Clients with baggage: what complex stakeholders mean for your next campaign

It’s PR 101, stakeholders have the power to make or break any communication campaign, no matter how ground breaking. You could have the most creative campaign idea with a six-figure budget attached and the most experienced team on the job, but without the support of your client’s core stakeholders, you’ll find yourself fighting a loosing battle.

In the past 10 years, Elevate has undertaken a long list of successful campaigns with clients who have had complex relationships with their stakeholders. Whether that be a corporate giant with invested franchisees in a range of locations both across Australia and internationally, or a not-for-profit community organisation with over 140 independent services across the state, we appreciate that heavily engaged internal stakeholders require extra TLC, thought and planning than your ordinary publics.

Here are a couple of tips to consider when working with brands with a complex list of invested stakeholders:

1. Understand your stakeholders in great detail 

Keeping in mind Grunig’s Situational Theory of Publics when identifying stakeholders, it’s important to recognise all publics before narrowing them by their attributes and level of involvement with an organisation. To communicate effectively with a stakeholder, an organisation must understand their motivators as much as possible. Where are their objectives? Are they active or passive, reactive or proactive? Do they pose a threat to your organisation’s end goal? Dig deeper with your research and profile your stakeholders by demographics, lifestyles, values, media preferences and self-interests. Identifying your stakeholders strengths and weaknesses and prioritising them by their level of engagement and/or apparent risk, is a vital step to the success of any campaign.

2. Make a comprehensive plan

Now you’ve got the background on your client’s stakeholders, it’s important to use this information to create a structured and well thought out communication campaign. The most effective strategies appeal to the self-interests of priority stakeholders and reach them through the most appropriate and effective channels. For example, if you’re communicating with older stakeholders who aren’t very technologically savvy, yet you’re trying to engage with them using the world’s greatest app, you’re not going to achieve your goal. Build a plan that moulds to your stakeholders, by developing a strategy that drives the big picture as well as ensuring the finer details are well taken care of.

3. Internal comms is key

Keeping your stakeholders ‘in the know’ at all times is key to any successful campaign. Maintaining consistent contact and providing up-to-date information to your active stakeholders is the easiest way to ensure your stakeholders are on the same page and are working to achieve your organisation’s overarching goals.

4. Keep consistent with your key messaging

Confusing your stakeholders can be extremely dangerous, which is why consistent messaging is so important. Your key messaging should include bite-sized summations that articulate the message you want to get across clearly and efficiently. More often than not, your stakeholders are your brand’s greatest ambassadors, so getting your internal communication and key messaging right can be the best way to help grow, advocate and promote your business. It’s not uncommon for your most active stakeholders to have the most contact with your brand, customers and clients, and therefore they form the collective ‘face’ of an organisation.

Elevate has extensive experience delivering effective communication for brands across a range of sectors and all their stakeholders. If you want to find out how Elevate can help to make your stakeholders be your best brand ambassadors, contact us today on 07 3180 3666 or info@elevatecom.com.au.