Sample of Communication Director 03 2017

Issue 3/2017 EUROP EAN EDI TI O N

THE MAGAZINE FOR CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

www.co mmunicatio n-d ir ecto r.co m

European Edition

Issue 3 · 2017

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR

Made to measure The personalisation of communications

This time it’s personal

Today, contemporary anxieties about privacy, the abuse of personal information and rampant commercialisation of the public sphere sit uneasily alongside our ready acquiescence in handing over private data for access to online products and services. Nowhere is this tension better embodied than in the current ubiquity of personalised communications – from algorithms that determine your Amazon recommendations to tailored emails in B2B marketing, data has empowered companies to personalise their messages at scale. The Issue Focus section of this magazine explores the how and why of data-driven personalisation, as well as the pitfalls and ethical implications. What is the business strategy behind personalisation and how can it be used to boost brand awareness and loyalty? How can we find the right balance between protecting our privacy and allowing organisations to track us and our interests? We’ve invited communications heads at major brands as well as experts in data mining to answer these questions. But personalised communications is more than a question of commercial branding: political parties also utilise personalisation techniques such as micro-targeting to get engage us with their ideas and persuade us to vote for them. We’re already living with the consequences of this fracturing of the political sphere: our interview with controversial US political strategist Vincent Harris brings us insights into this development from the front line.

DAFYDD PHILLIPS

Photo: Laurin Schmid

Editor in Chief

Brought to you by the European Association of Communication Directors www.eacd-online.eu

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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REGULARS

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12

52

CAMPAIGNS

PR ESSENTIALS

#KEEPQUESTIONING

BOOKS

Agenda Setter

The personalisation behind your purchases

Melissa Fleming

Communications reader

Recent eye-catching communications campaigns

Customisation that builds brands

We put your questions to the head of communications of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

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New and upcoming titles for the communicator’s bookshelf

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EACD

LAST PAGE

Association

5 tips for...

Latest developments in the European Association of Communication Directors

Quick insights into handling social media influencers

ISSUE FOCUS: THE PERSONALISATION

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The personal touch

Analyse this

In order to retain and grow their customer base, businesses need to get personal with their consumers

How can organisations choose the right data-analysis strategy to suit their personalisation needs?

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A revolution in personalised marketing

The dark side of personalisation

“Micro-targeting allows you to scare people easier”

CEO leadership in a broken system

Can AI deliver on the promise of marketing: true personalisation at scale?

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Finding the right balance between protecting our privacy and allowing organisations to track our every move

The father of the Republican internet on Trump, Twitter and the pitfalls of online echo chambers

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

A more personalised, authentic approach to communications can help engage the sceptics

Photos: Laurin Schmid; Gage Skidmore; Bernal Revert

OF COMMUNICATIONS

STRATEGY

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Using transparency to build public trust

Designing a smoke-free future

A reputation of truth

Stand by me

Why one cigarette company is communicating smokefree products

Exploring the new scope of stakeholder engagement

The communications lessons learned by Ireland’s Central Bank in the wake of the financial crisis

Five communications steps to help associations prepare themselves for crisis

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Curiosity-driven content

Sparking conversations with VR

What content is most engaging? Why? What can we learn from it?

How Siemens uses cardboard virtual reality viewers to attract the employees of the future

INSIGHTS

34 Digital and visual The 2017 European Communication Monitor 2017 shows that the strategic communication function is undergoing a fundamental transformation

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Arts patronage 2.0

Trust in media across Europe

Collaboration versus cooperation

Transformative ideas

According to a new report by the European Broadcasting Union, the trust gap between traditional and new media is widening

To define, encourage and improve on collaboration at your workplace, perhaps it’s time to unearth some old board games?

Communicators need a blended vision of thought leadership in order to position their organisations as a trusted partner

Brands and the arts: making creative partnerships work – trends, best practices and insights into successful collaborations.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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AGENDA SETTER

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

AGENDA SETTER

Restorer Christian Eckmann at work on Tutankhamen‘s death mask at the RomanoGermanic Central Museum in Mainz, Germany / Photo: Khaled Elfiqi

Henkel: customised glue When clumsy workers knocked lose the iconic beard of King Tutankhamen’s death mask during routine maintenance work, they hastily chose everyday epoxy glue to fix it back on – leaving visible marks and a crooked beard.

Henkel immediately offered the help of its R&D experts to the restorers and developed a customised glue to fix the boy king’s beard back – while at the same time raising awareness of its adhesive business and ensuring good

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relations with authorities in an important growth market for the German company.

