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WHAT’S NEXT?
1 | COMMUNICATING YOUR FINDINGS Now you’ve done all the hard work bringing together stakeholders to develop your policy recommendations paper, it’s time to get your message out there! There are many ways to get your voice heard. This is your chance to be creative to get people’s attention about the issue and your research.
Approach local press and media: It is important to think about why they would want to run your story. The report on its own is unlikely to get their attention, but if you can tell a news story around your issue whilst including key elements from the Policy Dialogue then journalists will be more interested. You can write and send out a press release and/or hold a press briefing with a panel discussion around the topic and your findings to engage the media.
Sharing with stakeholders: The first thing you should do is share the findings with your stakeholders and check that they are happy with all the content. Then you can ask them to send the paper to their networks as this will help to amplify your message. You may want to print some copies to give to stakeholders if they don’t have online access. Direct outreach to policymakers: If you didn’t get the opportunity to meet with some of the decision makers you identified during your mapping process, sharing your findings is an ideal opportunity to engage with them e.g. policymakers, fashion brands and other influencers. Be sure to identify the correct person to contact - often people within the CSR or sustainability section of a company will be most interested in the report. Before contacting any policymakers and politicians, have a look at their voting record and only choose those who have previously shown to care about social or environmental issues. Otherwise it could be a waste of time. Also, before contacting them, check the parliament recess dates, you don’t want to contact them when they are not in their office.
Identify windows of opportunity: Find a hook to draw attention to your findings, such as promoting on a relevant day in the calendar like World Oceans Day or International Women’s Day.
Write a blog: This is a chance to document any interesting experiences you have had during the Policy Dialogue as well as outlining the outcomes. You may want to share unexpected learnings, such as the power of positive thinking in developing solutions to an issue, or how to deal with conflict in a group. Sharing the stories you have heard is a powerful way to communicate the issue, but remember that if you haven’t obtained permission you can’t name individuals or their organisation.
You could create a social media campaign with the aim of educating consumers around the topic you chose, through a series of images, videos and discussions. You could create a template encouraging citizens to write an email or postcard to their local policymaker about the topic, encouraging them to read the policy recommendations and make a change. Through galvanising the consumers, it can place pressure on policymakers to make a change.
Visuals: If the issue can be shown in a very visual way, such as pollution, you may want to organise an exhibition of photographs, or you could use video footage to create a short film which you can share via social media. Further events: If you have some remaining time and budget, you may want to host an event for policymakers. Events which are easily accessible for policymakers are a good idea, such as a breakfast event at their government offices, as they will already be there and offering them breakfast gives them an incentive to come. Social media: Use your social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to share the findings. Pictures speak a thousand words, so share some images and footage from the events if possible.
