AIESEC INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS GUIDE FOR BRAND positioning
What is in here? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
WHY: do we run communication activities for operations? HOW can we do it? The simple process of ‘GTCM’ WHAT kind of promotion activities are there? EwA framework for operations When and why to choose each channel? How can I measure the efficiency of the promotion activities?Conversion rate How to manage my communication strategy in 3 simple levels? How to ensure brand implementation in communication acticvities?
This guide aim is to: • Bring clarity on what is the role of communications area • Standardize the communication process • Align every activity with the brand *It is reffering to MCPs/MCVPs/LCPs/LCVPs
WHY do we run communication activities for operations?
Do you remember AIESEC’s purpose as an organisation? We aim to develop change agents for society! How do we do that? Through providing the oportunitty for youth to live our ELD programmes! But, in order to achieve the ELD goals, we must develop EwA strategies and activities, so as to reach as many people as possible and let them know about the why-how-what of AIESEC!
MKT
PR Micro XP
EwA funnel
Change Agents
But how does a customer get in touch with AIESEC? We have some steps for it!
Interaction
Information
Application
Selection
Operational process (RA, MA, RE)
Role of Branding and Communications Responsibles: The role of COMM/Marketing/PR people is to: 1. Create and facilitate touch points for people to interact with AIESEC in order to create more promoters and customers of AIESEC 2. Comms people also serve as brand guardians, ensuring that AIESECers and other stakeholders are constantly supporting and aligning with the desired reputation of AIESEC (through operations and every day practice) Communications is contributing directly to ELD growth!!!
HOW can we run a simple and efficient communication strategy?
?
Every time you have to define a communication strategy for supporting your operations, you must follow the SIMPLE ‘GTCM’ PROCESS! It is based on defining the strategy in 4 steps:
G
oal
T
arget
C
hannel
M
essage
GOAL • Define the goal of the strategy (Ex: 100 RA OGX GIP). It should always be based only in ELD MoS.
Target • Define to whom the product/program is going to be offered (Ex: IT student, 2nd year of university).
Channel • Define with what kind of channels the audience is going to be approached (Ex: Online, classroom presentaSon).
Message • Define how the communicaSon of the product is going to be done to the target audience, what is going to be said to them.
But HOW defined?
SHOULD
each
one
Goal
• Check internal current state, internal needs, LC strenghts and weakenesses and Supply & Demand (for X); • Check historical growth and data; • Check external reality (trends, period, opportuniSes); • Check LC resources (HR, financial); • Take into account ambiSon and desired impact. • PAY ATTENTION: Before your target’s definiSon, make sure you have a specific goal based on product and sub-‐product (Ex: oGCDP Human Rights).
Target
• Define demographic characterisScs of your audience (studies, age, educaSon level, locaSon, occupaSon); • Define your customer’s profile (personality, social profile, financial condiSons, a\tudes, values, interests/hobbies, lifestyle, behavior) • To get all these info, you may do an external market research first!
Channel
• Check previous data about how many customers from your target audience come from each channels; • Channels should have direct or indirect connecSon with the customer; • Follow the 80-‐20 pareto rule and choose the most efficient channels (best results) with the less effort; • Find out the most effecSve approach: online or physical
Message
• It should reflect: • The program you are promoSng • The profile of the people you are adverSsing to • It should be: • Catchy • Short • Clear • It must be brand aligned! (see brand filter guide here)
be
Market Research WHY: Understanding your customers’ needs HOW: You need to get information from different groups of your student market. Proposed ways are through: v print or online survey, v focus groups (small teams you interview) v youth organisations similar data WHAT: You need to take the data either to validate your assumptions (the Economic students prefer enterpreneurship issues) or to understand even deeper factors that influence them (financial, personal)
Once you've decided on a target market, be sure to consider these questions: • Are there enough people that fit my criteria? • Will my target really benefit from my product/service? Will they see a need for it? • Do I understand what drives my target to make decisions? • Can they afford my product/service? • Can I reach them with my message? Are they easily accessible?
WHAT kind of promotion activities can I use?
EwA framework Engagement is about providing value to an individual through an activity that enables them to experience AIESEC. The engagement activity should be so effective that the young person either: - wants to join an ELD programme - wants to promote AIESEC Through these activities we aim to create:
Promoters
ELD customers
To illustrate that, we use the engagement funnel:
There are 3 types of activities that can be run: MICRO EXPERIENCES Activities that create micro AIESEC experiences for young people, giving them a small taste of what is AIESEC. These activities create a separate value proposition from our core ELD programmes. For example, non-AIESECers be part of the OC of an event/conference. PUBLIC RELATIONS PR activities increase our organisational reputation. These activities manage the flow of information between AIESEC and the general public. For example, media appearances. MARKETING Marketing activities that drive sales in our core ELD programmes. These activities use the value propositions of our core programmes and promote them directly to the target audience. For example, info stand in a university.
