Communication

Summary

The group, comprised of communications professionals from various local businesses and organizations, meets once a month or as needed to collaborate on communications strategies to spread the word, promote Step Up and the work of its collaborative partners.

Communications goals

• Build community-wide awareness of Poverty Reduction Initiative among businesses, individuals living in poverty (ILIP), faith-based organizations, educational institutions and others.
• Promote participation/engagement in Initiative by businesses, ILIP, faith-based organizations, educational institutions and others.

Strategy

Use volunteer resources, business donations and barter to develop an integrated communications campaign - involving Public Relations, On and Off-line Advertising - that builds awareness of the Initiative.

Metrics

Establish baseline unaided awareness metrics (like web site visits and page views, # of participants in specific programs, etc.). Set quarterly and yearly goals and track progress.

Tactics

• Develop basic brand architecture
  • Establish a brand framework that includes key messages of brand. - DONE
  • Build visual identity (logo) to represent brand. - DONE
  • Build logo guidelines. - DONE
  • Build tagline (optional). - DONE
• Develop basic PR tools
  • PR boiler plate - UNDERWAY
  • PR lists - DONE
  • PR guidelines about communications (who talks to whom, when, how, etc.)
  • Schedule of planned announcements, events, etc.
• Develop Metrics to identify awareness and participation goals
• Develop basic communication materials
  • Web site - DONE
  • Collateral for specific programs
  • PSAs - DONE
  • Sponsorship relationships with area businesses (logo placement, etc.)
• Develop PR events
  • Kick-off event (to become annual report event)
  • Grass-roots events
• Develop Speakers Bureau

• Talking points from brand framework
• Contacts

champions

Betsy Yates
St. Joseph’s Candler Hospital
(912) 819-8139
yatesb@sjchs.org

Brynn Grant
Savannah Economic Development Authority
(912) 447-8450
bgrant@seda.org

team members and organizations

Bret Bell (City of Savannah), Virgina Brown (Habitat for Humanity), Lisa Clark (United Way of the Coastal Empire), Chris Comas (St. Joseph’s/Candler), Elizabeth Cone (Savannah State), Ginger Heidel (Department of Human Resources), Stacy Jennings (Savannah Morning News), Pete Nichols (Chatham County), and Letty Shearer (Armstrong Atlantic State University).