).
(𝐼𝐴)%
𝑄𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 Issue A Issue B
What is the issue? Access to information Lack of client retention
Who are the actors? Existing clients, and potential
clients
Existing clients
What are the actors’
Interests?
Finding the benefits of being a
member of XXX and/or working
with volunteers
Finding a reason to renew
membership each year
In what Arena do the
actors meet?
Social Media
XXX Website
XXX Media Outlets
Interpersonal communication
with XXX
Social Media
XXX Website
What Information
moves the issue in the
arena?
As well as providing volunteer
recruitment, XXX provides
training, workshops, policy
support, feedback, and networking
opportunities.
Once the need for volunteers has
been filled, XXX continues to
provide other benefits.
What Assets do the
actors need to prevail in
this arena?
XXX website
Social Media
Media Relations
Membership systems
XXX website
Testimonials
Media Relations
2.5 Communication Needs
Communication needs are derived from identified issues, and are the basic functions that an
organisation’s communication strategy should fill (Mahoney, 2017).
In consultation with 2.4, it can be concluded that the organisation side of XXX has two main
communication needs to fill:
A. Present and reinforce the benefits of recruiting volunteers through XXX rather than
independently.
B. Maintain relationships with existing clients to encourage annual membership renewal.

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In order to evaluate the effectiveness of XXX’s current communication strategy, the extent to
which their communication needs are being filled needs to be defined. Section 3 will analyse
the current strategy implemented by XXX, using quantitative and qualitative measures.
3. Current Communication Strategies and Tools
3.1 Social Media
Social media is a crucial part of digital marketing in modern times, as it allows organisations
to market themselves and reach audiences efficiently, and in most cases, at no financial cost
(Clow & Baack, 2016). It is a simple way of increasing brand recognition, as both
prospective and existing customers/clients have the opportunity to view and participate in the
brand’s narrative (DeMers, 2015).
The following data has been sourced from a social media analysis tool known as Keyhole.
XXX Social
Media
Account
Followers Engagement Number of
Posts (in past
year)
Trends
Facebook 1,273 page
likes
4-17% 104 Followers are most
likely to engage in
posts containing a link
Twitter 363 31 Most likely to engage
with posts with 91-140
characters.
Most likely to engage
with retweets.
XXX’s social media accounts have low levels of engagement, very little variety, and contain
infrequent and inconsistent posts.
Unlike the previously mentioned competitors, none of XXX’s social media posts promote the
XXX side, and simply target volunteers. While the accounts may contribute to the success of
the volunteer side, they do not fulfil either of the XXX communication needs, and thus, are
not effective.
3.2 Website
Visual communication is equally (if not more) important than written communication on the
web. For an organisation’s website to be effective, visual and textual elements must work
together to deliver an effective message to the viewer/reader (Black, 2014).
XXX’s web design is highly functional and has a relatively efficient layout. The website is
visually appealing and follows a logical format that leads the eyes to the key information
effectively.

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The “XXX” page provides a basic outline of XXX’s services for potential clients. While the
foundations of strategic communication are evident, the information is too limited to deliver
the messages effectively.
A key example of this, is in the ‘Volunteer Recruitment and Placement’ section, which reads:
“Why recruit another way when you can recruit through us? Just tell us what you
need and we’ll direct volunteers to you,” (XXX, 2016).
In this case, the use of the rhetorical question provided a great opportunity for the specific
benefits of recruiting with XXX to be outlined. However, as this does not occur, the reader is
simply left with an unanswered question.
The page is also missing arguably crucial information, including:
• The $150 membership fee
• How to sign up
• Who to contact for more information/where additional information can be found
• Any kind of call to action
• A search bar, meaning that readers who wish to find additional information cannot
access it easily, and are forced to scroll through the entire website in search of it.
While the image of the board meeting on the page is of great quality, it is not relevant to the
content, and thus creates further confusion for the reader (Black, 2014).
3.3 Digital Marketing
Online, the only mention of XXX’s organisation side, is in the outline of services on the
“Community Organisations” web page. Unlike many of their competitors’ marketing
strategies, XXX do not interact with their clients, or publish any form of testimonials which
outline the benefits of becoming a member.
While confidentiality and working interpersonally with existing clients works in other
operational areas of XXX, the lack of public digital marketing limits XXX from attracting
new clients that weren’t aware of them previously.
The inadequate information in regards to XXX’s system of membership (specifically the
absence of a call to action), may lead new clients to skip over XXX and choose a competitor
who digitally markets and provides clear information about their membership system.
3.4 Events and Promotional Materials
On the organisation side of XXX, most of the promotional materials are related to advertising
the ‘BLANK’.

