2021-01-22 Communications Committee Meeting Notes

Date

January 22, 2021

Attendees

• Drummond Reed

• John Jordan
• Dan Gisolfi
• Will Groah
• Ajay Madhok
• David Lucatch
• Wenjing Chu
• Kimberly Linson
• Daniel Bachenheimer
• Chris Ingrao (Deactivated)
• Jim StClair
• David Luchuk

Goals

• Discuss the draft ToIP Editorial Calendar, overall strategy elements and draft logo usage policy

Discussion items

Recording

• Link

Documents

• (Draft) Logo Usage Policy - 

Notes

1. Editorial Calendar - update

• Ajay Madhok presented a preliminary plan for monthly themes that can be used to sequence webinars, posts and other modular content. The calendar can be viewed a Table of Contents for topics related to digital trust and the ToIP model.
• It will be important to take a “Story Spine” approach to content that demonstrates how the ToIP model solves problems that are relevant to the target audience.
• Will Groah observed that the calendar provides an opportunity for many members to get involved in content creation. It breaks the ToIP message down into a sequence that builds in an understandable direction.
• Kimberly Linson asked what the intended audience will be for this ToIP content?
• John Jordan proposed that decision makers in the public and private sectors, who need to better understand the key questions they should be asking about systems being pitched to them, represent an important target audience. 
• Dan Gisolfi suggested correlating each monthly theme with deliverables to support our Q1 priorities emphasize the consumability of ToIP content.
• John Jordan observed that communications materials should allow people to drill into the 4-layer stack and better understand how the decisions they are trying to make are reflected in the model.
• David Lucatch described ToIP products a series of thematic presentations that all point back to a consistent set of core messages and a story-based narrative people can relate to. 
• Drummond Reed emphasized the opportunity to respond to newsworthy items to create a reflex in the media to seek the ToIP viewpoint, as an authoritative voice, on important issues.
  • Good Health Pass coalition cited as a good example of a news item on which ToIP has relevant views to share, and which may benefit from incubating its governance work inside the Foundation itself.  
• David Lucatch confirmed that, in support of this work, the PR firm hired by his company (KABN) will dedicate part of its time to working with ToIP.

2. Strategy - elements

• Ajay Madhok introduced two key elements that will contribute to the completion of the Communications Strategy.
• First, adopting a messaging “prism” approach will help ToIP deliver many messages to many audiences, striving to maintain a high level of relevance to a variety of actors in the public and private sectors. Our offer must consistently match the set of problems that our audience views as important - sustained relevance.
• Second, taking a modular approach to producing content will lead to structurally rich, re-usable and adaptable pieces. ToIP should ai to produce micro-content in the form of modular building blocks, each with standalone value, that can be combined and assembled in different ways for different purposes - curated storyboards.
• Drummond Reed asked how we can operationalize this advice to produce both the Strategy and content/products.
•  Ajay Madhokindicated that the Vice-Chairs would meet next week (Jan 25-29) to further develop the framework for a strategy and the editorial calendar.
• Will Groah added that this work will help clarify how priority deliverables can be reflected in the themes presented in the calendar.
• David Lucatch suggested moving quickly to create a “message map” so that ToIP can start increasing its visibility in the market.
• Drummond Reed recommended the Good Health Pass as a possible topic for a webinar or event in February.
• Wenjing Chu commented that messaging needs to map clearly back to ToIP’s mission and goals. This should take the form of a clear understanding, when people attend one of our events or consume our material, of what action we are proposing they take. 

3. Logo usage policy

• David Luchuk presented a draft logo usage policy for discussion, based on principles put forward by the Linux Foundation in their existing trademark policy.
• Will Groah asked whether there will be a need for ToIP to trademark its logo.
• Dan Gisolfi observed there is a cost associated with taking that step that needs to be considered. Is it worth the time and money?
• David Lucatch suggested taking an approach that KABN has used in the past to reduce the cost of trademarking.
• David Luchuk to follow up with Linux Foundation about draft policy and repot back.

4. Communications products - contract update

• David Luchuk advised that Peter Stoyko’s work is advancing on communications products, and that meetings would be held with members of this Committee in the coming two weeks to discuss infographics and other proposed products prior to finalization.

Action items

• Vice-Chairs to continue working on Editorial Calendar and key elements of Strategy
• David Luchuk will share the draft logo usage policy with Unix Foundation for comment.
• Opportunity to contribute to Editorial Calendar to be raised at next All Member meeting (Feb 2021)