Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries WELCOME Kristi Remkus, M.P.H. Health Education & Information Associate Health Assistance Partnership Join the HAP Community - Making Your Pitch: Communications Planning for Busy Leaders

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 2 What Well Accomplish Learn what you and your SHIP colleagues have tried… What you want to say… –Branding –Messaging How you want to spread your message… –Creation of a Communications Plan 1.Goal 2.Target Audiences 3.Key Messages 4.Tactics

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 3 Getting to Know You…

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 4 Importance of Branding Customers must recognize that you stand for something. Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 5 Branding What is branding? -- Unique Look and Feel -- Associate your service as a solution to their needs -- Consistency of materials and messages Why is it important? -- Product Recognition among target audience -- Builds Trust -- Creates Cohesion between local SHIP programs

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 6 Liberty Strength Freedom Immigration The United States of America

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 7 Breast Cancer Awareness Name that Logo…

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 8 Melts in your mouth, not in your hand. M&Ms Name that Tagline…

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 9 What Does this Say to You? Local Help for People with Medicare

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 10 What Else Do You Want it To Say? Free Counseling MedicareCompassionate In Your Community Extra Help Earned Personalized Complete

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 11 Little Tweaks – Big Changes Helping Medicare beneficiaries access the care they earned. * Free * Objective * Local * Personalized * Compassionate

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 12 Sampling of SHIP Brands South Dakota

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 13 Creating Key Messages Decide on tone -- educate, promote, or advocate Collect words that resonate with your audience Create messages that are: –Concise: avoid jargon and acronyms –Active: make every sentence active –Positive: talk about what one can do, not what you can't –Short: memorable statement that takes seconds –Specific: address a particular challenge and audience Source: Dr. Judith M. Newman, Key Messages

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 14 Key Message Framework Problem Impact Solution

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 15 Practice Key Messages: Increasing Awareness of SHIP Program Problem –Medicare is becoming increasingly complex. Impact –Beneficiaries must navigate more choices and are often alone in weighing the potential risks and benefits of an increasing number of coverage options. Solution –SHIPs, a network of local programs created by Congress to assist Medicare beneficiaries, are available to help beneficiaries weigh their Medicare coverage options.

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 16 Key Messages: Recruiting SHIP Volunteers Problem –SHIP, a network of local programs created by Congress to assist Medicare beneficiaries, rely heavily on volunteers to help beneficiaries weigh their Medicare coverage options. Impact –When SHIP volunteers are scarce, SHIPs are not able to serve and reach out to as many beneficiaries as have need. Solution –You can serve your community as a SHIP volunteer. There are lots of volunteer roles available, call us and we will find one that is right for you.

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 17 Be Prepared to Be on Message What outcome, ideally, do you want from this communication? What is the audiences Call-to-Action? What do you want to emphasize? –(Hint: Key Messages) What do you not want to say? Planning is Key!

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 18 Being on Message Written Materials Lead with the Hook Write in an Inverted Pyramid Highlight Results Use Design Features to Emphasize Key Details Make Clear the Call-to- Action Verbal Presentations Prepare an Elevator Speech Build on the Talking Points Create exercises to Engage and Inspire as you Teach Use Stories to Illustrate Complex Ideas Use Questions to Bridge

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 19 Practice Being On Message: Good Rep., Bad Rep. Talking Points Results Stories Examples Bridging Call-to-Action Scenario: A local newspaper reporter calls you for background information about a story because she googled Medicare Advantage and your SHIP program came up.

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 20 How do you get them to listen? Hook them using this formula created by Bill Stoller: Situation, Surprise, Support Highlight the 5 Ws –Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How Tell a Story –Emphasize your key audience your key message –Think about your story visually

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 21 Communications Planning Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. Warren Buffett, American Businessman and Philanthropist

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 22 Why Create a Communications Plan? To clarify your goals and objectives. To elevate promotional activities as a key part of your programs strategic success. To enable creativity and camaraderie among your team. To develop a consistent message. To identify a variety of communications activities. To agree on the activities you will engage in, so you are not continuously pulled in different directions. Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Communications Toolkit

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 23 Components of a Communications Plan Create a SMART goal –Specific –Measureable –Attainable –Realistic –Time-bound Determine your target audiences Draft key messages Establish a defined scope of tactics

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 24 Sample: Strategic Communications Plan Communications Goal: Target Audiences: * Key Messages: Problem: Impact: Solution: Tactics:

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 25 Practice Creating a Plan Communications Goal: By May 2009, recruit one volunteer for each of the 4 regions who can act as the volunteer coordinator. Target Audiences: * Human Services professionals * Retired managers (e.g. auto workers, nurses, corporate, teachers) Key Messages: Problem: Due to limited funding, SHIPs rely heavily on volunteers. Impact: When there arent enough volunteers, we are limited in our ability to reach out and serve Medicare beneficiaries. Solution: We need you to volunteer for SHIP. Tactics: * Ask to give a short presentation at a professional networking event * Ask your board for referrals * Place an ad on craigslist in your community

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 26 Create a Unique Plan What SMART goal can you achieve through communications activities? What audiences might you target to reach that goal? What tactics could you use to reach those audiences?

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 27 Thank You! Please do not hesitate contact me: Kristi at Join the HAP Community -

Helping SHIPs Help Medicare Beneficiaries 28 Sources Bill Stoller, The Publicity Insider Business Week, Make Your Brand Pop Dr. Judith M. Newman, Key Messages W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Communications Toolkit ageID=0