PESO Integrated Communications Strategy

Use when

• Guides a consultant in building a full PESO (Paid / Earned / Shared / Owned) integrated communications strategy for a client. Produces a channel map, integration principles, a structured strategy document, and a budget allocation template. Invoke when a client is ready to move beyond ad-hoc social media posting into a coordinated, multi-channel digital communications programme — typically at the start of a new financial year, after a brand audit, or when a client asks "how do we pull all our channels together?".
• Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.

Do not use when

• Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
• Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.

Workflow

1. Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
2. Follow the section order and decision rules in this SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
3. Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.

Anti-Patterns

• Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
• Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
• Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.

Outputs

• A structured markdown document, plan, playbook, or strategy ready for client-facing or internal use.

References

• Use the inline instructions in this skill now. If a references/ directory is added later, treat its files as the deeper source material and keep this SKILL.md execution-focused.

Required Input

Ask for the following before generating any deliverable:

1. Client business name and industry — e.g. "Kampala Fresh Produce, food retail"
2. Country / city — default is Uganda / East Africa if not specified
3. Primary business objective for the next 6–12 months — e.g. "grow retail customer base by 30%", "launch a B2B wholesale channel"
4. Current channels in use — ask the client to identify which Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned channels are already active, inactive, or non-existent
5. Monthly communications budget (rough estimate) — total budget across all channels, including staff time if relevant
6. Primary audience segment — who is the single most important audience this strategy must reach?
7. Any channels explicitly out of scope — e.g. "no TikTok", "no paid advertising yet"

Do not proceed past this section until all seven inputs are confirmed.

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Section 1 — PESO Explained

The PESO model (Dietrich, G., 2020, Spin Sucks) organises every communications channel into four types. Understanding the distinction is the foundation of integrated strategy.

Paid Channels the brand pays to access. In the East African context this includes Facebook and Instagram Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, SMS broadcast costs, and influencer fees. Paid provides reach on demand but stops the moment the budget stops.

Earned Coverage and endorsement the brand did not pay for. This includes press mentions in outlets such as the Daily Monitor and New Vision, organic Google reviews, word-of-mouth referrals, shared customer testimonials, and organic PR coverage. Earned is the most credible channel because a third party is vouching for the brand — but it cannot be bought and takes time to build.

Shared Social media channels, community platforms, and WhatsApp groups — content distributed through networks the brand participates in but does not fully control. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and WhatsApp groups all fall here. Algorithms, platform policies, and community norms govern what gets seen. Shared is where most EA brands invest the most time; it is rarely where they invest the most strategically.

Owned Channels the brand controls entirely: the website, email list, blog, WhatsApp Business catalogue, and SMS opt-in list. If a platform shuts down tomorrow, owned assets survive. Owned is the most valuable long-term asset in any communications portfolio.

Key insight for EA clients: Most SMEs are over-invested in Shared and under-invested in Owned. The goal of an integrated strategy is to use Shared and Paid to build Owned audiences, then use Earned credibility to amplify both.

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Section 2 — PESO Channel Map

Produce this table with the client during the strategy session. Fill in each row based on the inputs collected above. Leave blank what is genuinely unknown — identifying gaps is part of the value.

Channel	PESO Type	Current State (Active / Inactive / None)	Monthly Investment	Audience Reach (est.)	Content Type	Primary Goal
Facebook Page	Shared
Facebook Ads	Paid
Instagram	Shared
Instagram Ads	Paid
TikTok	Shared
WhatsApp Business	Owned
WhatsApp Broadcast	Paid / Owned
Email newsletter	Owned
Website / blog	Owned
Google Ads	Paid
Google Business Profile	Owned / Earned
Press / media coverage	Earned
Influencer partnerships	Paid / Earned
SMS	Paid / Owned
LinkedIn	Shared
X / Twitter	Shared
YouTube	Owned / Shared
Podcast	Owned

Guidance: Not every channel needs to be active. The value of this map is seeing what exists, what is missing, and what should be prioritised given the client's budget and objective. A client with limited resources should operate three to five channels well rather than ten channels poorly.

