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Communication Facilitators need to be properly trained to deliver on their sensitive role. The recruitment
and training of facilitators should begin as soon as possible. The cost of training and development is
estimated at £40k (and £50k for stakeholder engagement workshops). This excludes the cost of releasing
staf from their normal duties.
Internal & External Newsletters
Newsletters will be a key a communication tool. We would need to determine regularity, tone/writing style,
regular features, distribution methods and recognise that this will evolve over time. The newsletter will
also need a distinctive title along with a dedicated Communications Oi cer and an editorial team. We can
create a segmented newsletter for the external audiences by adjusting the internal version. The publication
can be distributed internally and externally by email and / or print.
Website
Across all three college websites, there should be a Merger 'feature panel' on the home page which links to
a merger micro-site on a centrally located server / through the colleges intranet. This would ensure a single
point, time ei cient approach with consistency of message. The site could include all external newsletters,
latest news and press releases, a link to the New Campus Glasgow website, key people proi les. It's
important that activity on this micro-site be monitored through Google Analytics, so a 'proi le' would have
to be set up within this software.
All news articles should have the facility for social bookmarking and there should be an RSS feed running
of this micro-site to allow regular updates for interested parties.
Digital Marketing
ols of er fantastic opportunities to be creative and innovative. Interactive newsletter software (such as, 3d
issue) could be utilised to make communications more interactive and multi - dimensional: for example,
the recent letter sent out by the chair of the Shadow Board, could have taken the form of a i lmed
interview within a four page interactive brochure.
Team Briei ngs
A framework for regular coordinated team briei ngs should be issued by the Merger Steering Group.
We must ensure that there are regular opportunities for two way communication / discussion across all
staf levels. All staf should feel that they can share any issues they have with regards to merger. Senior
management visibility and accessibility through face-to-face meetings and team briei ngs are critical to
building better employee understanding of and buy in to the merger.
General Marketing Communications
An approach should be adopted which allow the each college to embed a merger 'statement' within any
of its marketing communication activities, i.e., adverts, prospectuses, editors note in a press release.
Public Relations
All newsworthy items should be released on a regular basis to identii ed agree key media. Centralised
media lists should be created. A Press Release Template should be designed to support this process along
with Editors' Notes.
External media activity will be synchronised with any internal communications to ensure audiences receive
information at the same time.
Appendix 14.5: Merger Communications Plan