Executive Summary
RIRDC’s communications activities have
grown considerably since 1996-97 and further expenditure is occurring in
individual program budgets. The publishing activities of the Corporation
in particular have grown rapidly to over 130 research reports planned for
1999-2000.
To review this growth and the effectiveness
of the current expenditure, RIRDC commissioned Agknowledge to conduct
a Communications Audit in January 1998. The Audit identified that RIRDC’s
communication for accountability and input were performed to a high standard,
but communication of research outcomes could be improved by better strategic
planning, performance monitoring and evaluation. It recommended the development
of a Communications Strategy to establish a strategic plan for communicating
research outcomes and to build a framework for the expanded communications
program.
This publication is a condensed version
of that Communications Strategy, which aims to enhance the Corporation’s
communication and information transfer capabilities. It sets out a strategic
direction and a range of innovations that aim to maximise the impact and
return on RIRDC’s communications expenditure. The Strategy is a practical
tool to build more efficient and effective communications into a core activity
of RIRDC and an integral part of the culture of the Corporation. A concise
overview is shown on pages 6-7.
RIRDC staff and the Board were involved
in developing the strategy which can be implemented effectively, fine-tuned
and updated on an ongoing basis. Monitoring and evaluation will be critical
to the ongoing development of RIRDC’s communications.
The Corporation has three main communication
objectives:
-
To communicate research outcomes and
where applicable market their adoption by industry.
-
To improve relationships with key industry
audiences.
-
To facilitate the Corporation’s high
standards of accountability.
Five strategies were developed to meet
these objectives:
-
Build a long term value for the RIRDC
brand.
-
Service existing communication clients.
-
Develop new communication clients.
-
Communicate a higher quality and quantity
of information to clients.
-
Monitor performance for evaluation and
planning.
A RIRDC Communications Workshop with
all staff was used to identify the outlook and image required for RIRDC’s
corporate profile. Amongst primary producers RIRDC would like to be viewed
as stimulating industry development and growth. Amongst researchers, the
Corporation wants to be seen as lean and innovative, and a flexible client
manager, adding value to projects. Amongst the community, the ideal profile
is of an organisation developing new and advancing existing rural industries
and producing leading world-best research.
The Corporation’s corporate and secondary
messages were then developed to help build this corporate profile. Our
main message is that the Corporation ". . . is a leading-edge, innovative
and dynamic research manager investing industry and public funds to advance
Australian rural industries."
RIRDC communicates with seven major
target audience groups and its communication resources have been allocated
across these groups to guide its activity. In order of resource priority,
these audiences are: industry (40% of resources), research partners (20%),
media (15%), investors (10%), technical advisors (10%), community (3%),
and internal RIRDC staff (2%).
The last step in the communication
cycle is monitoring and evaluating our activities to add greater accountability
to our investment in communications and to ensure our actions are meeting
our objectives. RIRDC will be placing greater emphasis on initiatives such
as stakeholder surveys, media monitoring, benefit cost analysis, newsletter
surveys, internet usage, publication feedback forms, and Cross Country
television.
The last chapter of this publication
summarises the set of actions being put in place to implement our Communications
Strategy. For full details of these actions see Chapter 8.
Aim
The Rural Industries Research and
Development Corporation’s (RIRDC) Communications Strategy is an evolving
tool to raise RIRDC’s corporate profile, clearly brand RIRDC research,
improve information flows to industry, and stimulate coordinated and effective
communications to benefit Australia’s rural industries and the wider community.
The overview of RIRDC’s Communications
Plan on pages 6-7 provides an outline of what RIRDC wants to achieve with
a range of target audiences and will be the focus for all communications
activities.
Communication is central to RIRDC’s
operations at three levels:
The Corporation performs the first
two communication functions to a high standard and is now focusing efforts
on achieving a higher adoption of research outcomes by industry.
RIRDC’s Communication Strategy brings
a new discipline to planning communication activities and introduces a
market driven approach to developing communication products. The aim of
this new approach is to maximise the investment in communications through
a more planned, strategic and outcome-focused effort.
Executive
Summary
Context
In January 1998 RIRDC commissioned Agknowledge
to conduct a Communications Audit to review the growth in the Corporation’s
communications program and to evaluate current communications activities
and expenditure. The eight key recommendations of the audit embraced by
RIRDC were:
Agknowledge have examined the effectiveness
of RIRDC’s communication activities. Our assessment reflects the extent
to which we consider communication and information systems are helping
the Corporation achieve its stated objectives of:
-
enhancing innovation in rural and related sectors;
-
fostering the development of new industries; and
-
addressing strategic issues facing the rural sector.
There are three main thrusts of communication
by the Corporation:
-
Communication for input,
-
Communication for accountability,
-
Communication for adoption.
Agknowledge considers RIRDC has an unbalanced
focus on its communication priorities. Communication aimed at facilitating
the uptake of research outcomes should be the number one priority of the
Corporation. Our communication audit reveals this is the weakest element
of the Corporation’s performance and yet the most vital in terms of delivering
real benefits to rural industries and the people of Australia.
