The following descriptions represent key steps in establishing a communications plan:

1. Situation Analysis

Before you proceed in any direction, it's important to know where you're at. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your organization? What does your organization offer new members or the community at large? What is the club's purpose? What do people currently think of your organization?

You could be making many assumptions about the status of your organization. Recent reports in trade journals indicate the graphic arts industry has some major image problems. Perhaps your local community including prospective graphic arts students, have some misconceptions about the industry and your organization.

Find out what the community thinks of your local litho club. Ask people outside your organization, formally or informally, what they know about the graphic arts industry and your club. A brief questionnaire will help you ask consistently organized questions and assure reliable responses. That will give you a new perspective in analyzing your situation and determining your future course of action.

2. Establish Objectives

Once you know where you're at, you can then determine where you want to go and how to get there. You may want your objectives to include broader, industry-wide goals such as, "Creating a positive image of the graphic arts industry to attract a greater number (you should establish a specific number) of top students (define what a "top student" is) to graphic arts careers."

When establishing objectives, remember they should be:

• Improvement oriented
• Clearly defined
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Tied to specific expectations

3. Identify Your Audience

First consider a broad audience to include those who affect your organization and those who are affected by your organization. You may cite groups like printing and publishing professionals, educators, students, government agencies, suppliers, clients and others.

The next step is to divide these larger groups into smaller, reachable target audiences and prioritize then so your communications effort is directed toward the most important among them. In this way you can direct your primary effort toward those groups on which you wish to have the greatest impact.

4. Shape Your Message

Once you've learned what your audiences think of your organization, you can then begin to mold your desired image. You can use communications opportunities to shape your image. If you want the public to see your organization as progressive, professional or community-minded, look for opportunities to display those qualities. Then be sure your target audiences are made aware of what you've accomplished.

Of course, it's important that you paint a true picture of your organization -- not a fabricated image. But unless the public is made aware of your progressiveness, professionalism and community-mindedness through your communications effort -- you may never achieve your desired image.

Keep in mind that all club events or activities may not receive news media coverage, but this does not mean that those events cannot be important public relations opportunities.

5. Tools for Reaching Your Audience

Local and trade news media can be important vehicles for reaching your target audiences. There are several important sources that can be used in developing a mailing list for your club. These include:

• Local publicity distribution services
• Media list services
• Bacon's Publicity Checker
• Standard Directory
• Laramie's Television Contacts
• Laramie's Radio Contacts
• Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook
• Editor and Publisher Yearbook
• Local libraries/Chambers of Commerce

Select a resource that best suits your needs, then develop and maintain a mailing list so you won't need to reinvent one with each publicity mailing. A mailing list should include the following:

• Name of publication/station
• Editor's/Reporter's name
• Address
• Phone Number