Preview

Plan the audience before the announcement

A practical map for communications planners and process owners preparing a collaboration-process update.

Fictional sample: Northstar Services is announcing a shared way to store project decisions and hand off work.

Colleagues around a whiteboard covered in sticky notes

The announcement brief

Change: project teams will record decisions in the shared project workspace and include a short handoff note when work moves between teams.

Reader outcome: each affected employee can find the current decision and understand what to do at their next handoff. The plan groups readers by the work they do and how they can access the message.

Go to a planning tool

Use the page that answers your next question.

Define the segments

See task-based audience groups and access considerations.

Choose channels and language

Compare sample delivery routes and plain-language choices.

Review the targeting plan

Follow the release sequence and check audience coverage.

Assign review ownership

See who drafts, validates, and confirms the plan.

A first-pass audience map

Illustrative choices for the sample announcement.

A first-pass audience map
Audience segment	Work need	Communication approach
Office-based project teams	Record decisions and locate the current project version.	Share the announcement in the project workspace and link to the short process guide.
Shift-based operations teams	Find the handoff instruction without relying on a live meeting.	Use the approved shift communication route and provide a concise written summary.
Team leads	Explain the change at handoffs and identify questions for the process owner.	Provide a short briefing note and a route to raise process questions.