5-Step Communications Audit™
The Caracal 5-Step Communications Audit™ has helped a range of senior executives, including a former US cabinet official, a consumer brand CEO, a foreign policy pro, and a start-up founder.
Led by Caracal Founder Marc A. Ross, the Caracal 5-Step Communications Audit™ is ideal for properly analyzing your business goals and creating a foundation and process for ongoing communications success.
The Caracal 5-Step Communications Audit™ reviews your existing assets and tools, asks questions without solution bias, and presents tactics to move your communications forward.
Think of it as having access to your own private strategic communications director.
Want to move forward with a 5-Step Communications Audit™?
First, contact Marc Ross by email | marc@caracal.global or complete the contact form.
We arrange a time to speak briefly about your situation and whether this is a good fit for you. Assuming you want to move forward.
Second, we will find the next available dates and send you acceptance materials to work with both of our schedules. By email, you’ll receive an agreement (to sign and return), a list of materials to gather, a proposed program for the on-site portion, and an invoice.
Third, we’ll conduct the first two interview conversations.
We ask the client to describe their strategic vision and how they differentiate themselves from their competition. From there, we ask the client to identify their favorite communications projects, media campaigns, and marketing efforts - both internal and external.
This exercise allows us to hear directly from the client on how and why they see developing a proper communications effort is needed and the aspirational actions necessary to move forward.
After establishing the goals, we go through several exercises to ask clients to personify their communications or advocacy style.
Finally, after we present a path forward, Caracal is accessible during implementation.
We'll assist you via phone or email over up to three months or three significant phone calls, whichever is first. These calls are not like a coach might have with you as they are not regularly scheduled, and they are not designed to keep you accountable.
How the 5-Step Communications Audit™ works -
Step 1: Vision:
We ask the client to describe their strategic vision and how they differentiate themselves from their competition. From there, we ask the client to identify their favorite communications projects, media campaigns, and marketing efforts - both internal and external.
For example, we'll ask questions like, explain how you stage your communications now? How do you win in the marketplace? What makes you different? What is your strategy in ten words or less? What is your image? How do you compete in the market? What is your business model?
This exercise allows us to hear directly from the client on how and why they see the development of a proper communications effort is needed and the aspirational actions necessary to move forward.
Action step = Minimum 120-minute conversation and interview
Step 2: Personification
After establishing the goals, we go through several exercises to ask the client to personify their communications or advocacy.
For example, we'll ask questions like, if your communications were a famous actor, who would it be? And if your communications were a baseball team, who would it be? And if your communications were a city which city would it be? Where will you be active, what arenas? What vehicles will you use to move your communications forward?
These questions force the client to think about the personality and feel they want their communication or advocacy to convey.
Action step = Minimum 120-minute conversation and interview
Step 3: Outline Concepts
Caracal goes back to the office to sketch and develop an outline based on a collection of ideas, scraps, aha moments, concepts, theories, and possibilities captured over the first two conversations.
Action step = One week for Caracal to prepare rough ideas and concepts
Step 4: Score + Grade
Utilizing Caracal's proprietary 100 point scoring system, we audit the client's current state of communications by looking at the four pillars needed to be successful and impactful: social + digital, offline engagement, owned media, and buzz-worthy reputation.
Action step = One week for Caracal to conduct the audit
Step 5: Present a path forward
Using our proprietary E-STOCK Framework™*, Caracal presents our audit findings and identifies the most impactful ideas based on the aspirational vision and personality of the client's communications matched against the realities of the client's current tools, talent stack, staffing, commitment, and budget.
*E-STOCK Framework™ = Event, Strategy, Tactics, Organization, Consistency, and Know-how
Formalizing a 5-Step Communications Audit™ -
Location:
For the first session, we prefer an offsite location like a museum, but we can make your office or video telephony work and then remotely.
Duration:
Minimum three hours on-site to conduct the first two conversations plus two hours to present a path forward, with the total project lasting 21 days - could be more depending on the client.
Scheduling:
A Caracal 5-Step Communications Audit™ can usually be scheduled and locked in on the calendar within 2-8 weeks, depending on the time of the year.
Guidance:
Following the presentation of a path forward for up to three months, additional guidance is provided with three significant interactions.
Deliverables:
Caracal will provide audio recordings and printed transcripts from the first two sessions and a detailed path forward strategy plan with specific tactics that build upon each other and can be executed over 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months.
Cost:
From $8,750, with increased fees for additional executive interviews and complexity in the final plan.
Payment Terms and Schedule:
The fee and expenses, if known, are added together to determine a three-payment schedule at 1/3 each.
A first prepaid and non-refundable payment is made when confirming project engagement, the second payment is due approximately three days before the first session, and the third payment is due approximately three days before the final on-site and presentation of a path forward portion.