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The use of the event itself is a great communication tool which fulfils both of XXX’s
communication needs. It presents existing and potential clients with an additional benefit to
renew membership/sign up, and allows for interpersonal communication between XXX and
existing clients to take place, and thus, aid in the maintenance of positive relationships
(Mahoney, 2017).
The promotional poster for the most recent BLANK meeting also aids in the fulfilment of
communication need A, as it specifically states the benefits that attendance will provide the
client with.
However, the large amount of text is overwhelming for the reader, and thus, detracts from its
message (Black, 2014).
3.5 Effectiveness of Current Communication Strategies
Overall, XXX’s current communication activities and strategies do not fill the identified
communication needs.
XXX’s communication strategy has a seemingly exclusive focus on the volunteer side. While
this strategy is commendable, the lack of communication tactics targeted to community
organisations makes it difficult to ascertain who the target publics are, and what XXX’s goals
and objectives are.
While the use of interpersonal communication tactics has been effective in building a
clientele of over 200 organisations, the lack of public communication on the organisation side
may hinder XXX’s growth in the future, as there is not a clear or accessible message
(Mahoney, 2017).
Moving forward, it is crucial that XXX develops a foundational strategy for the organisation
side, which will support future development and provide structure that will equip XXX to
deal with issues should they arise.
4. Goals & Objectives
The following goals and objectives have been developed to aid in the development of a new
strategic communication plan for the organisation side of XXX.
4.1 Goals
1. To position XXX as the leading volunteer recruitment agency in New South Wales.

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2. To increase the long-term retention of not-for-profit clients, post volunteer
recruitment.
3. To expand the existing clientele.
4.2 Objectives
1. To increase the number of not-for-profit clients by 25%, by June 2019.
2. To increase the rate of not-for-profit client retention by 100%, by June 2019.
3. To increase the number of followers on XXX’s social media accounts by 50%, by
June 2019.
4. To develop a mailing list of 200 or more not-for-profit clients by December 2018.
5. Messages
In the context of strategic communication strategy, messages are used to guide each piece of
communication activity in practice (Mahoney, 2017).
The following messages will form an overarching structure that all forms of communication
should follow to ensure that the target publics (see Section 6) are presented with a cohesive
brand.
1. Recruiting volunteers through XXX is more effective than recruiting
volunteers independently.
2. Being a member of XXX provides benefits beyond the recruitment of
volunteers.
3. XXX is the most experienced and credible volunteer recruitment
agency in NSW.
6. Target Publics
Target publics “are the people who need to know the organisation’s messages to help it
achieve its goals and objectives” and can be separated into three different groups (Mahoney,
2017).
6.1 Primary
Primary target publics are those that are directly affected by XXX’s actions, and should be
regarded as the most important (Mahoney, 2017).
1. Existing not for profit clients: can be further segmented to health charities, support
groups, special interest organisations
2. Existing business partners
3. Large not for profit organisations in the Hunter region with no prior knowledge of
XXX
4. Large not for profit organisations in the Hunter region with prior knowledge of XXX

