Communications Strategies Save Lives
Communications strategies aren’t just for promoting a company or getting the word out about a new product. While many people may only think of communications strategies in a limited, highly commercialized context, communications strategies have the potential to do so much more than just sell more stuff. Mission-driven organizations, like government agencies and nonprofit organizations, can utilize communications strategies that have the potential to save lives.
Communications Strategies in the Pandemic
The life-saving power of an effective communication strategy is readily displayed in current events, as mission-driven organizations across the nation activate their networks to facilitate COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Information regarding current vaccine eligibility, vaccine registration processes, and instructions on when and where to receive the vaccines are broadcasted with the assistance of well-researched communications strategies. As we observe with the many state-level differences in vaccine distribution plan success, some organizations are better at communicating this information effectively than others.
In addition to being a key component in vaccine distribution logistics, communications strategies have played a major role in providing community education regarding vaccine safety and associated risk factors. Government agencies at all levels - local, state, and federal - are spending millions on marketing the COVID-19 vaccine to residents through a variety of channels - television, social media, printed materials, etc. This concerted effort to address community concerns regarding the vaccine is necessary to help quell the spread of coronavirus and improve public safety. Without strategic communications regarding the vaccine, undecided citizens may not participate in the early vaccine rollout - an opt-out that could have disastrous effects on the population as a whole.
Saving Lives with Communications Strategies
Communications strategies’ successful track record of saving lives isn’t limited to the most recent pandemic; instead, communications strategies have played a pivotal role in emergency response throughout history. Mission-driven organizations have deployed communications strategies to inform community members affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and even terrorist attacks of supportive resources available. Without an effective communication strategy, many citizens affected by these tragic events might be unaware of the help available to them.
Just because an agency or organization is offering assistance services to communities affected by natural disasters doesn’t mean everyone affected will automatically be aware of this support’s availability and eligibility. Another example of the tragic consequence of such a lapse in communication is the number of disabled veterans in the United States that remain unaware of their eligibility to receive healthcare services through the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). While VA medical clinics provide healthcare services to millions of veterans, many eligible veterans fail to connect with these services due to failures in communication between the agency and the population it was founded to serve. Developing and executing an effective communication strategy should be a top priority for any organization tasked with providing essential services and support to our communities.
3 Key Elements of an Effective Communications Strategy
An effective communication strategy for a mission-driven organization will include several key elements:
Customized: An effective communication strategy is customized to the present time, target audience, and the responsible organization. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to effective communications strategies. What worked in one location may not work in another location. An effective communications strategy will be customized to the organization responsible for saving lives.
Data-driven: Effective communications strategies are well-research and based on relevant data - not the communications team’s feelings. While feelings-based campaigns offering a cutesy jingle or memorable tagline may suffice when peddling non-essential products, such off-the-cuff creativity is insufficient when lives are on the lines. Quality market research is critical to ensure a mission-driven organization’s community outreach reaches the target audience.
Inclusive: An effective communications strategy is inclusive of all target audience members - not just those that make up the majority. In the National Institutes of Health report on veterans’ utilization of VA healthcare services, low-income and minority veteran populations were noted as being more likely to be unaware of their eligibility regarding VA medical care. These lapses in communications strategies may very well be reflective of biased, exclusive, or poorly prepared and executed communications initiatives.
Developing an Effective Communication Strategy
As recent events have demonstrated, strategic communications play a pivotal role in public health and safety. Mission-driven organizations that prioritize customized, data-driven, inclusive communications initiatives will improve their overall effectiveness and positively impact our communities. If your organization is in need of effective communications strategies or services, please contact Becker Digital to schedule a consultation. We would be happy to discuss your organization’s important mission and goals.