The single biggest problem facing RIRDC is the lack
of planning of communication activities both within individual program
areas and at a corporate level across the Corporation. As a result, staff
are output rather than outcome-focused. At the corporate
level there is a poor understanding of target audiences – who are they,
where are they, how are they organised and what is the most effective way
of reaching them to effect change.
Exacerbating this problem is the absence of performance
monitoring and evaluation. Establishing performance indicators and targets
and linking these to individual program objectives would provide a tangible
means of tracking performance and progress over time. Staff are familiar
with RIRDC’s objectives and believe they are serving the needs of their
audiences, but how do they know if they are?
-
To dThe develop a practical Communication Strategymust
be the topmost for RIRDC. This needs to be working,to which identifyes
target audiences, sets clear goals and coordinate resources and responsibility
across pPrograms to raise RIRDC’s profile and improve uptake of research
results.
formulation of this
-
To expand our communications skills with the research
community to the rural community and other audiences.
-
To develop a distinct RIRDC ‘style’ for communication
and marketing to provide a framework for achieving better consistency and
quality.
-
To take a firmer role to enforce RIRDC branding on funded
research.
-
To improve planning and coordination of communication
and marketing activities with Research Managers.
-
To employ an in-house media management and journalism
resource to develop a more active and planned approach to media management.
-
To make greater use of external industry networks for
communication and marketing activities, particularly in marketing the RIRDC
newsletters.
-
To improve the management of RIRDC’s information management
databases to more efficiently target our communications and marketing activities.
-
The news value of RIRDC research is not being used to
best advantage. No other Research and Development Corporation covers the
breadth of industries and issues like RIRDC. The Corporation has the capacity
to lead the way to reach metropolitan audiences. Improving the use of photographs
and graphics would also enhance reader appeal of publications and media
articles.
-
The Corporation appears to be grappling with the issue
of RIRDC ‘branding’ in partnership projects. Researchers are also reluctant
to deliver on the extension of their results to producers and other potential
users. In both instances, RIRDC must take a much firmer stance to enforce
delivery. This should form an integral part of project management within
the Corporation.
-
Internal communication mechanisms require attention.
This would assist some of the planning and coordination difficulties currently
experienced. This issue could be addressed in the development of the Corporation’s
Communication Strategy.
Objectives
RIRDC has three corporate communication
objectives that apply across all areas of the Corporation’s programs and
operations:
1. To communicate research outcomes
and where applicable market their adoption by industry.
2. To improve relationships with
key industry audiences.
3. To facilitate the Corporation’s
high standards of accountability.
The strategic objective of this
Communications Strategy is to apply an active marketing approach to delivering
information to target audiences in order to provide measurable benefits
from RIRDC’s investment in research.
This Communications Strategy will
evolve further with a strategic Marketing Plan in place that allows all
players to participate at either an independent or partnered level, with
a common goal. This Plan is the key to raising RIRDC’s corporate profile
and branding a superior information product.
Strategies
and Tactics
To achieve the three corporate communication
objectives RIRDC will employ five broad strategies and a flexible, developing
range of tactics when planning and implementing its communication activities.
-
Build a long term value for the RIRDC
brand
-
Actively direct and influence the corporate
profile and perceptions.
-
Build awareness and knowledge of RIRDC
and its activities.
-
Demonstrate value to stakeholders and
return on investment.
-
Seize opportunities to promote ownership
of products.
-
Add value to products.
-
Be committed to quality, credibility
and service.
-
Service existing communication ‘clients’
-
Resource communications appropriately
to maximise opportunities.
-
Strategically plan to improve efficiencies.
-
Build on existing investment in relationships
and products.
-
Share successful initiatives into other
areas of the business.
-
Develop and share information systems
to build management skill and delivery.
-
Develop a collaborative approach to project
development, management and marketing.
-
Develop new communication ‘clients’
-
Strategically plan to expand the product
mix and mediums employed.
-
Employ the latest technology and systems
to deliver communications products.
-
Broaden the distribution of communication
products.
-
Encourage initiative and innovation to
develop the market.
-
Work collaboratively to build productive
partnerships.
-
Communicate a higher quality and quantity
of information to clients
-
Develop and enforce a quality standard
and style for all communication products.
-
Strategically plan and deliver quality
communication, rather than quantity.
-
Employ efficient production processes.
-
Forge closer and more personal working
relationships.
-
Monitor performance for evaluation
and planning
-
Develop monitoring processes to measure
effectiveness of communication.
-
Determine future needs of all target
audience groups.
-
Establish relevant performance targets
to drive activity and progress.
-
Regularly review results to adjust priorities,
develop new initiatives.
