This thesis answers the question “what is a good communication plan?” The work is commissioned by the Northern Ostrobothnia District of the Centre Party of Finland. The communication plan for the parliamentary elections 2019, which is based on the thesis, will be freely editable for the subscriber for future campaigns. The content of the communication plan prepared for the subscriber is partly confidential, so only the basis of the communication plan and the public parts that can be used to complete the plan are attached to this thesis. Many of the ideas I quote in this thesis comes from the marketing of a commercial product or service and have a strong economic perspective, but the same principles can be applied to the communication of a political or other non-commercial agenda.

A good communication plan is derived from the organisation's strategy, vision and values – they also guide communication. Based on values and vision, you can find measurable goals that your organization pursues through its communications. Communication is an integral part of other management and strategy – it is a matter of the entire staff. A good communications plan draws a situation analysis, sets communication goals, defines a strategy to achieve the goals, outlines more detailed tactics for implementing the strategy, allocates actions and responsibilities, and sets the communication metrics to control. The communication environment is changing all the time, so the communication plan also requires constant updating and review.

The thesis is based on the most updated professional literature, discussions and internet sources. Source criticism is based on the constant comparison of sources so that the sources used in the thesis support and complement each other to form a coherent work. Studies of political journalism and political communication have also been utilized in this work. Practical examples of this work are around political communication. The work is aimed at communications managers of both for-profit and non-profit organizations, and anyone interested in communications planning.