Stakeholder relations is a fine balance of ensuring that the right people know the right information at the right time. When managed properly, it is often the key to a successful campaign. 

Stakeholders are not just your colleagues and customers, a stakeholder by definition is any person, group or organisation who has ‘an interest’. Their interest can be positive or negative, and some stakeholders will hold a greater interest than others, but all should be communicated with appropriately to avoid upsetting, neglecting or oversharing.  

Stakeholder mapping 

Whether you are organising an event, launching a campaign or starting a new business initiative, it’s important to map out your stakeholders and tailor communications based on their varying roles and levels of influence.  

The first step is to identify and categorise your stakeholders into groups, depending on their power and influence. Stakeholder mapping, like the matrix below, is an effective method for realising all your stakeholders: 

• Manage closely – These are your top tier stakeholders with high power and high interest, they should be kept up-to-date and engaged throughout. 

• Keep satisfied – These are your second tier stakeholders with high power and lower interest. As the category suggests, keep them satisfied and share relevant information to ensure they have overall awareness and the opportunity to engage if they wish. 

• Keep informed – This third tier of stakeholders has high interest but low power, keep them informed of any updates and changes that may impact them directly. 

• Monitor – The stakeholders that sit within the final tier have low power and low interest. They won’t directly impact your campaign but it’s important to keep an eye and communicate when necessary.  

Tailored communication 

Once you have identified all your stakeholders, you are in a stronger place to communicate your message effectively and meaningfully. It’s important to establish a comms plan to ensure you are providing the right information at the right time in a consistent manner. 

Communication comes in many forms – from letters, email marketing and websites, printed newsletters to community events. Each group of stakeholders will benefit from different forms of communication, so it’s important to offer a bespoke approach to ensure your communication is purposeful, engaging and isn’t overlooked. 

Tailored communication also gives the opportunity to include specific key messages which will resonate better with different stakeholder groups – for example, the Board of Trustees may be more interested in the financial outcomes of a campaign, while the local Residents Association may be interested in activities happening on the ground. All communication should be tailored to fit the needs and interests of each stakeholder category.  

What is a Stakeholder Toolkit?  

A Stakeholder Toolkit is an efficient way of sharing everything your stakeholders need to know about your brand, campaign or initiative in one accessible resource, which they can then use to share your message with their own stakeholders through their own channels. A Stakeholder Toolkit broadens your reach and ensures your message stays true. 

It should include an overview of the business, event or campaign and its aims, clear objectives and targets that your stakeholders can support you to achieve. You may also want to include case studies, materials and templates that support the campaign for stakeholders to share, such as; a sample press release, social media copy, photos, creative assets, call-to-action, and a list of your key messages. 

Stakeholder management  

At PLMR Genesis we support clients to identify and manage their stakeholders from the very beginning and throughout their campaign. We host workshops to help map out stakeholders together, we draft toolkits, and we tailor messages to suit each of your stakeholders’ needs and interests. 

Stakeholder engagement is then managed as part of a wider communications strategy, encompassing PR, media relations and digital marketing to ensure a fully integrated approach. 

For more advice or support with effectively managing your stakeholders, give our team a call on 01473 326 400 or get in touch via hello@genesispr.co.uk.