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AGENDA SETTER

Imperial Serve To promote the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships 2017 presented by A1 being held in Vienna, the Beach Majors Company invited Austrian Olympic beach volleyball stars Clemens Doppler and Alex Horst to the play against the most unusual opponents in their careers: two of the finest stallions at Vienna’s legendary Spanish Horse Riding School. The campaign generated over 250,000 en-

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gagements and reached more than one million people across prima-

Photo: Dustin Snipes

ry social channels.

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

AGENDA SETTER

Imperial Serve by Dustin Snipes

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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PR ESSENTIALS

THE PERSONALISATION BEHIND YOUR PURCHASES From cutting-edge algorithms to customised products, from major e-commerce companies to our favourite lifestyle apps, personalisation exerts a powerful pull on how we interact with brands. Here’s 10 of our favourite examples.

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N A R R OW I N G D OWN T H E C H O I C E N E TF LIX From its inception, Netflix has used data as an asset to personalise its relationship with customers and solve a problem faced by several content providers: the service has too much content so a viewer gets lost. When it launched an open competition for the best collaborative filtering algorithm to predict user ratings for films in 2006, it positioned itself as a thought leader in personalisation; in 2013, its decision to commission House of Cards was largely based on algorithmic insights that suggested its users would embrace a reboot of a BBC political drama starring Kevin Spacey and led by David Fincher.

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

PR ESSENTIALS

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P E R S ON A L I S E D B OT T L E S C OKE It began in Australia in 2011, spread to Europe in 2013 and then the US in 2014,where it resulted in increased sales volume for the first time in four years. Designed to reach millennials, with each bottle carrying one of the most popular first names in that generation, semi-personal labels were soon added, such as “better half”, and this year the campaign was relaunched to include popular holiday destination “to remind people of the refreshment and great taste that only an ice-cold Coke can bring on a hot summer day”, according to an official statement.

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T H E PE RF E C T PL AY L I ST S P OT I F Y Has Spotify cracked the personalisation conundrum? With its hugely successful Discover Weekly feature, as well as the regular Recommended for You function. Edward Newett, the man behind what has been called “one of the most influential innovations in music”, described the algorithm to Wired magazine: “By trying to mimic the behaviour of all of our users when trying to put together their perfect mix, we can leverage Spotify’s two billion playlists, target individual tastes and come up with playlists that will be interesting.”

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MI C R OS I T E S A N D M A R K E T I N G M A I L I N G S IBE R IA A I RL I NE S In 2016, Iberia Airlines sent out emails to their customers posing the question: if you could visit any destination, where would you go and who would you go with? To answer, customers were directed to a microsite to fill in their responses and the email addresses of their travel buddy. The friend would then receive an email with a holiday greeting about the dream vacation – but to view the card, they had to first click a link to view in their browser. That last step is key: by enabling cookies to see the greeting e-card, Iberia Airlines made sure that the friend would be followed by banners across the web, suggesting the perfect gift – a dream vacation.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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FINANCIAL

USING TRANSPARENCY TO BUILD PUBLIC TRUST The financial crisis in Ireland had a profound impact on the way its Central Bank supervises and safeguards financial stability. Today, the Central Bank of Ireland has learned lessons and adapted the way it communicates to build public trust.

BY JILL F OR D E

T

he financial crisis rocketed central

watching to ensure that the much-prom-

banks across the world from the

ised reforms were actually delivered. When

business pages to the front pages.

talking to stakeholders, particularly media

The Central Bank of Ireland was

no different. Over the last decade, there has been massively increased public awareness of the Bank – but this has not been matched by public understanding and trust. Rather than simply accept this as the cost of fulfilling an increasingly complex mandate in a challenging global environment, we have taken the view that it is essential to build that understanding and trust of what we do and why we do it. We chose to focus our communication efforts on enhancing transparency and understanding of our organisation through strategic investment in communication and targeted campaigns.

“We did not seek publicity, nor did we go to great lengths to explain our work. That has changed.”

and politicians, it became evident that there were a number of communication challenges still facing the organisation including a lack of trust , low levels of understanding of the roles and functions of the organisation and a perceived veil of secrecy surrounding our work as a regulator. While these issues are not unique to the Central Bank of Ireland, the very significant powers we have been given by legislators and our role within the eurosystem of central banks rightly mean that public scrutiny of our work is intense. This is evident from the variety of our mandate, which extends from the overall financial stability of the country and supervi-

As a central bank, we are responsible

sion of individual firms to ensuring consum-

for safeguarding the stability of the financial

ers are treated fairly, managing operational

system and protecting consumers of financial

activities including deposit protection and

firms in Ireland. But historically, like many

the central credit register, and ensuring that

other central banks, we did not seek public-

cash and payments systems run effectively.

