Before you do this exercise, you should use the information in this chapter to critically review the work you’ve done so far on your strategic plan project. Communication pathways provide the rationale for the tools you’ll use, and they reflect the goals and objectives you’ve set. Before you select pathways, then, you need to be sure that other elements of your strategy reflect the problem or issue they are designed to address. So:

■ ■ Is your goal a broad statement indicating what has to be done about the issue you identified?

■ ■ Do your objectives provide clear and measurable steps towards achieving that goal?

■ ■ Are the target publics appropriately identified and segmented?

■ ■ Have you written messages that reflect what you need to say about the issue or problem?
Now, using the information in this chapter, identify two communication pathways that will show how you will reach each of the target publics you have listed.
Assess your communication pathways by answering these questions:

■ ■ Do they reflect the methods by which each public normally accesses information? If they do not, why don’t they, and what pathways would be more appropriate?

■ ■ What potential does each communication pathway offer for reaching each target public? What extra information do you need to make this decision?

■ ■ Do the pathways you have selected for the secondary and tertiary publics in your plan match those for primary publics? Should they?
Why or why not?

■ ■ Can you deliver messages directly by these pathways? Why or why not?

■ ■ How much information can be delivered by the pathways you have chosen?

■ ■ Is there a different combination of pathways that would enhance your plan’s ability to reach publics? If so, what combination?

■ ■ Do the combinations of communication pathways you have chosen maximise the chances your plan will be successful?
Prepare a matrix like that set out in Table 9.2 (use a landscape page layout) to match your goals, objectives, target publics and communication pathways. The matrix includes one example of how you should compile it. Extend each table as needed. Save and keep this matrix: you’ll complete it in Chapter 10.

Table 9.2

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Goal: To generate increased enrolments at the university by school leavers Objective 1: To increase target publics' awareness of the university's range of degrees by 50 per cent within 12 months Communication pathways Target publics Controlled media Potential students School career advisers High school principals Parents Potential students School career advisers Parents School career advisers High school principals Education reporters Interactive media Uncontrolled media Objective 2: [Write the objective here.] Communication pathways Target publics Objective 3: [Write the objective here.] Communication pathways Target publics Communication tools Communication tools Communication tools