After completing the map, identify:

• Which Owned channels are absent or underdeveloped (these are priority investments)
• Which Shared channels have strong organic reach (these are candidates for Paid amplification)
• Which Earned channels have produced results (these should be systematised and linked to Owned assets)

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Section 3 — PESO Integration Principles

Apply these six principles to make the PESO model work as a coherent system rather than a set of siloed channels.

1. Owned first Build the email list and WhatsApp opt-in list before committing budget to Paid. Owned channels are the only ones the brand controls when a platform changes its algorithm, increases ad costs, or shuts down. A client with no email list and no opt-in database is building on rented land.

2. Earned amplifies Owned A press mention is most valuable when it links to a specific Owned asset — a landing page, a blog post, a product catalogue — not just the homepage. Before pursuing Earned coverage, ensure the Owned destination is ready to receive traffic and capture leads.

3. Shared is the middle layer Social media posts should direct audiences to Owned assets (website sign-up, email opt-in, WhatsApp catalogue) rather than keeping them on the platform. Every Shared post should have a purpose beyond engagement — it should move someone one step closer to an Owned relationship with the brand.

4. Paid amplifies all three Boost Earned content — strong press mentions, customer testimonials, positive reviews — with Paid, not just branded posts. Boosted Earned content typically outperforms boosted branded content because social proof is already embedded in the asset. In Uganda, boosting a well-performing organic Facebook post is often more cost-effective than building a full Meta Ads campaign from scratch.

5. Measure by objective, not by channel Each channel in the PESO map must be connected to a stated business objective. Apply SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to every channel goal. If a channel cannot be linked to a measurable outcome, question whether it belongs in the mix at this stage.

6. Sequence matters Launch Owned before Earned and Shared before Paid. A client with no website and no opt-in mechanism is not ready to invest in Paid advertising — the traffic will have nowhere to go and no way to be captured. The correct sequence is: build Owned infrastructure → activate Shared channels → pursue Earned coverage → use Paid to amplify what is already working.

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Section 4 — PESO Strategy Output

Generate the following structured document for the client. Replace all bracketed fields with client-specific content drawn from the inputs collected.

PESO Integrated Communications Strategy — [Client Name]
Period: [Month YYYY – Month YYYY]
Prepared by: [Consultant / Agency name]
Objective: [Primary business objective — one sentence, SMART-formatted]

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OWNED PRIORITY ACTIONS
1. [Action + owner + timeline] — e.g. "Build email opt-in page on website — Digital team — by [date]"
2. [Action + owner + timeline]
3. [Action + owner + timeline]

SHARED PRIORITY ACTIONS
1. [Action + owner + timeline] — e.g. "Publish 3x Facebook posts per week linking to blog — Content team — ongoing from [date]"
2. [Action + owner + timeline]

EARNED PRIORITY ACTIONS
1. [Action + owner + timeline] — e.g. "Pitch product launch story to Daily Monitor lifestyle desk — PR lead — by [date]"
2. [Action + owner + timeline]

PAID PRIORITY ACTIONS
1. [Action + owner + timeline] — e.g. "Boost top-performing organic Facebook post each week — Digital team — from [date], UGX [budget]/week"
2. [Action + owner + timeline]

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INTEGRATION POINTS
- Paid amplifies Earned this quarter: [specific plan — e.g. "Boost any press coverage that earns 50+ organic shares within 48 hours"]
- Shared drives traffic to Owned: [specific plan — e.g. "Every Instagram post includes a link-in-bio CTA to email sign-up page"]
- Earned content feeds Shared channels: [specific plan — e.g. "Repurpose press mentions as quote graphics for Facebook and WhatsApp status"]

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BUDGET ALLOCATION

| PESO Type | Monthly Budget (UGX) | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Paid (ads, boosts, SMS, influencer fees) | | |
| Owned (website, email platform, content production) | | |
| Shared (social media management time) | | |
| Earned (PR outreach, relationship-building time) | | |
| **Total** | | 100% |

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PRIMARY KPI: [One measurable goal that defines success for this period]
e.g. "Grow email subscriber list from 0 to 500 by [end date]"
e.g. "Generate 20 qualified wholesale enquiries via website contact form by [end date]"

SECONDARY KPIs:
- [Channel-specific metric 1]
- [Channel-specific metric 2]
- [Channel-specific metric 3]

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Section 5 — EA-Specific Guidance

Apply the following when working with Uganda and East Africa-based clients.

