Vicky Ames, senior communications strategy and planning manager and Katie Miall, senior digital engagement manager, Alzheimer's Society Visit the CharityComms website to view slides from past events, see what events we have coming up and to check out what else we do: www.charitycomms.org.uk

1. Herding cats
- campaign
planning at
Alzheimer’s
Society
Vicky Ames &
Katie Miall
September 2018
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2. COMMUNICATIONS
PLANNING GROUP
(CPG)
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3. Five key
challenges
1.The ‘grapevine’
2.Retro-fitting activities
3.Processes and tools
4.Vague objectives and
audiences
5.Prioritisation

4. GETTING
STARTED
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5. Questions • What should the group’s
remit be?
• Who needed to be part of
it?
• What ideas and gripes did
people have?
• What tools were missing?

6. Research
and testing
• Test run new processes
with early adopters
• Learn* from other
organisations
• Feedback surveys
*nick ideas

7. Buy-in
and
engagement
• Support from Directors
• Right mix of people in the
group
• Demonstrable benefits
• Provide lots of support

8. SECOND STEPS -
IMPLEMENTING
NEW TOOLS AND
PROCESSES
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9. Alzheimer’s Society
PROBLEMS

10. Basic
campaign
planning
gripes
Multiple
teams
Grapevine
Timings
Retrofitting
Process
and tools
Vague
objectives

11. Alzheimer’s Society
SOLUTIONS

12. 1. Bring
together
colleagues
into one
group
Multiple
teams
Grapevine
Retrofitting
Timings

13. 2. Establish
quarterly
planning
meetings
Multiple
teams
GrapevineTimings

14. 3. Introduce
a single
front door
Multiple
teams
Grapevine
Retrofitting
Processes
and tools

15. 4. Launch
new
briefing
system
Multiple
teams
Grapevine
Retrofitting
Processes
and tools
Vague
objectives

16. Early flag
Project description
What are the aims or objectives of
the project?
Do you know the target audience
for this project?
Do you have an idea of timings
yet?
Main channels you think you’ll use
What is the budget?

17. Project description
A one-sentence description of the project
Please tick the teams you require for this project (click on the box to tick)
What are the objectives of the project? What does success look like?
Please list what you want to achieve. Make sure any objectives listed are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and doable within an agreed
Time (SMART).
What are the overall KPIs for this project?
Your KPIs are the metric with which you can measure your objectives.
Who is your target audience for this project?
Think about demographics – age, gender, region, etc. Are they current supporters or the wider UK population? Also think about attitudes,
behaviour, and lifestyle.
Where will this project be delivered?
Please specify nations/regions and include any location-specific considerations which may affect delivery and impact.
What external communications do you think you need to achieve your aims?
We will work with you to identify the best external communications to reach your audiences, but it’s useful to know which activities you think might
be needed for this project.
Have you checked the comms calendar?
If your project involves external comms, have you checked to make sure there is no clash with any approved projects? Or could you co-ordinate
with existing projects?
What are the key milestonees for this project?
Please include dates and reasons for these timings.
ED&I
Please tell us how your project is equal, diverse and inclusive
Co-production
Please tell us about any co-production involved in the development of this project e.g. research with people living with dementia
Please include details of budget available
Detailed brief

18. Alzheimer’s Society
PROBLEMS

19. Strategic
planning
gripes –
looking at
the bigger
picture
No cross-
campaign
oversight
Activity
gaps and
clashes
Missed
cross-
selling
opportunit
ies
Confused
priorities

20. Alzheimer’s Society
SOLUTIONS

21. 1. Move
from
grapevine
to hub
No cross-
campaign
oversight
Activity
gaps and
clashes
Missed
cross-
selling
opportunit
ies
Confused
priorities

22. 2. Tiered
planning
calendar
No cross-
campaign
oversight
Activity
gaps and
clashes
Missed
cross-
selling
opportunit
ies
Confused
priorities