ity, nor did we go to great lengths to explain

Changing from the inside out

our work. That has changed. As an organisa-

year programme focusing on improved me-

tion, we have chosen to put accountability and

dia relations, enhanced digital communica-

transparency at the core of our current busi-

tions and a targeted outreach programme.

ness strategy in order to build understanding

When I joined the senior team, while the fi-

and raise levels of public trust in the organi-

nancial crisis had abated and recovery was

One of the main challenges we encounter is

sation. To deliver this goal, the Central Bank

underway there was still a long way to trav-

that our awareness levels are generally cen-

invested in a new communications function

el in terms of communication strategy. On

tred around notoriety linked to the financial

with a focus on consumer communication,

one hand, the economy was recovering and

crisis rather than positive associations. Our

digital channels and a commitment for sen-

strong personalities in the Central Bank had

research shows that we are still atoning for

ior management to be more accessible to key

begun to put its reputation on a better foot-

the weak regulation and oversight of the fi-

stakeholders.

ing. But a parliamentary inquiry into the

nancial crisis period.

I was appointed as the Central Bank’s

banking crisis was ongoing, media scruti-

The globalisation of the financial sys-

first head of communications two years ago,

ny of the restructured and reformed Cen-

tem, the trend towards light-touch regulation,

and my first step was to set out a three-

tral Bank remained high, and the public was

the availability of cheap money, poor bank bal-

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

FINANCIAL

ance sheet management and Ireland’s high-

and reform was substantial and the way we

While we live in a world of confidentiality, the

ly-interconnected open economy all contrib-

work and the way we regulate has changed,

communications team have worked with our

uted to the Irish banking crisis. So too did

the outside perception of the Bank is taking

senior leadership to release externally as much

over-optimism on the part of the Central Bank,

much more time and effort to improve.

information on our work as feasible and we

the commercial banks themselves and industry commentators. When the crisis took hold from 2008 on, every Irish citizen paid a price, either through loss of jobs, equity or higher taxes and

have been incrementally adding transparen-

From the outside in

cy initiatives as we start to build our new approach. This has been possible due to the support of Governor Philip R. Lane (who joined the

reduced investment in infrastructure. The in-

The long tail of the crisis means Irish house-

Central Bank in 2015) and his team, who contin-

jection of public funds into the banking sys-

holds still carry a large debt burden, which is

ue to recognise the importance of good govern-

tem amounted to almost 40 per cent of Ire-

amongst the largest in the OECD. This is par-

ance, building long-term trust in the organi-

land’s GDP and contributed to Ireland’s entry

ticularly the case for the so-called ‘squeezed mid-

sation and giving the opportunity for us to

to an IMF-EU Programme. The Central Bank –

dle’. Our first public research, carried out two

explain our decisions.

and indeed, the European Central Bank – was

years ago, showed that trust levels were low, built

So what are we doing? We’ve just

at the centre of that story for many people.

on a lack of understanding of what the Central

launched a new website built on a ‘user first’

Bank does and why.

principle with specific content aimed at the

Over the last 10 years the organisation has undergone fundamental changes, while

Our first research told us that people find

public. We were the first Eurosystem Central

economic recovery has slowly taken hold. The

the Central Bank both powerful and aloof. De-

Bank to publish the minutes of meetings of

low levels of trust cannot be underestimated

spite the institutional overhaul, the significant-

our board, the Central Bank of Ireland Com-

when looking at the Central Bank’s commu-

ly-strengthened regulatory approach, the return

mission. While these minutes excluded de-

nication challenge. The failure of regulation

to a stable economy and our progress to become

tails of supervised firms, the publication pro-

in the crisis period left a big legacy across the

a strong and independent central bank, there is

cess has gone a long way towards building

organisation and across the nation. Patrick

a sense amongst the public that the Bank has

understanding of our work. Our publication

Honohan, Governor of the Central Bank of

not sufficiently atoned for its shortcomings in

of transcripts for key media interviews has

Ireland from 2009 to 2015 and who led the

the financial crisis. The research says that the

helped ensure our complex messages are ac-

overhaul of regulation at the Bank identified

Bank needs to show the public that the organi-

cessible to all stakeholders and not filtered by

that the culture in the organisation was over-

sation has learned from the crisis, taken action

the media alone.

ly hierarchical, deferential towards the finan-

and moved on.

We have also taken other initiatives.