Messages
RIRDC would like to establish a clearer
corporate image and stronger brand for all information and communication
products generated by the Corporation. To achieve this aim a more strategic
and coordinated approach is being employed in communications. These efforts
will be supported by a range of positive branding messages and reinforced
consistently through all RIRDC communications.
Corporate message:
|
The Rural Industries Research
and Development Corporation is a leading-edge, innovative and dynamic research
manager investing industry and public funds to advance Australian rural
industries.
|
Secondary messages:
-
Market focussed and responsive to industry
needs.
|
-
Delivering tangible results to producers.
|
-
Industries investing to advance agriculture.
|
-
The nation benefits from RIRDC-funded innovation
(national prosperity).
|
-
Pro-active and visionary approach to industry
development.
|
-
A proven funds manager, objective and responsible.
|
-
Working cooperatively and collaboratively
in private and public research.
|
-
World-best research and development.
|
-
Environmentally aware and working to achieve
sustainability.
|
-
Working with community, industry and government.
|
Corporate
Profile
A RIRDC Communications Workshop with
all staff was used to identify the outlook and image required for RIRDC’s
corporate profile, by responding to the questions: How would RIRDC like
to be viewed?
| Primary
producers |
Researchers |
Community |
| Stimulating
industry development and growth
A clearly defined role/identity
Sensitive to client needs
Energetic and responsive
|
Lean and innovative
Accessible and responsive
A first-choice funding source
A flexible client manager, adding
value to projects
|
Developing
new and advancing existing rural industries
Valuable contributor to nation
Efficiently managing public funds
Leading world-best research
|
Audiences
RIRDC communicates to the seven major
target audience groups listed below. The total communication resources
allocated between the seven groups is identified as a percentage in the
far left column, and the effort distributed across the sectors of each
target audience group. This provides guidance on the relative allocation
of communication resources. The priority given to these groups can be monitored,
reviewed and adjusted as required.
Target
% Effort Audience
sectors
| Industry |
40% |
-
Farmers, growers, owners/trainers,
levy payers: segmented by industry, region and adoption rates
-
Producer organisations: industry, state,
national
-
Future industry entrants and investors
-
Input suppliers, marketers, buyers, merchants
and exporters
-
Processors, manufacturers, environmental
food partnerships
|
| Technical
advisors |
10% |
-
Agency staff, private consultants, rural
merchant advisors
-
Producer groups, cooperatives
-
Agricultural colleges, universities and
education providers, occupational health and safety trainers
|
| Investors |
10% |
-
Levy payers and industry organisations
-
Parliament, Ministers and policy makers
-
Government departments: Agriculture,
Fisheries & Forestry; Environment; Finance; Treasury; Transport and
Regional Development; Industry Science and Tourism; Australian National
Audit Office; Prime Minister and Cabinet
-
Taxpayers
-
Financial services
|
| Research
partners |
20% |
-
Researchers and technical specialists
-
Public research institutions and agencies
-
Corporate sector: research divisions
and individuals
-
Other industry research and development
organisations
-
University graduates
-
International research community
|
| Media |
15% |
-
Print media: rural, regional and metropolitan
-
Electronic media: rural, regional and
metropolitan
-
New media: Internet
-
Agency and corporate publications, including
R&Ds
-
Trade, industry and specialist publications
|
| Community |
3% |
-
Consumers
-
Special interest groups, including rural
groups like Landcare
-
Schools
-
Local and State government planners
|
| Internal |
2% |
-
RIRDC Board members
-
Advisory committee members
-
Staff members, contractors and suppliers
|
Mediums
A flow chart of RIRDC’s external
communication mediums.
Public
Relations
RIRDC has identified that
a greater effort needs to be invested in promoting the RIRDC 'brand' and
corporate profile. Public relations activities will play an important role
in achieving this aim.
A new level of planning is being introduced
to public relations efforts to ensure maximum return on a more organised
and coordinated effort across the five public relations mediums:
-
Strategic planning
-
Corporate imaging
-
Relationship management
-
Corporate publishing
-
Events management
Our objective is to project a quality
image for RIRDC and add value to our products and activities through communication,
promotion and active marketing across all areas of the business. This activity
is crucial to building the corporate profile of RIRDC.
STRATEGIC
PLANNING
Objective
To provide strategic advice on the
direction and elements of the Corporation’s communications activities and
program.
Actions
RIRDC will undertake strategic planning,
monitoring and evaluation of communication efforts, including pro-active
communications research to identify emerging issues and trends.
Priorities are the identification
of new communications opportunities and directions, the development of
appropriate strategies within the overall strategy, including the provision
of high-level advice to the Managing Director and Board.
We will co-ordinate public imaging
through the formation of speeches and advertising within the planning and
include training, professional development and involvement in relevant
professional associations and activities.
CORPORATE IMAGE
Objective
To build a clearly recognisable corporate
brand and image for RIRDC through high quality, consistent presentation.
Mediums
RIRDC has a difficult task in establishing
a clear identity for the organisation because of the diverse range of activities
and industries we represent. We will use six main mediums to build our
corporate brand and image: our logo, signage and display materials, advertising,
telephone management, corporate stationery and printed publications.
