Why Every Organization Needs a Communications Plan

Whether you're leading a nonprofit, managing a growing PR agency, or launching a new initiative within a large organization, a communications plan isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. In fact, it's one of the most valuable tools you can use to ensure your message is clear, your audience is engaged, and your goals are achieved.

At Erwincs, we build strategic communications plans that deliver measurable results—plans that integrate seamlessly into larger corporate strategies, align with KPIs, and provide a clear path to ROI. Here's how and why that matters.

The Purpose of a Communications Plan

A communications plan gives structure to your messaging. It answers key questions like:

Who are we trying to reach?
What do we need them to know, feel, or do?
When and how will we communicate?
How will we know if it worked?

Without a plan, communication efforts become reactive, inconsistent, and often ineffective. A clear plan ensures you’re not just broadcasting messages—you’re building relationships, shifting behaviors, and achieving real outcomes.

The Value: More Than Just Words

A well-crafted communications plan isn’t just a bundle of tactics—it’s a strategic framework that supports your broader organizational goals. When done right, it:

Aligns internal teams around a unified message
Clarifies roles, responsibilities, and channels
Creates consistency across campaigns and platforms
Measures success with real data and defined KPIs
Demonstrates ROI to leadership, stakeholders, or funders

At the executive level, this kind of clarity is non-negotiable. Strategic communication must integrate with business planning, financial targets, and stakeholder engagement strategies. That’s where the RPIE model comes in.

The Structure: RPIE — Research, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation

We build every communications plan using the RPIE model, a trusted framework endorsed by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Here's how it works:

Research- We begin by understanding the landscape—audiences, challenges, opportunities, and perceptions. Research can include surveys, stakeholder interviews, audits, and environmental scanning.
Planning- Next, we set clear, measurable objectives that align with your broader organizational goals. We identify target audiences, core messages, and preferred channels. This is your roadmap.
Implementation- This is where strategy becomes action. We outline specific tactics, assign responsibilities, set timelines, and launch the campaign or initiative.
Evaluation- Finally, we define and track metrics that matter. Whether you're looking at media impressions, stakeholder sentiment, social engagement, or donations—success should be measurable, reportable, and repeatable.

Integration with Business Strategy and ROI

The strongest communications plans are part of larger strategic business frameworks. That means they don’t live in a vacuum—they support goals like:

Increasing revenue/fundraising
Improving stakeholder trust
Reducing risk
Supporting legislative or policy changes
Advancing equity and community impact

And because the plan includes clear KPIs and built-in evaluation, it's easier to show the return on investment (ROI) to senior leaders, board members, or external partners.

Need a Plan?

At Erwincs, we specialize in creating custom communications plans in just one week. Each plan is designed with your goals in mind, grounded in research, and tailored to drive action.

Need to raise awareness, launch a program, engage stakeholders, or unify your message?

Let's talk!

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