Assignment: Situation Analysis for Your Communications Campaign
As you begin planning your term-long campaign, you’ll create a Situation Analysis to clearly define the issue you’re addressing and the audience you want to reach. This document should serve as a foundation for the rest of your campaign materials.
Your Situation Analysis should be 1–2 pages and include the following sections:
1. Issue Analysis
- Explain your topic clearly, assuming the reader has no prior knowledge. Include relevant background information, history, and current context.
- Identify the specific behavioral or attitudinal outcome you hope to influence (e.g., increase recycling, reduce plastic use, shift opinions on climate action).
- Discuss why this issue matters—both to you personally and to the broader community or world.
- State your campaign’s goal: What should your audience think, feel, or do as a result of your campaign?
2. Audience Analysis
- Describe your target audience using psychographics (e.g., values, lifestyle, beliefs) and media habits. Who or what influences them (e.g., social media personalities, news sources, peers)?
- Include any relevant attitudes this audience may already have about your topic—supportive, skeptical, unaware?
- Reflect on communication strategy: What makes this audience a challenge to reach, and what opportunities exist to engage them effectively?
Note: Assume this is a real campaign you’ll be launching—be specific and strategic in your analysis. See my attached chosen situtation proposal to write about.