So what are we doing to achieve this?

cial industry and discouraged challenge. From

We’ve published the diaries of our senior ex-

2011 on, Governor Honohan’s new leadership

Our first goal when I set out to build the new

ecutives, our corporate travel expenses and the

team started to review ways of working, ad-

communication strategy was to prioritise our

salary costs of all of our staff – from the Gov-

dress staff engagement issues, build leader-

target audiences for communications – these are

ernor to our facilities staff. As well as details

ship communication capability and create

the public, staff, parliamentary representatives

of expenditure and contracts, we’ve recently

a new culture around the way we want to

and the media. This is then complemented by

started publishing our correspondence with

work together as colleagues. During the ear-

our business strategy which places accountability

parliamentary committees. We’re also pub-

ly post crisis years, Governor Honohan and

and transparency as key governance pillars. This

lishing details of our engagement with stake-

his chief regulator, Matthew Elderfield, were

is then complimented by our three year commu-

holder groups while we plan greater engage-

both visible and effective in how they over-

nication strategy which is focused on enhanc-

ment with civil society and are in the process

hauled regulation and the culture of the or-

ing media relations, building our digital chan-

of expanding our corporate social responsi-

ganisation. However, while internal progress

nels and direct outreach to our key audiences.

bility programme. Elsewhere, we have just

Crises timeline

State guaranteed € 375 billion of liabilities as the population slept

IMF EU Programme: Banking sector shrinks, lending stalls, house prices plummet Domestic and international regulatory reform

Public reports 2008

2010

2011

Central Bank moves to new building

New borrower measures

2012–2014

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

Parliamentary inquiry into the crisis 2015

2016

2017

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STRATEGY

DESIGNING A SMOKE-FREE FUTURE This year, PMI launched a new manifesto with the aim of building a future on smoke-free products that will one day replace cigarettes. After a decade of investment culminating in the launch of a new portfolio of smokeless products, the change in company direction and promise to shareholders has set a new tone for the tobacco industry – and a new era for PMI’s communications.

BY TO N Y S N YD E R

I

have a question for you: how long will the

this number is projected to remain largely

causes or potential causes of smoking-related

world’s largest tobacco company still be

unchanged by 2025.

diseases such as lung cancer, cardiovascular

making cigarettes? That is a question we are trying to answer for ourselves. We do

not have the answer yet, but we know it will

Smoke-free products

come at some point.

disease, and emphysema.

We have developed smoke-free products that heat tobacco without burning it and accordingly generate much lower levels

Our vision to one day stop selling

Cigarette smoke contains flavours from the

of harmful chemicals. With over $3 billion

cigarettes is unprecedented for a tobacco

tobacco blend, as well as nicotine that exists

invested in R&D to date, we now have a

company. Many will question our motives

naturally in tobacco leaves. It’s these elements

suite of non-combustible products, including

based on the distrust surrounding our

in the smoke that consumers enjoy while

e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products,

industry; others will wonder why we would

smoking. However, the very same burning

which have the potential to significantly

completely change our existing, very profitable

process that releases the tobacco flavors and

reduce individual risk and population harm

business model. The answer to this question is

nicotine also produces over 8,000 chemicals, of

compared to continued smoking of cigarettes.

simple, because we can and we should.

which about 1 per cent have been identified as

We are leading a full-scale effort to ensure

We understand the millions of men

reduced risk products ultimately replace

and women who smoke cigarettes. Those who

cigarettes – to the benefit of adult smokers

don’t want to quit are looking for less harmful,

and society, our company and shareholders.

yet satisfying, alternatives to smoking. We have the resources to meet that demand and thanks to the imagination and perseverance of many at PMI we have developed breakthrough products that are smoke-free and enjoyable.

We are investing people, resources, time and money to develop further and assess the risk-reduction potential of these new, alternative products to cigarettes.

The tobacco industry means different things for different people . For some it is one of the most reviled industries that exists. And

“The tobacco industry means different things for different people.”

This decision has set our company on a new path. Amid the many global trends today, technological innovation is transforming our industry. For commercial, ethical and public health reasons, PMI is leading this transformation. Nearly three million smokers have already converted to our new products, and this is just the beginning.

In prioritising the development and commercialisation of these alternative products, we want to address the health impact of our combustible cigarette business

despite tobacco control efforts, the World

head-on, not only setting our company on a

Health Organization estimates that over a

new course, but also making a new contract

billion people currently smoke cigarettes, and

with society.

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

STRATEGY

relationship we have had with society has to move from the marketing of a brand to the embracing of a concept. And that requires a whole different set of messages, a whole different set of tools and a whole different agility to make sure we get traction.