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6.2 Secondary
Secondary target publics are those that may be indirectly affected by XXX’s actions, and also
have the ability to influence the primary target publics (Mahoney, 2017).
1. Hunter media outlets: e.g. The Newcastle Herald, ABC’s Newcastle Branch, The
Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Star.
2. Targeted media outlets: e.g. The Voice of Volunteering
6.3 Tertiary
Tertiary target publics are those that are not affected by XXX’s actions, and have the ability
to influence both the primary and secondary target publics (Mahoney, 2017).
1. Fair Work Australia
2. NSW Government
7. Recommendations
7.1 Rebranding Membership System
Social exchange theory suggests that organisations make financial decisions by weighing up
the benefit that will be provided, with the cost; and in the majority of cases, they choose the
option that will provide them with the greatest benefit, for the lowest possible price
(Mahoney, 2017).
In accordance with social exchange theory, it is suggested that XXX’s low rate of client
retention may be caused by said clients no longer believing that the benefits XXX provides
outweigh the cost of membership renewal.
To overcome this issue, it is proposed that XXX introduces a three-tiered membership system
with three cost tiers and varying access to services.
Model example:
Tier 1 (lowest price):
• Ongoing volunteer recruitment
• Access to XXX client newsletter
• Access to XXX resources
• Annual ‘Feedback Loop’
Tier 2 (middle price):

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• Bi-annual ‘Feedback Loop’
• Access to BLANK meetings
Tier 3 (highest price):
• Quarterly ‘Feedback Loop’
• Access to BLANK meetings
• Access to Policy Support services
The introduction of the three-tiered packages will allow clients to ‘customise’ their
experience with XXX, and choose the options that provide them with the most value for a
price that they are willing to pay.
7.2 “Feedback Loop” System
In accordance with this, it is recommended that XXX offer their pre-existing feedback system
as an ongoing service, rather than a ‘one-off’ check after a volunteer has been recruited, to
add extra value.
The frequency at which the service occurs may then vary according to the tier of membership
that a particular organisation is part of (see 7.1).
The ongoing service will also provide XXX with an opportunity to communicate with their
clients one on one more frequently, and in turn, develop stronger relationships and fulfil
communication need B.
7.3 Client Newsletter
To increase the value of membership and the frequency of communication between XXX and
their clients, it is recommended that a monthly client newsletter is implemented.
The newsletter should be brief, and cover XXX’s current efforts. Where relevant, news and
current affairs and social media ‘buzz’ surrounding volunteering and volunteer management
should be addressed and discussed.
7.4 Organisation Web Re-design
Diffusion theory outlines a five-step process that an individual or organisation will undertake
while deciding whether or not they will purchase a product or service, including:
4. “Awareness (they know about the idea)
5. Interest (they are aroused by the idea)
6. Evaluation (they decide whether the idea is useful to them personally)
7. Trial (they try the idea out on friends or family)
8. Adoption (they accept the idea and take it up or act on it).” (Mahoney,
2017).

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In accordance with this, it is proposed that XXX redesign their Organisation web page, and
include the following elements:
• A page listing the logos and hyperlinking to XXX’s high profile clients (NOTE: this
will provide mutual benefit for XXX and the clients and provide an additional benefit
for membership renewal).
• A list of ‘benefits’ which outline the reasons that recruiting through XXX is more
efficient and effective than recruiting independently.
• A 2-3 minute testimonial video containing 3-4 of XXX’s high profile clients speaking
about the benefits that XXX has provided them with (NOTE: if necessary, an
incentive for this participation may be offering a lower membership fee).
• A page which clearly outlines the three-tiered membership system, and clear
instructions for signing up.
The inclusion of the above information will provide an engaging way for organisations to
undertake the process outlined in diffusion theory, and ensure that all of the information
needed to complete the process is easily accessible.
7.5 Social Media Management Tools
Presently, XXX’s communication with community organisations is in line with Grunig and
Hunt’s (1984) two-way symmetrical model of communication, due to most of the
communication being of an interpersonal nature (Mahoney, 2017). While this model is
widely regarded as the most effective, in the case of HVC, it may contribute to an imbalance
of power and a lack of public engagement (Mahoney, 2017).
To increase engagement and regain power, it is recommended that XXX begins engaging
with clients/client content on all social media channels, and implements a simple social
media management and scheduling tool such as ‘Hootsuite’, to schedule social media posts.
Subject matter for the posts may include:
• Promotion of the new membership system/web design
• Promotion of BLANK meetings
• Reposting client social media posts (e.g. promotion of a client fundraising event)
It is also recommended that XXX creates an organisation LinkedIn account to promote their
services and interact with volunteer managers. There are countless ‘Volunteer Management’
groups, which also present XXX with a simple, cost effective way of promoting their
services.
7.6 Media Relations