23. Date Project lead Team Project MAC priority
Overview
Activities Audience Outcomes/KPIs Comms teams Channels
Oct (tbc) Lisa Beck, Services Services
Side by Side vocational
volunteer recruitment
Support the role out of our
new strategy
Develop strategic communications and marketing
plans for our full service offer, based on pillar one of
our five-year organisational strategy, and the
transition from current to future service offer. This
includes Side by Side, with a focus on volunteer
recruitment, and the early adopter sites.
A strategic marketing plan that supports the delivery and
success of our organisational strategy
Raise profile of Side by Side service
Sufficient volunteer numbers to support roll-out of service
Limits rep risk issues in areas with changes to
services/closures
Awareness of new service among GPs and consumers in early
adopter sites
To test how marketing supports the service development, roll
out and process
Strategic use of high profile supporters and influential
ambassadors
18-24 year olds, men and women, students tbc
Marketing, Digital, AV, Media,
Celebrity, Stakeholder relations,
CSI, Internal comms
Media: National and regional,
stakeholder relations - NUS and
local relationships with Unis,
celebrity, leaflets?, social tbc
October (tbc)
Emma Bould, Kathryn
Dwyer
Programme
Parnerships
Launch of Dementia
Friendly Cinema guide
To engage cinemas and
encourage dementia friendly
screenings nationally to
support people with dementia
Launch of Dementia Friendly Cinema Guide,
working with UK cinema association and BFI FAN
Network
DF screenings in UK's major and independent cinemas.
Wider public aged 45 – 65 interested in supporting people
with dementia & Young people aged 15 – 25 interested in
media, arts and film who could host their own Dementia
Friendly Film Screenings &New supporters within the film
industry
To have the natyional cinema chains be dementia
friendly by the end of 2017.
Media, VPPA, DT, POD
01 October 2017 External Event
Older People's Day and National Grandparent's Day
October (2-
4/10/2017)
External event 27th Alzheimer Europe Conference
October Clare Walton / Rebecca
Checkley / Hannah
Wilson
Research UK DRI • Increase mass awareness
and understanding that we
fund research
• Increase awareness of the
UKDRI and what it will
achieve to convey a sense of
hope and excitement for
people affected by dementia
• Increase people’s propensity
to donate to our research
programme
Promoting our founding role in the UK Dementia
Research Institute (UK DRI)
May 2018 - Launch of the AS/ARUK Charity of the year with
Virgin Money for the UKDRI
Summer 2018 - Launch of the UKDRI care Director and
research stream
Financial year 18/19 - £1-2m fundraising target for UKDRI
April 2019 – London Marathon raising money for UKDRI
Audiences are tbc and will be reviewed in light of the
audience segmentation project results once they are in
Primary
• National audience as it’s a UK-wide project, includes
Scotland
• Warm audiences – existing supporters, volunteers and
fundraisers. Target younger people who engaged with our
brand campaign – people who have a grandparent with
dementia and might run, bake, walk for us (Fundraising have
data to show young people are motivated by research.
Audience tbc)
• Cold audiences – (need to confirm budget) Suggest
targeting young, male demographic who tend to be motivated
by research. Can we use research to warm this
demographic up to dementia as a cause (Fundraising have
data to show young people and men are motivated more by
research than care. Audience tbc)
• Internal – volunteers and staff so they can champion the
DRI
Secondary
• Major donors – Fundraising are leading on this audience so
we need to keep them up to date on activity
• Researchers – R&D team will focus on this
Research awareness measure – first need to
determine what baseline measure we will be using
UKDRI awareness measure – X% increase in traffic to
AS UKDRI webpage, X% increase in reach of social
posts about UKDRI, X% increase in media mentions of
AS as a UKDRI funder
Attitudes measure – increase in how optimistic people
are towards finding a cure within their lifetime from
baseline of 35% in July 2016.
Fundraising measure – to be decided with fundraising.
Do we want to garner specific donations to UKDRI or
see a general uplift in unrestricted donations?
Audio Visual (AV), Events,
Marketing, Media (National and
Regional) Vice-President Patrons
and Ambassadors, Celebrities,
Public Affairs, Stakeholder
relations
Some ideas from the M&C
brainstorm:
• Videos of celebs or PABD visiting
UKDRI centres and meeting
researchers
• Regional press to support launch
events at UKDRI centres
• Conference for public/PABD to
learn about research/UKDRI
• Research case studies on social
media – what I’m doing to find a
cure
MRC will lead on national news
media, but there could be scope for
feature led pieces
NB – national press release will not
be included, as this work is led by
MRC
October Daisy Robson Partnerships A Million Hands’ where we
are asking Scouts to
become Dementia Friends
then hold a dementia-
friendly event in their
community
To encourage 2000 Scouts to
become Dementia Friends
(14 000 by Sept 2018).
To support more Scouting
groups to take action in their
community on dementia
(2017/18 focus is on ‘hosting
a dementia-friendly event in
your community’).
Scouts Community Week Sept/October big push to increase number of Dementia Friends
during Community Week. As Youth Engagement team matches
Scout groups to Champions, will be linking in the Regional
Media team for coverage of DF sessions.
April – when we are asking Scouts to hold their dementia-
friendly event.
Scout group leaders and Scouts
Youth leaders, teachers and parents who may support Scout
(or other youth) groups or have a child who attends
Young people directly (to a lesser extent)
Youth organisations – local and national
To encourage 2000 Scouts to become Dementia
Friends (14 000 by Sept 2018).
To support more Scouting groups to take action in their
community on dementia (2017/18 focus is on ‘hosting a
dementia-friendly event in your community’).
To develop participants into longer term supporters
(fundraising or volunteering) of the Society.
Showcase our partnership with Scouts to other youth
organisations to encourage them to partner with
Alzheimer’s Society.
Audio Visual, Media, Stakeholder
relations, Celbrity, Digital content
Regional media coverage of good
stories
National media coverage to target
other youth organisations by
highlighting opportunity to partner
with Alzheimer’s Society to roll out
dementia awareness and social
action programmes
Social media content to build
dialogue with potential and current
supporters within Scouting
Celebrity support for DF events in
April
Ongoing until 2019 Clare Walton Research
Wellcome Trust hub
(launch, Singing for the
Brain evaluation sessions,
Dementia Friends bookcase
installation, public
engagement workshops for
researchers, art
competition)
Building a brand, supporting
our strategy
Wellcome Trust hub (launch, Singing for the Brain evaluation
sessions, Dementia Friends bookcase installation, public
engagement workshops for researchers, art competition)
Researchers in the field of dementia, existing and new
supporters, health professionals
To continue to position Alzheimer's Society as an expert
and trusted voice on dementia research (to attract
funding and researchers and to build trust with general
public)
To use the arts to inform and advise general public on
dementia
Media, AV, Digital content
Media: National (news, consumer,
trade)
Digital: social, tbc
Ongoing Michael Geraghty Publications House Style
100% awareness among
staff, all communications
written in house style
Our new house style (created to supplement the
tone of voice as part of the new brand) is ready to
circulate among staff and publicise.
Workshops in crutched friars AS Staff members and Volunteers
100% awareness among staff, all communications
written in house style
Internal comms only
Oct External event RCGP Annual conference 2017
31 Oct - 2 Nov
Alzheimer's Europe
Conference
November
(24/11/2017)
External event Carer's Rights Day
November
(28/11/2017)
Mary McColgan Dementia Friends External event • To make 1,500 Dementia
Friends through the face-to-
face and digital routes on
Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday 17 October – Finalise CSI brief
30 October – Finalise plans with teams involved
28 November – Giving Tuesday (all comms)
8 December – Campaign report
General public aged 40-65 with a current/past connection to
dementia
Alzheimer’s Society supporters who aren’t already Dementia
Friends
• To create more Dementia Friends who are taking
action in their communities to support people living with
dementia
• To encourage DF partner organisations to use the day
as a way to get more staff to sign up
• To thank Dementia Friends for being part of the
initiative
• To make 1,500 Dementia Friends through the face-to-
face and digital routes on Giving Tuesday
Vice-President Patrons and
Ambassadors, Celebrities,
Stakeholder Relations
Blog on 5 reasons to become a
Dementia Friend on Giving Tuesday
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
posts on AS & DF channels
Celebrity support via their twitter/FB
accounts on the day asking their
follower to become a DF
Email to Alzheimer’s Society
supporters and Dementia Friends
November
Emma Bould and Sara
Miles
Community
Engagement
Dementia Friendly Awards
(Dementia Friendly
Communities)
Join together all those who
want to secure change
The Awards celebrate and showcase the
achievements of individuals and organisations
across the UK who have led the way on creating
dementia-friendly communities and improving the
lives of everybody affected by dementia.
• National and regional press releases
• Social media posts across all available forums
• Awards nomination information on the Society website
• Filming of last year’s winners and this year’s winners for
promotion and to be shown on the day of the awards
• Direct mail to target audiences
• Inclusion in society newsletters
• Web banners and email signature
• Invites to VIP guests to attend the awards ceremony
target audience different for each category but includes
DFCs, DAAs, local authorities, health & Social care
providers, community groups and clubs, businesses,
schools and colleges, pwd and their carers, journalists
• Increase total number of nominations from 389 in 2016
by 20%
• Engage ‘new’ audiences for the new Fundraising
award and the new awards that were introduced in 2016
• Spread variety of entries more evenly/widely across all
categories, not just corps/organisations
• Increased engagement with professionals, policy
makers, employers, and researchers
• Increased number of attendees to the awards
ceremony to 250, including attracting more corporates,
VIPs
Audio Visual (AV), Events,
Marketing, Media (National and
Regional)
VPPA: Vice-President Patrons and
Ambassadors, Celebrities
Campaigns & Partnerships
teams: Public Affairs, Policy,
Stakeholder Relations
DT: Digital Marketing, Digital
Content
CSI: Customer Experience
POD communications: Internal
Communication and Engagement
Media: National (news tbc, trade),
Regional (news), print, broadcast
and online TBC
As part of the PMCG Task
and Finish work Utility
As part of the PMCG Task and Finish work Utility
providers are coming together to launch a guide
for utility companies to roll out in order to become Utility providers including gas, electric, phone, internet, and
For four out of the six big six energy providers to sign up
to the principles
For 10 of the 25 water utility companies to sign up to the
principles
Events, Marketing, Media (National
and Regional Stakeholder