Over-investment in Shared, under-investment in Owned Most Uganda SME clients post on Facebook daily but have no email list, a weak or absent website, and no WhatsApp opt-in mechanism. The first strategic recommendation for the majority of EA clients will be to pause or reduce Shared output temporarily and invest that time in building Owned infrastructure.

WhatsApp Business as a priority Owned channel WhatsApp Business sits across Owned and Paid depending on usage. Treat it as a priority Owned channel in EA because it is the primary channel through which customer relationships are maintained in this market. The WhatsApp Business catalogue, automated greeting messages, and broadcast lists are Owned assets. Build these before any other Owned investment if the client has not done so.

Earned media in the EA context In Uganda, Earned media is not limited to traditional press. Influential Facebook pages (with 10,000+ followers), WhatsApp group administrators in key networks (trade associations, professional groups, religious communities), and respected community voices function as Earned media in the EA context even if they are not journalists. Include these alongside mainstream outlets (Daily Monitor, New Vision, NTV Uganda, Spark TV) in any Earned media plan.

Paid amplification in Uganda Boosting Facebook posts — content that has already earned organic engagement — is typically more cost-effective for Uganda SME clients than building full Meta Ads campaigns with custom audiences and creative testing. Recommend boosting only content that has already demonstrated organic traction (minimum 20–30 organic engagements before boosting).

Email lists in EA: underused but high-value Email marketing is underused in East Africa relative to its commercial value. In markets where social media algorithms are unreliable and WhatsApp group membership fluctuates, an email list is the most stable and controllable Owned channel. Position email list growth as a strategic priority even for clients who are sceptical — frame it as insurance against platform dependency.

SMS as a dual-purpose channel SMS sits across Paid and Owned. When a client owns an opted-in SMS list, it functions as an Owned channel. When they are buying bulk SMS blasts to cold lists, it is Paid. Clarify which applies and ensure opt-in compliance is in place before recommending SMS investment.

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Quality Criteria

Output meets the standard when:

• All four PESO pillars are defined accurately and illustrated with EA-relevant channel examples
• The channel map is complete, fillable, and covers all major channels relevant to the EA market
• All six integration principles are stated clearly with actionable implications, not just theory
• The Owned-first principle is explicit and positioned as the foundation of the strategy, not an afterthought
• WhatsApp Business is identified and treated as a priority Owned channel appropriate to the EA context
• The budget allocation template is included and formatted so the client can populate it directly
• Dietrich, G. (2020) Spin Sucks is cited as the source of the PESO framework

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References

Read the following skills for related frameworks before generating deliverables that overlap with their scope:

• 05-social-media-strategy/SKILL.md — social media channel strategy; use when the client needs a dedicated social media plan within the Shared pillar
• 06-digital-marketing-strategy/SKILL.md — broader digital marketing strategy; use when PESO intersects with SEO, paid search, and conversion optimisation
• meta-roi-framework/SKILL.md — ROI measurement and reporting; use to build the KPI framework and budget justification that accompany this strategy
• 07-email-marketing-strategy/SKILL.md — email marketing programme design; use when developing the Owned pillar email component in detail

Primary citation: Dietrich, G. (2020) Spin Sucks: PR in the Digital Age. Que Publishing.

Supporting references:

• Chaffey, D. (2024) Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. Pearson.
• Bodnar, K. and Cohen, J. (2012) The B2B Social Media Book. Wiley.