Whatever industry you’re in, understanding what drives key decision-makers in your sector is critical. Whether you’re in construction or healthcare, knowing the regulatory landscape and the future changes within your industry is essential to staying ahead.
It’s easy to avoid engaging in public affairs altogether, especially when faced with the complexities of elections, wars, or pandemics. Uncertainty can be overwhelming, and it’s tempting to focus solely on day-to-day operations. However, mastering a public affairs strategy can be a game changer for your PR campaign if done correctly. To help you get started, we’ve broken it down into five simple steps.
Set your objectives
No public affairs PR campaign can begin without setting clear objectives. The importance of this step cannot be overstated—without objectives, nothing else can happen. Your objective serves as the guiding light for the entire campaign.
Once the objective is set, it needs to be communicated both internally and externally. But how do you communicate your ambitions to government stakeholders, regulators, and community members in a way that resonates with their needs? Tone, language, and messaging may differ, but the golden thread of your objective should run through all communications.
Define the strategy
Once your objective is clear, the next step is to develop a public affairs strategy. Passion and enthusiasm are not enough—you need a well-crafted strategy that lays out how you’ll achieve your goals. Think of your objective as the “why” and your strategy as the “how.” Your strategy is the vehicle that will drive you toward your goal. It should be concise, clear, and aligned with your team’s efforts.
Map your stakeholders
One of the biggest challenges in public affairs is knowing who to engage with and when. Mapping your stakeholders is key to implementing your strategy effectively. Identify the people or organisations you need to communicate with and rank them in order of priority. Determine what you need from them and what they expect from you in return.
With an election on the horizon, many stakeholders are already in campaign mode. It’s crucial to consider this when developing your stakeholder map. Additionally, you’ll often be working within the stakeholders’ frameworks—understanding their motivations, language, and daily challenges will increase your chances of achieving your goals.
Tactical planning
Once your objective and strategy are in place, it’s time to plan the specific tactics that will help you achieve your goals. Tactics are the actions you’ll take to implement your strategy, and they could include:
- Events like conferences, seminars, and roundtables
- Thought leadership articles
- Podcasts, TV appearances, and other media opportunities
- Securing face-time with key stakeholders
Remember, tactics and strategy are not interchangeable. Tactics support the strategy; they are the means through which your strategy is realised.
Execute
You’ve done the planning, mapped your stakeholders, and built a fully integrated campaign. Now it’s time to execute with intent and discipline. No campaign can succeed without action—this is where your hard work pays off.
Ready to take your PR and public affairs strategy to the next level? Get in touch.