Actions
Implementation of communications activities
to allow target audiences to associate the Corporation with their industry
or sphere of interest, and encourage them to develop a sense of ownership
of the RIRDC logo and move it from a generic image to one associated with
tangible research outcomes.
Opportunities will be maximised to
profile the Corporation at public forums, conferences, clubs and groups
with a consistent range of RIRDC display materials. We will also investigate
the use of videos as a useful and direct promotion tool for introducing
RIRDC at such events.
Style, layout and presentation of
our research, job and product advertisements will be developed to brand
the Corporation.
Central to this is the production
of a corporate brochure to more actively market the Corporation and reinforce
the key messages identified in this Communications Strategy. We will also
ensure consistency and logo branding across all our publication covers.
We will ensure that every telephone
call is treated with the same commitment to public relations and consequently
builds on branding RIRDC as courteous, efficient and accessible.
The image projected through our corporate
stationery will be consistent with our aims for building our corporate
profile as stationery is often the most direct and personal contact clients
have with the organisation.
RELATIONSHIP
MANAGEMENT
Objective
To build sound and profitable relationships
with key industry contacts to strengthen RIRDC’s corporate profile and
funding base.
Relationships
Improving relationships with key industry
players is one of RIRDC’s three corporate communication objectives. The
key relationships for RIRDC include:
-
Accountability relationships: Parliament,
Ministers, Ministerial advisors, DPIE, National Farmers Federation, industry
leaders/representatives, and industry/producers/levy payers.
-
Research outcome relationships: Primary
producers/levy payers, Marketers/processors/wholesalers/retailers, Exporters,
Consultants, Advisors, and Extension officers.
-
Research partner relationships: Researchers,
R&D organisations, State agencies and research facilities, and Rural
industry groups and organisations.
Actions
We will develop, update and wisely
use our contact lists and databases as part of an overall action as they
are an important tool in building and maintaining our relationships.
Relationships will be built on a strategic
basis with key industry contacts in the political and broader agriculture
arena to help strengthen RIRDC’s position and promote the key corporate
message. We will utilise opportunities for personal representation and
attendance at public events, meetings, hosting international industry and
research authorities including speaking opportunities by a range of spokesperson’s
to raise RIRDC’s profile.
CORPORATE PUBLISHING
Objective
To present a professional and high
quality image through RIRDC’s corporate publications and reporting functions.
Products
We currently publish the following
corporate products:
-
Annual Report
-
Annual Operational Plan
-
Program Prospectus
-
Five-year Strategic Plan
-
Research-in-Progress Reports for program
areas
-
Five-year R&D Plan for most program
areas
-
Corporate Newsletter
-
Publications Catalogue
-
Publication promotional flyers
-
Program area posters
Given the increasingly wide range
of materials RIRDC publishes for accountability and corporate promotion
purposes, we now need to develop guidelines for our corporate publishing
activity.
Action
We will develop management guidelines
for corporate publishing to control costs and maintain quality and consistency.
These guidelines will cover preparation of a work plan prior to commencement
of work, establishment of a preferred supplier system, quality control
procedures, and stock control and distribution.
EVENTS MANAGEMENT
Objective
To present a professional corporate
profile at all public events and maximise the opportunity to improve information
exchange and promote RIRDC outcomes.
Public events need to be planned and
managed by the Communications Team to maximise the opportunity to raise
the organisation’s profile and reinforce key messages about RIRDC’s research
outcomes. We need to widen the public relations and media opportunities
generated by public events such as product launches, field days and conference
attendances. These events are also an opportunity to gather important feedback
from the relevant audiences.
Actions
A timetable, strategy and action plan
for major events will be developed in advance to maximise the opportunities
to raise the profile and deliver key messages.
Consistency for RIRDC’s corporate
image will be ensured while investigating the potential for widening the
audience and the messages at each event. Involvement of key researchers
and appropriate presentation aids are included in the action plan to create
exposure and interest.
We will monitor and evaluate each
event to deliver an identifiable result and aid in budgeting and planning
for the following year.
Project
Communications Management
The RIRDC Communications Audit identified
a need to adjust the tasks of the Research Managers to achieve a greater
focus on actively marketing research outcomes. The Communications Strategy
places responsibility for communicating outcomes on the Research Managers
to encourage ownership and tighter management of the communications process.
The four areas of communications responsibility
for Research Managers are:
-
Project Briefing
-
Communications planning
-
Research report
-
Project promotion
PROJECT BRIEFING
Objective
To maximise the researcher’s ability
to deliver a quality communications outcome from each project by establishing
clear guidelines and performance indicators for communications.
Action
We will encourage greater collaboration
with research partners to deliver clear, concise outcomes that can be more
easily communicated to industry. This will include the setting of clearer
guidelines on the style and standard of final reports and the insistence
of RIRDC branding whilst the project is in progress.