Our new website, PMI.com, typifies our

When was the last time you visited the

PMI website?

intent. Lots of companies go through website revamps, but an exercise to update our website had a profound effect. As a company, it

Find out more on the new

really helped us establish a new tone of voice,

pmi.com

clarity and simplicity of language designed to demonstrate our commitment to openPMI_Poster_DTP_.indd 1

15/12/16 11:58

Part of PMI’s new poster campaign to raise awareness of their relaunched website / Image: PMI

ness, transparency and honesty. It also represented a significant milestone articulating the company’s shift and vision.

Facing a deficit of trust

Therefore, we have a duty to engage and ac-

The messaging we use on PMI.com is

tivate society. We need to educate on the fact

more than just a style of writing. It is a way

that there is a role for an alternative. It is not

of being. We are coming from below zero to

just a quit or die conundrum. Harm reduc-

earn trust and credibility, and it is important

Let me explain the journey we are taking as

tion is a third option to address the health ef-

we are plain speaking and transparent. There

a company and the communications chal-

fects of smoking.

simply is no time for ambiguity.

lenges we face to build the necessary support

That is where communications has

to accelerate a smoke-free future. In 2017 we

become not just something to reiterate the

launched our manifesto, Designing a Smoke-

position of a company, not just something

Free Future, which we published in conjunc-

of positioning the image of the corporation,

tion with a refreshed website, PMI.com. This

but has become something that really needs

is a very public declaration of our vision for a

to be at the forefront of this disruptive, pos-

smoke-free future, promoting a world where

itive change in our industry.

every smoker has an opportunity to make a

Our commitment to a smoke-free fu-

better choice. In fact, we believe the solution

ture has started a conversation. We want to

of a smoke-free world will benefit all stake-

ensure there is a debate in society. We rec-

holders, from investors to society. But this will

ognise and accept that there will always be

require the transformation of our industry

people who are on a side that says: “you can-

and the disruption of our business models.

not trust the industry”. We know that there

The transformation that we are going

is a deficit of trust. Why should you believe

through goes far beyond the product itself. It

what we have to say? And yet we know that

is a transformation of who we are and who

the message is so important that we have to

we collaborate with. Unfortunately, not every-

do everything we can to make sure it comes

body feels that we have the right to do that.

across. We feel we have a duty to advocate for

To some we have no right in society to talk

what we believe is right.

about the solution because we are so much

Our old communication stance was

part of the problem. Also, we often run into

very much based on a belief that if we stuck

the misconception that smoking is already

our head up we would be shot at. We were

sorted. People don’t see many smokers nowa-

not heavily involved in a wider dialogue with

days. They are not hanging around in bars and

society. We did not need explain who we are

restaurants in the way they were decades ago.

and where we want to go.

It is important regulation is updated

Now, we are moving from the back foot

to allow smokers information on smoke-free

to the front foot, out of the shadows into the

products and provide access to these prod-

world at large. This requires a lot of internal,

ucts, but this is not enough. Treating reduced

cultural and behavioural change. We have to

risk products like cigarettes confuses people

start building new relationships, new chan-

and does not encourage smokers to try them.

nels, and working with different partners. The

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

TOBACCO MEETS TECHNOLOGY According to PMI, its most popular smoke-free products use its tobacco heating system IQCS: over 2.9 million consumers are reported to have switched from cigarettes to this product.

IQOS use electronics that heat tobacco just enough to release a nicotine-containing vapour but without burning the tobacco.

The tobacco in a cigarette burns at temperatures in excess of 600°C, generating smoke that contains harmful chemicals. But IQOS heats tobacco to much lower temperatures, up to 350°C, without combustion, fire, ash or smoke. PMI claims that the lower temperature heating releases the taste of tobacco and that, because the tobacco is heated and not burned, the levels of harmful chemicals are significantly reduced compared to cigarette smoke. PMI have announced plans to make IQOS available in over 30 countries by the end of 2017.

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CONTENT

CURIOSITY-DRIVEN CONTENT What content is most engaging? Why? What can we learn from it? The same curiosity that drives research at CERN has helped develop its editorial content, with findings from a study into how people react to CERN social media helping shape and adapt its content. A few useful tips for crafting digital content and improving engagement.

