OUR CAPABILITIES: Communications Audits

The Communications Audit: Are You Communicating
(Cost-) Effectively?

The mantra of the modern world is “more with less.” Directors and senior leaders in every organization and company want more, and more effective, communication with key constituents. They want to increase the use of electronic communication technologies. They want performance metrics that provide evidence of impact. And they want to do all of this with fewer staff and smaller budgets.

For most organizations there are two key questions:

• Are we doing the right things to send the right messages to the constituents who matter most?
  
• How can we prove our communications are effective?

Our communications audit is a systematic look at the impact and effectiveness of a communications program. The process is scalable and can assess any communications initiative from a single publication to the full spectrum of the communications of an entire organization. The goal of every audit is to evaluate the reach and impact of current efforts, identifying successes as well as those projects and products that are not meeting expectations. Audits typically identify “legacy” publications that are no longer performing, enabling existing budgets to be redirected to more productive communications.

Whether the focus is a single publication or an organization, we employ a standard process to ensure that the right people are engaged and the right questions are answered.

Throughout the audit, we focus on several core questions that define the impact of an effective communications effort:

• Centrality: What are the core values and the defining points of view of the organization? How do these align with the concerns and interests of its constituents? How well does the organization’s communications effort focus on these central issues?
  
• Clarity: Is everyone on the same page? Do the staff, board, supporters, clients… all key constituents… share a common understanding of the organization’s mission, vision, and values?
  
• Consistency: Is the organization disciplined in its use of language and imagery? Are there clear guidelines and style manuals to protect the integrity of the organization’s communications?
  
• Creativity: Are the organization’s communications appealing? Do they surprise and intrigue the target audiences?
  
• Context: Does the organization provide a context in which constituents can place the organization and its messages?

By answering these questions, we help our clients get the greatest impact from precious communications resources.