The Ten-Point Plan
A framework for PR communications campaign planning.
1. Background
• Conduct a situational analysis, SWOT analysis, research, and data collection.
(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats analysis)
• What is the situation at hand?
• What communications issues exist that impact on the aims/goals to be realised?
2. Problem/Opportunity
• What is the communication problem? Does this represent an opportunity for innovation?
3. Objectives
• Must be SMART and must explain what you are trying to achieve (not how).
(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-oriented, Time-bound objectives)
• Your SMART objectives link directly to your strategy, publics, and evaluation.
• Writing a successful SMART objective:
The identified change needed + percentage change (number) required + time needed to
achieve the identified change.
4. Target Publics, Audiences, and Stakeholders
• Which group of target publics are you trying to establish a relationship with?
• Who are the audiences of the key messages?
• Who are the key internal and external stakeholders?
5. Message
• In one or two sentences, explain the key message of your campaign.
• Express this key message as a campaign slogan (comprising no more than 10 words).
Page 1 of 2
6. Strategy
• Your strategy statement explains how you will achieve your objectives.
(You will provide more details in Steps 7 to 10 of the plan.)
• You can describe your main strategy and sub-strategies. Your strategy statement should
identify and describe the appropriate channels and tactics for your campaign.
• Your strategy statement can also include information on how you will create, deliver,
and/or govern the useful and usable content for your campaign (i.e., content strategy).
7. Channels and Tactics
• What communication channels will you use to communicate your key messages to your
target publics and audiences?
• Your choice must be appropriate to the target audiences. Is mass media appropriate or
will you need to use more targeted channels to reach your target publics and audiences?
• Will you use traditional media, online media, or interpersonal media, or all three?
• What innovations can you implement? What specific tactics will you use to implement
your strategy and communicate your key messages?
8. Timetable
• Outline the timeframes in which each step of the plan will be executed.
(You can use Microsoft Excel or Word document tables to create a Gantt chart.)
9. Budget
• How will you carve up your budget and stretch your campaign dollar?
(This includes how you will use sponsorship and in-kind support, if applicable).
• Your budget needs to be realistic.
10. Evaluation/Modification
Even though this is step 10 of the plan, evaluation is done at the beginning (research phase),
middle (modification phase) and end (evaluation phase) of the campaign.
• What methods will you use to help you frame your campaign, modify it to ensure you are
meeting your objectives, and evaluate the campaign for the future?
Page 2 of 2