BY KATE K A HL E

C

ERN, the European laboratory for

1. Education: to begin a journey, using social

weeks of data across five of CERN’s social media

particle physics, is home to the

media to link back to the website to encourage

channels. Each social media post in the study

Large Hadron Collider, the larg-

people to find out more; 2. Engagement: to foster

including an image, resulting in 214 posts in

est machine in the world. CERN

engagement and form an online community

total, of which 94 were newsworthy and 120

research is a global endeavour and the world

of stakeholders interested in the laboratory

wide web was born at the laboratory. In 2012,

and its work; 3. Marketing: to retain positive

CERN announced the discovery of a new parti-

sentiment towards the laboratory. By keeping

cle, known as the Higgs Boson and nicknamed

the sentiment positive and handling the negative

“the God particle” by the media. But a Higgs Bo-

sentiment constructively by responding as

son discovery doesn’t come along every day, so

appropriate to questions or concerns, CERN’s

how do we develop regular, engaging content?

strong brand identity is retained.

The editorial content development section

As well as creating and sharing content

includes the writing, web and social media teams.

about the latest advancements in particle physics

We source stories, craft written content and work

(CERN’s raison d’être), we also have regular social

with designers, photographers and videographers

media posts to share more stories and showcase

to showcase CERN in the best possible way. Our

engaging photos, with each post linking back

editorial content is just part of our communication,

to the CERN website. Every Thursday, we

education and outreach offerings, which are all

have a throwback Thursday post highlighting a moment in CERN’s history. Every Friday, we post a photo and ask people to guess what it is by adding their comments, then each Monday we post the answer with a link to find out more.

Testing our content

were simply attractive historic or quirky images.

Being surrounded by curiosity-driven research

Across these 214 posts, we identified 35 high-

at CERN, with scientists asking questions

engagement items and looked closely at these

about the fundamental building blocks of

to see what we could learn from them.

our universe, we can’t help but apply similar

For the highly engaging news items,

curiosity to our content creation. As a way

audiences reacted by liking, commenting, sharing

of testing whether our social media strategy

and clicking-through, but spent very little time

was effective, I collaborated with academics

on the webpage, quickly consuming the content

from Israel to publish a scientific study in 2016

and moving on. Interestingly though, of the 35

entitled Footprints of Fascination: Digital Traces

high-engagement items, more than half were

guided by our communication strategy. As a

of Public Engagement with Particle Physics on

not news-related but instead involved beautiful

component of this, CERN social media has three

CERN’s Social Media Platforms, available via

or surprising images. The power of imagery on

main strands to its strategy:

http://cern.ch/go/plos. We investigated eight

social media can work for organisations for

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

CONTENT

“Social media gives nontraditional opportunities to directly engage with the public.”

the same Twitter post in English and in French,

numbers when comparing #InTheory to

the English-language followers had all the

all CERN mentions on social media, there

information they needed in the tweet so were

were moments during the campaign when

less motivated to click-through. Whereas the

more people were talking about #InTheory

140-character-limit made the French tweet

than CERN. And did we keep people on the

a more enigmatic “clickbait”, with readers

website longer? Well, the final moment of

intrigued to find out more, resulting in 2.5 times

the #InTheory series saw the average time

the average click-throughs.

on the website increase from roughly two

Tailoring content to a specific audience

minutes to 14 minutes!

also led to higher engagement, be it a beautiful

Social media gives non-traditional

detector image shared with the visually minded

opportunities to directly engage with the

audience of Instagram or French Twitter users

public . We can convey the same message

being led to a whole publication of content in

with different packaging, to make it more

their native language and spending longer on

accessible and less formal. For example, each

the site by clicking through multiple stories.

year we prepare an April Fools fake news

A human focus is one of the most

story and in 2015, our Star Wars inspired

established attention-grabbing features in the media, and this is no different for a science-minded audience. One of the biggest stories during the data-taking period was the

marketing, engagement and education. We also

announcement that Fabiola Gianotti would

found that when social media took visitors to a

become director general of CERN. The comments

webpage including a video or virtual tour the

discussed different aspects of her identity as a

visit duration increased, especially when the

scientist, an Italian and a female, they related

video was placed further down the page and seen

to her and congratulated her on a personal

after reading the text. Retention also increased

level. In another example, a Facebook post took

when viewers were led to playlists where they

people to a series of stories written in the first

could click to watch additional videos.

person. Although the click-throughs were not

Social media posts with a higher than

higher than average, those that did click were

average number of comments were often due

engaged in the history and kept clicking further

to discourse in unexpected directions, with

to read the full long-form article.

the discussion dominated by arguments about unrelated, user-introduced topics. Social media provides a space for more engagement, but gives organisations less control of the message.

