Strategic Communications

This KnowledgeBase archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

The Strategic Communications KnowledgeBase is an online resource to aid those leading or supporting communications in education in understanding the history, value, framework, planning, and execution of effective Strategic Communications to nurture and build strong relationships in education. Strategic Communications is essential to engage stakeholders and achieve goals at the state level. The elements, activities, and tasks in this KnowledgeBase are designed to better prepare communications professionals within state education agencies (SEAs) to plan for and respond to communication challenges and support implementation of education policy.

Task 2: Become familiar with the history of Strategic Communications and its relationship to public relations and marketing processes

Guideline: Strategic Communications has a history that is connected to public relations, marketing, advertising, media relations, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and general communication theory. In fact, Oxford Bibliographies refers to Strategic Communications as "an umbrella term to describe the activities of disciplines including public relations, management communication, and advertising" with the added component of "purposeful communication" (Oxford Bibliographies).

This history of Strategic Communication is based primarily in fields outside of public education and government agencies, yet it lends itself to the understanding of how to apply Strategic Communications within the SEA context. Furthermore, some of these individual disciplines have commonly used processes and models that lend significant background to the Strategic Communications process. For example, the R.A.C.E. 4-Step Model from the National School Public Relations Association describes a process of plan development that is instructive to the process of developing a Strategic Communications Plan, even though it may not include every attribute or principle of Strategic Communications described in Task 1.

Resources

GUIDELINES

4-Step Public Relations Planning Process (R.A.C.E.)

This National School Public Relations Association website offers a 4-step model for the R.A.C.E. process.

REFERENCES

Public Relations Through the Ages

This Museum of Public Relations website provides a description of public relations through the ages starting in 37000 BC to today.

The Evolution of Strategic Communication from the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander

Become familiar with this August 2008 report chronicling the History of Strategic Communication by learning the importance of leadership (Joint Force Maritime Component Commander) in setting the strategy for communication, which takes it above daily communication activities.

The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and are intended for general reference purposes only. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education or the Center, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Some resources on this site require Adobe Acrobat Reader. This website archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.