If your brand seems a bit flat, then you might consider developing a communications plan to bring it to life. If you haven’t tackled a communications plan before it may seem a bit daunting. But if you’re prepared to commit some time and effort and understand some of the fundamentals, you may find the process simpler than it appears.

A good communications plan follows a basic structure that PR professionals call the R.A.C.E. formula. It stands for Research, Analysis, Communicate and Evaluate. Before you put a plan together take the time to research your target audiences. Ask them what they are thinking, what their concerns are, their likes and dislikes. Find out what they need to know and how they prefer to get the information. Test key messages and use a mix of both qualitative and quantitative measures if you can.

Once you’ve completed your research, take some time to analyze the results. Be prepared to adjust your approach based on what you find out. An honest analysis is critical. If you get this step right you can move forward with a clear sense of what you are going to say, how you are going to say it, who you are saying it to, and how to deliver it. The research and analysis phase provides valuable insight and discovery that is used to formulate your strategic approach to the communications plan.

Strategy is the single most important element of a good communications plan. Without a strategy a communications plan is merely a series of unrelated events that will provide very little support for your brand. The tactical components of the plan must all connect in some way to the overall strategy. After nearly twenty years as a professional communicator I am still surprised at the number of companies that fail because they did not put in the time and effort to develop a strategic approach to brand fulfillment.

The communications part of the plan, the tactics, is where you can be creative. Simply put, the communications tactics are a series of events that provide you with an opportunity to deliver your brand to your target audiences. Whether it is a booth at a trade show, an online newsletter, an email drip campaign, or a banner at the county fair, you need to ensure consistent application of your brand. Key messages should reinforce your value proposition and if you correctly analyzed and applied the knowledge gained from the research and analysis phase, the messages will resonate with your target audiences.

Where possible, you should seek to create a two-way dialogue with your customers. Social Media like Twitter or Facebook can help you to engage in tw0-way conversation and provide you with endless opportunities to present your brand and find out what people think about your company and its goods or services.

Evaluating your communications efforts on a regular basis is a hallmark of a successful strategic communications plan. Take the time to build in methods to measure how your key messages are being received and whether or not they are being heard. Make adjustments as required and communicate again. This creates a dynamic interaction, a two-way conversation between the public and your brand. Communication provides the breath of life that makes a good brand great.