What can be controlled is how the comments

The human touch, humour and help

are addressed, either with a suitable response

April Fools story – CERN had discovered “the force” – resulted in 26.5K engagements

or by enforcing a comment policy. CERN’s for

The scientific study awakened our curiosity

on social media. Although not something

example is “CERN welcomes your comments

to test these trends even more. In particular,

we can do every day, these jokes do give us

and will moderate them using these guidelines:

we wanted to test human-interest stories and

an opportunity to tap into the lighter side of

Please keep comments relevant. Irrelevant,

whether they kept readers on the website for

science and strike a chord with our audiences.

inappropriate or offensive comments may be

longer. It was time to tell stories. In 2016, we had

CERN is part of a scientific community

deleted. Stay on topic. Other readers expect the

two series of long-form articles that showcased

so it’s important to collaborate on social media

comments about a post to deal with the topic at

theoretical physicists and experimental

with other organisations and laboratories. We

hand”. Thus, where comments are concerned, it is

physicists: #InTheory and #InPractice. Then

use our platforms to showcase the successes

important to read the content and tone carefully

in 2017, we launched #IWorkAtCERN, which

of others from congratulating the Physics

to really understand the effectiveness of a post.

began with the International Day of Women in

Nobel Prize winners, to highlighting the

Language played an unexpected role in our

Science but then went wider with more posts

gravitational waves discovery of LIGO. We

high-engagement items. CERN is a bilingual

to highlight different professions at CERN. We

also use #FollowFriday to highlight the

English and French organisation and although

wanted to highlight the people behind the science

worldwide particle physics research taking

our social media platforms are predominately

and showcase diversity around CERN, as well

place in national physics laboratories. As

English-language we do have a @CERN_FR

as keeping the audience on the website for

CERN scientists are strong ambassadors, we

Twitter account in French. When comparing

longer. What we saw was that despite lower

encourage them to use social media and have

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

27

ENGAGEMENT

SPARKING CONVERSATIONS WITH VIRTUAL REALITY To attract today’s talent it isn’t enough to highlight the work your organisation does.

Potential employees want to know what it feels like to work in it. For this, Siemens found that a simple cardboard device came in handy.

BY R O SA R I ER A

dress. These questions include: what does it

It is about how the people view the

feel like to be part of a team that worked on

organisation as an employer. In contrast to classic corporate branding,

employer branding is not primarily about an organisation’s products and services.

Take my company, Siemens. We do some amazing stuff. Among other things, we are currently working on doubling Egypt’s energy production, finding ways to prevent malaria, making cities smarter and more eco-efficient, designing mobile, autonomous, and connected 3D printing robots and helping NASA explore Mars. In short, we are changing the world through engineering.

Highlighting these things will help attract talent, for sure. But talent today has plenty of ways of finding out about a company’s portfolio: through ads, business news, events and many other channels. And the power of a portfolio as an attractor is waning, with talent becoming ever more interested in the deep-

“What really sparks an interest in our company as a potential employer is a presentation of the human side.”

this company’s products and services? What does it take to develop the products? How does delivering the services shape the working week? What were the challenges along the way? Questions like these often provide the best answers for interested prospects as to whether they might fit into an organisation.

Recently, the need to communicate this more human aspect of working at an organisation has increased due to shifts in labour market preferences. Before we started to develop our own new employer brand, we put a lot of effort into trying to understand these shifts and the ways in which today’s internal and external talent markets are evolving. From this we gained valuable insights into what today’s labour market expects from employers, enabling us to develop our employer value proposition.

An example of a recent shift in labour

er questions that even platforms like Glass-

market preferences is the one highlighted in

door or Kununu, where employees can review

a recent study by Universum, a specialist

their employer, often do not adequately ad-

in talent market intelligence and employer

30

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

Assembly instructions for a virtual reality cardboard viewer given to Siemens employees / Image: Siemens

E

mployer branding is about identity.

ENGAGEMENT

branding, which found that within Genera-

doing this, but knew that using technology to

tion Z, 55 per cent prefer the idea of found-

drive scale and, furthermore, selecting a tech-

ing or at least working for a start-up to that

nology that would by its very nature give em-

of working for an established player. For Siemens, these shifts have led to a decline in our attractiveness scores as an employer. Merely doing impressive things no longer automatically makes us the kind of place where a gifted engineer, data scientist or technologist might consider working.

Although we have found that the preferencet for start-ups is often based on a misunderstanding of what is like to work for an established player, at the same time we have come to recognise that correcting this misunderstanding is more than a matter of presenting facts and figures. Data can, of course, point prospective employees in the right direction. But according to our research, what really sparks an interest in our company as a

“The rationale for choosing virtual reality is its immersive features and ability to transport people into another world.”

ployees and prospects something interesting and relevant to talk about, would resonate particularly well in an engineering company like Siemens.