AcSviSes combinaSon
AcSviSes overlapping
• All three acSviSes are closely linked. • For example, MICRO EXPERIENCES can be combined with MARKETING acSviSes to create a high conversion rate of customers to ELD programmes
• There are some acSivSes ex Y2B that cal be both Micro XPs and PR. • You need to have clear what the outcome of each one of these acSviSes should be
Examples of activities you can run: • Short-term volunteering[non-AIESECer as OC in a conference] (Micro XP) • Press releases and media (PR) • Recruitment campaigns (Marketing) • Global village (Micro XP) • Publications (PR) • Advertising of programs (Marketing) • Youth to Business (Micro XP) • External reports on projects/initiatives (PR) • Email marketing to databases(Marketing) • Youth forums (Micro XP) • University presence & promotion[info stand, classroom presentation] (Marketing) • Developing leaders days (Micro XP) • Flash mobs (Marketing) • ELD Programme info session (Marketing) • Needs-based volunteering (Micro XP)
WHEN & WHY should I choose each channel?
• Make sure you have the needed balance between PR, MarkeSng acSviSes and Micro XPs
• You should choose the channels that bring you more ELD results on a short-‐term level
Balance
Short-‐term results
• According to your resources (financial, HR) you can decide the range of channels (e.g. if you have 4 people in a team then PR might not be the first opSon)
Resources
Concerning online channels, check the outputs for Online Branding Concerning physical channels, one of the most common activities is the events building. Below you will find some guidelines IMPORTANT: You should always try to align your online and offline image in terms of message, feeling, information.
Here is a direction map on how to manage your external participation events:
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Here is a direction map on how to manage the events you create:
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How can I measure the efficiency of my promotion activities?
Conversion rate is when people from the interaction phase with AIESEC, go to the information phase, where they learn more things about AIESEC and its opportunities and they finally become ELD customers.
• InteracSon • Physical or online
AcSviSes
Data • informaSon stage
• ELD program parScipaSon
ELD MoS
Tips on stages for converting your customers
STAGE 1
• InteracSon • Physical or online
Data • informaSon stage
AcSviSes
v Always provide information how someone should follow up from the interaction phase (after a classroom presentation you diverge them into coming to the AIESEC office or visit the website), so as to get all needed information for AIESEC and ELD programs v Accessibility is everything! Make sure you have all needed information for a customer, available either on a physical (info meeting) or an online way (website) v You need to collect their personal contacts and create a database so as to keep the follow up for their engagement and information
If you promotion activity is an event/seminar, then getting a feedback forms after its execution it is going to help you: Generate a database • Get feedback on the event execution • Assess brand perception of the participants • Lead participants for future Engagement and ELD participation •
This feedback forms for micro XPs feedback and event participating feedback here: http://www.myaiesec.net/content/viewfile.do?contentid=102373 36
STAGE 2
• informaSon stage
ELD MoS • ELD program parScipaSon
Data
• When you have the database, what you need to do is to have a clear strategy on how to engage these people and convert them into ELD (e.g. external newsletters based on their preferences, personal meetings, come in touch with returnees)
How to manage my communication strategy in 3 simple ways?
Tracking
• of promoSon acSviSes execuSon (quality, quanSty) based on plan (e.g. classroom presentaSons executed VS planned) • of metrics of these acSviSes (# of parScipants) • of Smeline of acSviSes
• check the efficiency of promoSon acSviSes(conversion rate e,g, sign ups from this classroom) • evaluate the efficiency of the promoSon plan and adapt the acSviSes/message as necessary Evalua?on • LCVP COMM and LCVP OGX/TM/ICX should make an evaluaSon together
• team structure based on needs (product based teams) • clear roles & responsibiliSes of each team member • every member has an individual plan based on the communicaSon plan needs HR management • coaching on plan
How to ensure and monitor brand implementation while in promotion phase?
Here are some recommendations: • Educate the involved stakeholders(LCs,LCVPs) on the brand policies and brand management based on them • Include the brand policies in your national compendium. The violation of them by the LCs should have some consequences (financial fines etc.) • Have NSTs monitoring if promotion activities are brand aligned (physical, online). • LCs send their promotion materials to the MC in order to check their brand alignment We are all responsible for brand protection!
Things to take into account and direction:
Planning brand filtering tool
Refreshed visual guidelines
NaSonal brand policies
AIESEC essence focus
This Document is an output of the Brand Experience Summit of AIESEC International held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, on 13th-16th of November, 2012.
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