Communication planning
Encyclopedia
Communication planning is the art
and science
of reaching target audiences using marketing
communication channels such as advertising
, public relations
, experiences or direct mail
for example. It is concerned with deciding who to target, when, with what message and how.
The communication plan serves as a guide to the communication and sponsorship efforts throughout the duration of the project. It is a living and working document and is updated periodically as audience needs change. It explains how to convey the right message, from the right communicator, to the right audience, through the right channel, at the right time. It addresses the six basic elements of communications: communicator, message, communication channel, feedback mechanism, receiver/audience, and time frame.
A communication plan includes:
Many agencies, PR, advertising and media alike, claim to have this capability.
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
of reaching target audiences using marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
communication channels such as advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
, experiences or direct mail
Direct mail
Advertising mail, also known as direct mail, junk mail, or admail, is the delivery of advertising material to recipients of postal mail. The delivery of advertising mail forms a large and growing service for many postal services, and direct-mail marketing forms a significant portion of the direct...
for example. It is concerned with deciding who to target, when, with what message and how.
The communication plan serves as a guide to the communication and sponsorship efforts throughout the duration of the project. It is a living and working document and is updated periodically as audience needs change. It explains how to convey the right message, from the right communicator, to the right audience, through the right channel, at the right time. It addresses the six basic elements of communications: communicator, message, communication channel, feedback mechanism, receiver/audience, and time frame.
A communication plan includes:
- “Who” - the target audiences
- “What” – the key messages that are trying to be articulated
- “When” – timing, it will specify the appropriate time of delivery for each message
- “Why” – the desired outcomes
- “How” - the communication vehicle (how the message will be delivered)
- “By whom” - the sender (determining who will deliver the information and how he or she is chosen)
Many agencies, PR, advertising and media alike, claim to have this capability.
Further reading
Young, Antony (2010) "Brand Media Strategy: Integrated Communications Planning in the Digital Era", Palgrave MacMillan- Taylor, Jim (2005) Space Race: An inside view of the future of communications planning, John Wiley & Sons Ltd
- Ferguson, S.D. (1999) Communication Planning: An Integrated Approach, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.