24. Campaigns Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Tier 1
Brand campaign
Pillar one
Pillar two
Pillar three
Fundraising
Tier 2
Tier 3
External
External moments New Year's Day Valentine's Day
Mother's Day (26
March)
Forget-me-nots
flower
First day of spring
(20 march)
Parkinson's
Awareness Week
(10-16 April)
Forget-me-nots
flower
Dementia
Awareness Week
(14 May)
Scotland Dementia
Awareness Week
(29 May - 4 June)
Father's Day
Ramadan
Volunteer's Week (1-
7 June)
Carers Week (12-18
June)
Ramadan (26 May -
24 June)
Alzheimer's Show (9-
10 June)
World Friendship
Day (30 July)
Peak holiday time
World Alzheimer's
Day (21 Sep), World
Alzheimer's month
National Dementia
Carers Day (10 Sep)
Giving Tuesday (28
Nov)
Diwali
Christmas (25 Dec)
Competitors
Marie Curie's Great
Daffodil Appeal
Parkinson's
Awareness Week
(10-16 April)
ARUK activity
Christian Aid Week
14-19 May
ARUK activity
Race for Life Race for Life
Macmillan Coffee
Morning (29 Sept)
Race for Life
Macmillan Stay
Sober for October
CQC report on state
of care (2nd week of
Oct)
Age UK
CRUK
2018
Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3

