Secret Services and Community Celebrations

A Still from Naata / The Bond 2003

How do we move from a state of secrecy to publicity, openness and celebration?

The aim of this blog is simply to outline how you can achieve your aims by asking (and answering) a set of questions about your identity now, and thinking about where you want to get to. Building better communications may initially encounter resistance within a group or an organisation. So it’s a good idea to start with some basic questions such as

Where are we now?
Is our group or service a well-guarded secret?
How do we promote our services?
Why do we want people to be more aware of what we do?
What is unique about what we do?

Here are some questions to consider  …

Does your community group, charity, or service

  • communicate a clear ‘emotional charge’ or a unique identity?
  • maintain its relevance over time by evolving in response to changing perceptions?
  • make people want to get involved?
  • get demanded by service users because it represents excellent value?
  • win, build, and retain loyalty?
  • have a unique, recognisable, and memorable ‘personality’ or visual image?
  • win endorsements from funders, donors, or celebrities?
  • have a dominant position, or a driving force, and example to others?
  • improve the ‘health’ of the sector ?
  • receive trsuted media attention and/or free publicity on a frequent basis (daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly) ?
These questions may allow you to start discussions between a variety of stakeholders. It’s useful to find evidence for your ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. Is there a story, or a pattern emerging?

Why not use a video camera to document responses, or video screenings, to provoke further discussion?

Comments

  1. Dr Ian McCormick17 January 2011 at 03:54

    Our new media team can provide free help and support http://www.icfilm.info/

    ReplyDelete

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