Meeting communications requirements
will be a condition of funding as this will help market the research to
industry in collaboration with partners.
COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING
Objective
To involve the Research Manager, research
partner, industry and RIRDC’s Communications Team in planning during the
project to deliver a communications outcome from research projects.
Action
The communication process will be
committed to at the start of a project by having researchers identify the
audience and communications resources and activities of their research
organisation or agency and linking with RIRDC in communicating results.
RIRDC will introduce a milestone report
prior to the end of a project that will act as a communications planning
template to be completed by the researcher so sources can be budgeted for
the final outcome of the project.
RESEARCH REPORTS
Objective
To produce accurate, credible research
results to a high presentation standard in a timely manner.
Defining Publishing Mediums
We have built our publishing function
on the final research reports from projects. This presents difficulties
from a communications perspective as the research reports are written for
scientific purposes. To improve industry adoption of research outcomes
we will be thinking more carefully on how we present research outcomes
to industry, and what is the most appropriate medium for communicating
the project outcomes to key audiences.
Action
We will subject our published research
outcomes to a product development process as part of developing an overall
Marketing Strategy.
Greater responsibility will fall on
researchers to produce a final report that is closer to a publishable product
as part of their project.
PROJECT PROMOTION
Objective
To achieve wide industry exposure
for the progress and final outcomes of RIRDC funded research projects to
facilitate industry adoption.
Action
Research Managers will take greater
responsibility for communications and marketing research outcomes and will
allocate a percentage of their time to these functions.
Research Managers will include communication/marketing
costs within their budgets and revenue generated from product sales (where
appropriate) will be returned to program areas.
Media Management
News coverage of RIRDC material across
a range of publications and mediums can deliver high return for our communications
investment since it can be a low cost avenue for generating exposure to
lift the corporate profile. It also presents the best opportunity to reach
a broad sweep of current and potential clients across all the target audience
sectors.
Four areas will be developed to improve
RIRDC’s media management:
-
Campaign planning
-
Mediums and target audiences
-
Delivery
-
Monitoring
We would like to improve our media
performance by raising the news value of material distributed, the quality
of paid editorial and the effectiveness of advertisements, to build the
corporate profile of the organisation and deliver research outcomes directly
back to industry and the broader community.
CAMPAIGN
PLANNING
Objective
Plan media coverage to deliver timely,
newsworthy, well-presented RIRDC information to a range of mediums and
form productive working relationships with journalists to promote regular
coverage.
Action
We will follow a series of steps in
managing our communications efforts through the media so that a well-planned
strategy is worked into all public communications. The Communications Team
will work with staff and researchers through RIRDC’s media management plan.
MEDIUMS
Available Mediums
| Medium |
Examples |
How
they can be used |
| Print |
Rural
weekly papers |
-
Timely, targeted hard news stories
-
Feature articles
-
Regular specialist industry columns
-
Annual features eg. New Industries
-
Case studies of research at work
-
Researcher profiles
-
Corporate update stories
-
Funding announcements
-
Calls for research submissions
|
| |
Regional
papers |
-
Timely, targeted hard news stories
-
‘Ready to run’ feature articles
|
| |
Daily
metropolitan papers |
-
Hard news stories
-
Features
-
Consumer features
-
Environment features
-
Rural Industry features
-
Colour magazine features
-
Photo
-
Science features
|
| |
Specialist
industry magazines |
-
Farming Ahead
-
Australian Farm Journal
-
Sustainable Farming
-
Australian Landcare
|
| |
Industry
newsletters |
-
RIRDC published newsletters
-
Industry published newsletters
-
RIRDC fact files – snippets of research
-
Targeted industry research stories
-
RIRDC update news stories
|
| |
Consumer
magazines |
-
Gourmet Traveller, Good Food
-
Choice
-
Vogue Entertaining
|
| |
Scientific
journals |
-
Australian Geographic
-
Professional, technical journals
|
| Radio |
ABC |
-
News – National, state, regional
-
Features – Radio National science show
-
Rural – Regional rural reports
-
State Country Hours
-
National rural program
|
| |
Commercial |
-
2UE rural program
-
News
-
Regional farming programs
-
General interest shows
|
| Television |
ABC |
-
Landline
-
News
-
7.30 Report
-
Quantum
-
Cooking/food/lifestyle programs
|
| |
Commercial |
-
Cross Country
-
Regional news
-
The Great Outdoors
-
Cooking/food/lifestyle programs
|
| Electronic |
Internet |
|
| |
|
-
Other R&D sites
-
Science sites
-
Educational sites
-
State agency sites
|
| |
Information
networks/databases |
-
Agri Infonet
-
FarmLine
-
Library information networks
-
State agency library networks
-
Educational institute reference Libraries
|
| |
CD
Roms |
QDPI
Prime Notes |
| Networks |
Rural
Press Associations – most States |
Speaking
opportunities
Sponsorship
Distribution |
DELIVERY
Objective
To deliver high quality media releases
and stories that are technically accurate and journalistically correct,
supported by graphics, photographs, contacts and well-briefed spokespersons.