25. 3. Weekly
meetings
and
opportunity
spotting
Activity gaps
and clashes
Missed cross-
selling
opportunities
Confused
priorities

26. 4. Authority
to influence
timings and
audiences
No cross-
campaign
oversight
Activity
gaps and
clashes
Missed
cross-
selling
opportunit
ies
Confused
priorities

27. 5. Remit to
develop
ideas
Activity gaps
and clashes
Missed cross-
selling
opportunities
Confused
priorities

28. WHAT WE’VE
LEARNT
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29. What to do • Get the right people involved from the start
• Listen, test and listen again
• Get director level buy-in
• Integrate comms planning into business
planning
• Be realistic about speed of culture change
• Set up shared drives
• Be useful
• Be prepared to put the time in
• Get admin support

30. What not to
do • Go in headstrong
• Over-complicate things
• Expect to race through
• Be afraid of criticism
• Expect everyone to ‘get it’
• Rely on people spreading the word

31. WHAT’S NEXT?
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32. Future
ambitions
• Self service hub on the intranet
• Dedicated comms project management
• Administrative support
• Better reactive processes
• Interactive high level comms calendar
• Launch monthly insights
• Run regular workshop programme

33. Thank you!
@vickyames
@katiemiall
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34. Not just a spreadsheet: making your
comms calendar an invaluable tool
20 September 2018
Creatives Group
London
#charitycreative

35. Visit the CharityComms website to view
slides from past events, see what events
we have coming up and to check out
what else we do:
www.charitycomms.org.uk