At Bulletin we understand a client’s objectives, targets and strategies by using OASIS.
We start every client relationship by understanding what makes their business distinctive and what it is trying to achieve. Asking these questions leads to greater clarity for the client and, in addition, provides an accurate starting point for the work we do next.
We have a well-established process for finding the answers to these questions and then managing the projects that arise from the answers. The acronym OASIS guides the process.
Objectives
What are the objectives of the business?
We understand the business objectives to ensure the client team are in alignment. Conflicting messages confuse customers and business partners. On the other hand, a set of clearly articulated objectives provides a robust idea of the goals the business wants to achieve.
Audiences
Who is the business targeting?
There are usually several audiences so different parts of the organisation focus on different groups. Consequently, defining and prioritising the audience segments helps to set priorities and influences the strategies used to target them.
Strategies
What strategies is the business using to achieve its objectives?
The commercial strategies help us to develop specific marketing, PR and social media strategies and therefore, tactics.
Implementation
With the fundamental thinking done, Bulletin works with the client on implementation.
Scoring
We agree with the client how to measure the success of the plans we have agreed. Marketing and PR activities are important in a commercial plan but their impact can be a ‘slow burn’. They are also difficult to measure in absolute terms. We use a ‘do more of what works and stop doing what doesn’t’ philosophy.
Here is how we ensure we understand a client’s objectives, targets and strategies by using OASIS
Let’s workshop this..
We explore the objectives, audiences and strategies (the OAS of OASIS) in a half-day, in-person, workshop. We invite a mix of departments, job roles, seniorities and a gender balance. Consequently, there is plenty of discussion and disagreement between different groups across the organisation . However, by the end of the workshop there is broad agreement. The report that Bulletin produces provides an excellent reference for other projects.
Here is a typical workshop structure.
We use a mix of individual and group work to explore audiences, objectives and strategies. Stimulus materials, sticky notes and flip charts help the event run smoothly. The approach is informal and all opinions are equally important. We might ask questions such as:
What do you want to be famous for?
What makes your business / fund / service unique?
Why do you need to be famous?
What are your commercial (or other) objectives?
Which audiences (e.g. client groups) are most important to ensure you achieve your objectives (for instance, future growth).
We ‘step into the clients’ shoes’ to check how well existing materials or processes work. For instance, we may explore how easy it is to find information on the website. Or the readability of a white paper or blog post.
The outcome
The workshop results in a reference document that summarises the output and conclusions. It also provides a ‘source of truth’ for subsequent work.
Also, the Bulletin team has worked collaboratively with key staff from the client and got to know them. Often, workshops provide ideas for thought leadership articles. Sometimes a PR story emerges.
Importantly, the client team get to know each other better while discussing and challenging ideas in a non-threatening environment.
An OASIS workshop works well as the first stage of a bigger project such as a rebrand or website redesign. It acts as a way of ensuring that everyone attending understands the project aims (and is ‘on-board’). Participants are likely to be ambassadors for the change within the wider organisation.
At Bulletin we understand a client’s objectives, targets and strategies with OASIS. This provides fertile ground for high-quality fruit (in the shape of our work for the client).
At Bulletin we have extensive experience in helping clients articulate their business proposition in clear, concise language.
Contact Chris Bridges to find out how we can help you.