Actions
We will expand and formalise our delivery
of information to industry via the media through the adoption of a style
for all releases and better relationships with targeted media. This will
include:
-
Investigation of innovative delivery
systems, such as posting scanned photographs and graphics on a widely promoted
news access page of the RIRDC web site.
-
Actively marketing news releases to journalists
after distribution to sell the story and offer other leads and photo opportunities.
-
Investigate developing regular coverage
in the rural press weeklies.
-
Develop a program of media skills development
to widen the range of RIRDC spokespersons.
MONITORING
Objective
To monitor RIRDC’s media efforts to
build future opportunities and contacts, form stronger working relationships
and improve delivery of media products.
Action
The media database has been segmented
and updated so it can be used more effectively and capture activity information.
Broadcast faxing has been improved
with the use of a cost-effective service provider.
We have improved our media monitoring
to include a broader brief and broader range of publications. Monthly evaluation
of the monitoring and distribution to plan will be done, enabling marketing
to specific media.
We will develop and maintain a key
spokesperson list to give to relevant media in anticipation for when they
are looking for comment on particular issues.
Publishing
The Corporation’s publishing program
currently produces approximately 130 publications per year. The staff and
other resources committed to publishing are delivering an average of three
completed products per week for the entire year.
With the recent expansion of our publishing
program, we have reached the stage where we need to develop a more comprehensive
and formalised strategy for managing this area of our business. By doing
so, we will position ourselves to gain maximum benefit from our publishing
activities and make more efficient use of the resources currently employed
by publishing.
PUBLISHING
MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Objective
To develop a publishing management
strategy to assist the flow of our publishing activities.
Using the same approach and production
process across the board ensures consistent quality and control, which
is particularly important when more than one publication is in production
at the same time.
1. Concept
2. Planning
Target audience
Timeframes
Budget
Resources
3. Production
Content
Design
Typesetting
Proofng
Printing
4. Delivery
Action
We will develop a comprehensive publishing
management strategy which includes procedures and guidelines that cover:
1. Design of a publications production
system
2. Control sheets
3. Production schedules
4. Print quote procedures
5. Guidelines for assessing quotes
6. Print job management
6. Desktop and design guide
7. Management of external writers
(briefs, quotes, quality control)
We will also investigate a system
of customised ‘just in time publishing’ – whereby reports would be published
on a demand-driven basis. This would involve pre-selling reports which
would assist cash flow and allow more accurate stock control.
ELECTRONIC
PUBLISHING
Objective
To refine and enhance the Internet
Home Page to make it more interactive and user-friendly.
We have identified a need to update
our website to better utilise the opportunity to interact with our
customers and target audiences. Different visitors have very different
objectives and information needs, and the design of the site should demonstrate
a sense of priority for the individual user.
Action
The site design will be updated to
demonstrate a sense of priority for the individual user. This will involve
taking the focus of the site away from the program structure within RIRDC.
We will improve distribution lists
and marketing purposes of publications by enabling users to add names to
distribution lists for newsletters or express an interest in a particular
industry.
Evaluation of the site will be conducted
to test its effectiveness, usability and overall appeal.
PRODUCT
MIX
Objective
TO move our production and promotion
efforts towards making more opportunistic decisions based on priority and
expected market outcome. Also, to put in place strategic, planned marketing
so we achieve maximum effect from a minimum investment.
RIRDC’s current communications
product mix:
1. Free Corporate Products
2. Annual Operational Plan Strategic
Plan
3. Program Prospectus Annual Report
4. Research Compendium Publication
Flyers (program based)
5. Publications Catalogue Program
Five Year R&D Plans
6. Free Newsletters
-
Tea Tree Industry Newsletter Equine Research
News
-
Agroforestry Newsletter Information Technology
-
RIRDC Corporate Newsletter Wildflower
Industry
-
Essential Oils Newsletter Focus on Research
Egg Program Newsletter
-
Asian Foods Newsletter Australian Organics
7. Free Internet access
-
RIRDC Web site (includes research reports)
-
Equine Program Web site
-
Asian Foods Web site
-
Research Reports
8. Final reports (‘window’ version)
9. Final reports (perfect bound)
10 Special reports (perfect bound)
11. Short reports (4-12 page free
summaries of final reports)
Action
We will initiate a number of activities
to strategically market our products and research. These activities will
include:
1. Finetuning the RIRDC Publications
catalogue to make it a sharp marketing tool to sell more product.
2. Approaching bookshops to set up
additional retail and distribution outlets for RIRDC products.
3. Organising inserts of RIRDC newsletters
and publication flyers into other industry publications to build lists
and widen distribution.
4. Cumulatively publishing and promoting
‘packages’ of related research to add value to the RIRDC published product.
