4.3. SR 05-17-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. I CommUDicatloDS Strategy " Out of the Station DEVELOPING A PLAN. Shandwick would begin immediately to develop a public involvement and public information plan by meeting with you to detennine the areas of highest priority to you. We would work with you as partners to implement a plan that will give you the greatest results. RESEARCH. We will build on the research that has already been conducted to identify key opinion leaders along the corridor who can be advocates for your project. For example, we will identify businesses along the corridor, as well as businesses from St. Cloud and the Twin Cities who draw their employees from the corridor. By identifying key opinion leaders from the business community, we can meet with them to inform them about the project, seek their input and create enthusiastic third-party advocates. We will also review the research conducted by NCDA on other successful commuter rail projects in the country and identify areas where more information is needed. By studying other successful projects, we can draw on the best tactics to build advocates and inform the public. . KEY MESSAGING. Shandwick would help NCDA identify and refine talking points on the project for each key audience. We will help refine technical messages so engineers and technical staff can better communicate with the general public. These key messages would serve as the basis for any communication on the project. Consistent use of these messages will make NCDA communications more effective. MEDIA TRAINING. Key spokespeople need to be the voice of NCDA. We recommend an intensive training session on how to talk with the media to get your key messages across. Shandwick media trainers, all former journalists in the Twin Cities and elsewhere, would work with these representatives in a four-hour session to practice delivering your message and dealing with other issues related to media interviews. We can also work with technical staff on creating presentations that are easily understood by the public. CRISIS PLAN. Shandwick would write a plan on how NCDA should deal with potential crisis: controversy over funding at the state legislature, neighborhood resistance to station locations, concerns over noise or traffic. By anticipating these pitfalls, NCDA will be better prepared to deal with them and protect the project's reputation. ~ ". ~ l 3 Shand wick International 3.23.99