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Although Grunig’s two-way symmetrical model of communication is seen as the most
effective, it is also widely noted that in practice, it can be just as effective to use all four
models, depending on the individual tactic (Mahoney, 2017).
In order to gain credibility and aid in the achievement of Goal 1, it is recommended that
XXX implement simple media monitoring techniques, and develop positive relationships
with local and targeted media outlets (Mahoney, 2017).
Setting up a google alert with keywords such as “Volunteering”, “Recruitment”, “X”, and
“XXX”, is a simple and completely free way of finding news and current affairs relevant to
XXX. Should a matter arise that XXX would be able to provide commentary on (e.g.
Amendments to the Fair Work Ombudsman regarding volunteering), XXX should issue a
media release and submit it to local media outlets such as The Newcastle Herald, or targeted
media outlets such as The Voice for Volunteering.
8. Implementation
8.1 Budget
The following budget breaks down the cost of the recommendations with costs associated.
Item Cost Breakdown Cost Total Cost
Web Redesign Additional Pages added- $285 (approximately $95
per page)
Redesign- $3000
(Start Digital, 2017)
$3,285
Testimonial
Video
Professional production of video- $3,000
Revenue loss from client participation incentive-
approx. $225
(Frederiksen, 2017)
$3,225 $6,510
8.2 Checklist
Task Steps Start Date Completion Date
Media
Monitoring
Google Alert Setup - 10/6/18
Weekly Google Alert Check - -
Media Release - -
Web redesign Create outline for new web pages 20/6/18 25/6/18
Obtain quotes from web designers 25/6/18 30/6/18
Completion of redesign 1/7/18 30/8/18

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Launch 1/9/18
Testimonial
video
Source client participants and obtain
written consent
10/7/18 20/7/18
Obtain quotes from media production
houses
20/7/18 30/7/18
Production - 30/8/18
Launch - 1/9/18
Client Newsletter First Newsletter to be written and sent to
existing clients (including an explanation
of the new membership system)
- 1/9/18
Monthly Newsletter First day of each
month
Social Media Set up LinkedIn account - 10/6/18
Set up Hootsuite account - 10/6/18
Twitter Posts Minimum of once
daily
Facebook Posts Minimum of once
every 2 days
LinkedIn Posts Minimum of once
per week
9. Evaluation
The evaluation of a strategic communication plan is crucial, as it ensures that the strategy is
both effective, and equipped to continue serving an organisation (Mahoney, 2017).
After the 12 month period is concluded, XXX should calculate whether each of the objectives
have been met (See section 4.1). As of the objectives are based on numbers, they can be
evaluated using simple and free quantitative methods:
1. Calculate the number of clients and comparing this number to June, 2018.
2. Calculate the rate of client retention and compare this to the rate at June, 2018.
3. Add the number of followers on XXX’s social media accounts, and calculate
the percentage of increase.
4. Calculate the number of clients on the newsletter mailing list.

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10. References
Black, C. (2014). Visual communications. The PR professional’s handbook: powerful,
practical communications: 217-231.
Clow, K. E., & Baack, D. (2016). Integrated advertising, promotion, and marketing
communications. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
DeMers, J. (2015, September 20). The Top 10 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing.
Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/11/the-top-10-
benefits-of-social-media-marketing/2/#7e002c3a743f
Frederiksen, L. (2017). What is the Cost of Video Production for the Web? Retrieved from
https://hingemarketing.com/blog/story/
Justice Centre for Hong Kong. (2018). Home. Retrieved from
http://www.justicecentre.org.hk/
Keyhole. (2018). Search. Retrieved from http://keyhole.co/
Mahoney, J. (2017). Strategic Communication: Campaign Planning (Second ed.). South
Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Start Digital. (2017). How much does a website cost in 2017? Retrieved from
https://startdigital.com.au/how-much-website-cost-2017/
The Centre for Volunteering. (2018). Home. Retrieved from
https://www.volunteering.com.au/

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