5. Utilising opportunities for cross
promotion of related research in program areas.
Information
Management
We are focusing on bringing our myriad
of ‘information lists’ currently in use into a more useable tool since
active management of our client database is a key strategic asset and communications/marketing
tool.
By maintaining well-managed, current
and active databases we will be able to make more effective and efficient
use of program/project management, integrated marketing of communications,
direct and interactive marketing, electronic commerce, and stock control.
DATABASE
DEVELOPMENT
Objective
To more effectively use the contacts
in our existing databases and expand our lists to include more of our targe
groups.
The mailing list database has over
3000 organisation contacts, and some have multiple individual contacts
linked to them. The contacts mainly comprise industry organisations, research
bodies, advisory committees and industry leaders.
We are using an accounting package,
Accpac 2000, to manage the current accounting system. A stock control and
order module was installed in mid-1998 which will provide a valuable tool
to aid market development and integrate all planning activities to actual
results.
Action
Options will be investigated to more
efficiently link our various databases.
We will expand and improve the documentation
of the mailing list through better designed order forms to collect a wider
range of useful data. We will also better utilise symposium and other events
to enable a broader and more targeted reach.
A revised profiling of contacts and
analysis of customer feedback forms now forms part of an overall marketing
plan.
Customer information, now being recorded
through the new ordering module, can be used for targetted mailouts of
RIRDC product promotions.
DATA MANAGEMENT
Objective
To improve our data management.
Action
A staff member will be trained, supported
and responsible for data management to help control overall usage. The
data will be used for direct marketing and product promotion from the growing
list of publications and products.
The databases will become internal
and not held by mailing houses for security purposes.
Monitoring
and Evaluation
RIRDC has created a range of programs
designed to deliver effective development and improvement to agriculture
and the resulting benefits to industry and the community. The following
tactics will outline the measures necessary to monitor and evaluate the
results of those programs and provide a new focus to our operations.
Market
Research Survey
We will commission an annual market research survey,
which will provide a reliable measure of customer accessibility, expectations,
adoption and satisfaction with research outcomes provided by RIRDC. The
results will also help in determining stakeholder perceptions of the Corporation
as a provider of timely and relevant and valuable information, and current
patterns of access to RIRDC information. The survey will also help develop
strategies to meet the needs of the Corporation’s primary customers (farmers).
Media Monitoring
We will make a renewed effort to utilise
monitoring services to measure results. A revised tighter brief will be
negotiated. We will also investigate the content analysis services available
(on a quarterly or six month basis) to provide outside benchmark analysis
of coverage, placement, mediums, writers covering stories, quantity and
issues, for both print and electronic mediums.
Benefit
Cost Analysis
We will continue our investment into
Benefit Cost Analysis studies to provide a quantitative result for projects
where appropriate. Six projects which have delivered a tangible product
for information dissemination, and which have been in the market place
in excess of twelve months, will be randomly selected and subjected to
a benefit cost analysis. Part of the analysis will involve a selected study
of the clients and measure adoption levels, sources of relevant information
and anticipated economic and cultural benefits.
Newsletter
Surveys
RIRDC’s Programs are producing a
range of dedicated newsletters to provide relevant and timely information.
Once a year we will insert a printed one-page insert survey with the capacity
to ‘fax-back’ in one edition. The surveys would canvass issues of content,
future needs, readability, and awareness of completed work.
Internet
Usage
Monitoring the effectiveness of the
RIRDC website is an important facet of its future development. The monitoring
will cover all levels of potential target audiences. The current linkage
and investment in Farmwide should be in a position to provide advice and
facilities to implement this action, at a relatively low cost. We will
also closely monitor usage data from the site, including the areas most
visited, etc.
Advisory
Group Feedback
The Advisory Committees play an important
role in determining the direction and investment requirements. A simple
group study questionnaire will be used to improve both group and individual
performance. Sharing cumulative results across all groups will also lead
to more effective performance and contribution from the Committees.
Product
Feedback Forms
We currently use a ‘Your Comments’
questionnaire distributed with each book dispatched. The information is
an extremely valuable tool for immediate feedback, but we need to develop
a more formal system for recording and evaluating that information.
Technical
Advisers Survey
In the alternate year commencing
1999, we will conduct a study of the Technical Advisors who are actively
using RIRDC research results in extension activity and who source information
directly from RIRDC. The study will aim to map the current structures of
this second tier group and investigate their networks. It will also determine
the appropriate levels of information technicality, requirements and necessary
feedback to develop a more effective relationship.
Cross Country
Television
This television program is part of
the communications mix for RIRDC, and with each segment the producers offer
a fax back information service. We will be making more effective use of
this service along with successful integration of teaser spots within the
segment to maximise the feedback response.
Action
Plan
The following table summaries the actions RIRDC will take to implement
this Communications Strategy.
| AREA |
ACTIONS
– we will . . . |
| PUBLIC
RELATIONS |
|
| Strategic
Planning |
Undertake
strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation of communication |
| |
Identify new
communications opportunities and directions. |
| |
Co-ordinate
public imaging through speeches, advertisements. |
| Corporate
Image |
Encourage
target audiences to develop a sense of ownership of our logo. |
| |
Maximise opportunities
to profile RIRDC at public events and groups. |
| |
Develop a
style for our advertisements to brand the Corporation. |
| |
Ensure our
telephone calls brand us as courteous, efficient and accessible. |
| |
Ensure corporate
stationery image matches our corporate profile image. |
| |
Produce a
corporate brochure to actively market the Corporation. |
| Relationship
Management |
Develop, update
and efficiently use our contact lists and databases. |
| |
Focus on building
strategic relationships with key industry contacts. |
| |
Capitalise
on speaking opportunities to raise RIRDC’s profile. |
| Corporate
Publishing |
Develop management
guidelines for publishing to control costs and maintain quality and consistency. |
| Events Management |
Establish
timetable, strategy and action plan for major events in advance. |
| |
Ensure consistency
for RIRDC’s corporate image. |
| |
Monitor and
evaluate each event to aid in future planning. |
| PROJECT
COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT |
|
| Project Briefing |
Set clearer
guidelines on style and standard of final reports. |
| |
Place greater
emphasis on insisting on RIRDC branding during project. |
| Communications
Planning |
Ensure researchers
have a firm communications plan in place. |
| |
Introduce
milestone report to act as a communications planning template. |
| Research Reports |
Subject our
published research reports to a product development process. |
| |
Encourage
researchers to produce more publishable final reports. |
| Project Promotion |
Ensure RIRDC
research managers take greater responsibility for communications and marketing
research outcomes. |
| MEDIA |
|
| Campaign planning |
Develop a
media management set of procedures for all media work. |
| Delivery |
Expand and
formalise our delivery of information to media. |
| Monitoring |
Monthly evaluate
our monitoring and distribution to plan and market specific media. |
| |
Develop and
maintain a key spokesperson list for media. |
| PUBLISHING |
|
| Printing |
Develop a
comprehensive publishing management strategy. |
| |
Investigate
a system of customised ‘just-in-time publishing’. |
| Electronic |
Update the
design of our website to better interact with our audiences. |
| |
Enable users
to add names to distribution lists or specify interest areas. |
| |
Constantly
evaluate our site to test effectiveness, useability and appeal. |
| Product Mix |
Develop a
marketing plan to strategically market products and research. |
| INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT |
|
| Database Development |
Investigate
options to more efficiently link our various databases. |
| |
Expand and
improve the use of our mailing list database. |
| |
Use customer
information now available for targeted marketing. |
| Data Management |
Select one
staff member to be trained and responsible for overall data management. |
| MONITORING
& EVALUATION |
|
| Stakeholder
Survey |
Commission
a market survey of our key stakeholders’ perceptions of us. |
| Media Monitoring |
Review and
update our monitoring services. |
| BCA Studies |
Continue our
investment into BCA studies of RIRDC research projects. |
| Newsletter
Surveys |
Insert annual
reader surveys into each program & corporate newsletter. |
| Internet Usage |
Regularly
monitor usage data from our website. |
| Advisory Groups |
Conduct group
study questionnaires to obtain feedback on RIRDC. |
| Feedback Forms |
Develop a
system for analysing customer feedback forms. |
| Technical
Advisers |
Commission
a survey of technical adviser’s information networks. |
| Cross
Country TV |
Better
utilise the ancillary services offered by the show. |
Disclaimer Information
© 1999 Rural Industries Research
and Development Corporation.
All rights reserved.
ISBN 0 642 57875 3
ISSN 1440-6845
Communicating with Industry – RIRD’sC
Communications Plan
The views expressed and the conclusions
reached in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily
those of persons consulted. RIRDC shall not be responsible in any way whatsoever
to any person who relies in whole or in part on the contents of this report.
This publication is copyright. However,
RIRDC encourages wide dissemination of its research, providing the Corporation
is clearly acknowledged. For any other enquiries concerning reproduction,
contact the Publications Manager on phone 02 6272 3186.
RIRDC Communications Team
|
Eva Hickman
Publications Manager
RIRDC
Level 1, AMA House
42 Macquarie Street
BARTON ACT 2600
PO Box 4776
KINGSTON ACT 2604
Phone: 02 6272 318
Fax: 02 6272 5877
Email: evah@rirdc.gov.au
|
Tim Evans
Public Affairs manager
RIRDC
Level 1, AMA House
42 Macquarie Street
BARTON ACT 2600
PO Box 4776
KINGSTON ACT 2604
Phone: 02 6272 4735
Mobile: 0409 661 961
Fax: 02 6272 5877
Email: time@rirdc.gov.au
|
Last updated: 22 April 1999
Copyright © RIRDC
http://www.rirdc.gov.au/Comstrat.htm