So, among other things, we decided to produce state-of-the-art virtual reality documentary videos featuring colleagues working in different countries and different businesses. We call these featured employees “Siemens Future Makers” because we want to highlight how they are able to put their unique experience, capabilities and expertise to use at our company not just to do a job but to contribute to making the future of engineering happen.

The rationale for choosing virtual reality as a channel is based on its immersive features and ability to transport people into

potential employer is a presentation of the hu-

another world. This technology offers a com-

man side of working at it. In order to change

pletely new way of imparting what it is like to

people’s perceptions of working at a large com-

operate in a particular environment, such as in

pany like Siemens, we found that it is crucial

the work environment at Siemens. The series

that they connect on a human level and feel

of virtual reality documentary videos that we

something. This insight now forms the basis

have produced allows the audience to step into

for employer branding at Siemens.

the various different worlds of work inhabited by different Siemens employees around

The conversation principle

always at the human level and thus provide

the world. They enable prospective employ-

an important insight into what it is like to

ees to experience on a very personal level how

work at Siemens.

these employees spend the working day and

This conversation principle is influenc-

how the impact of their work on society mo-

We know that the most powerful way to

ing all of our employer branding activities. In

tivates them. The employees and stories fea-

find out what working at an organisation is

early 2017, for example, we relaunched siemens.

tured in these documentaries were selected

like is through speaking with someone who

com/careers, the second-most frequently vis-

in collaboration with colleagues from the re-

works there. And we know that the more our

ited website at siemens.com, restructuring it

spective countries to ensure that the content

world digitalises, the more a personal con-

around employee-driven stories that provide

is relevant and authentic and represents Sie-

versation with an old college friend or for-

an authentic look at what it is like to work

mens in the most insightful way.

mer colleague will stand out from a message

at Siemens. Our aim is to give potential can-

To ensure that the experience is scala-

carefully curated by a company department.

didates as unedited an account as possible

ble in practice we employed technology that is

This dialogue creates a much more person-

of what they can expect from Siemens as an

easy to use and easy to share. We created an

al impression of an organisation and helps

employer. We believe that, as long as we re-

app, Siemens 360°, for iOS and Android. This

convey its culture. This is why at Siemens we

sist trying somehow to inject corporate jar-

app, used in combination with the virtual re-

have introduced a new employer branding

gon or corporate messaging into the dialogue,

ality Google Cardboard viewers that, branded

strategy based on sparking conversations,

these conversations are the best tool we have

with our own logo, we were able to produce in

namely ones about the future of engineering

for spreading knowledge about what it is like

huge numbers at relatively low cost, is start-

and what it takes to get there.

to work at our company and the kind of cul-

ing to make it possible for pretty much an-

ture that awaits a new recruit.

yone around the world with a connection to

These conversations are not intended to take place on an abstract level between

And while developing the new strate-

or interest in Siemens to experience virtual

our company and the talent market. The aim

gy, we asked not only what content we could

reality and to do so within the context of the

is to spark a multitude of conversations with

use to spark these conversations but also how

Siemens employer brand. As with all our em-

society. They can be initiated internally or ex-

we could spark these conversations at scale.

ployer branding activities, the initial focus was

ternally. The important thing is that they are

We were pretty agnostic as to how to go about

internal. This was not just because we were

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

31

MONITOR

DIGITAL AND VISUAL The 2017 European Communication Monitor shows that the strategic communication function is undergoing a fundamental transformation.

BY DEJA N V E R Č I Č A N D A N S GA R Z E R FAS S

I

nformation and communication technologies and the digital, social and mobile media that develop from them are fundamentally changing strategic com-

From words to pictures

The problem is that, for decades, the most sought competency in communication was written language, first native tongue and later also English. It is therefore not unu-

munication. This is far more than an instru-

sual that every second communication pro-

mental development – today’s economic, so-

For millennia, western civilisation has been

fessional admits to have limited competen-

cial and business environment forces us to

based on words. We are a literal civilisation.

cies in visual communication.

rethink the mission and contribution of com-

Our education is about reading and writing.

The fastest growth in visual commu-

munication in organisations.

Whatever social problem we have, we expect

nication is in the use of online videos (e.g.

The results of the 2017 European Com-

to solve it with higher literacy (‘health liter-

web clips), infographics (e.g. explanatory

munication Monitor present this transfor-

acy’, ‘financial literacy’, ‘media literacy’ and

content), instant photos (spontaneous, un-

mation in many domains, four of which are

so on). This era may be over. 94.4 per cent of

edited) and business graphics (such as ta-

presented in this article: visualisation of com-

the communicators interviewed for the 2017

bles and figures) – all directly related to ad-

munication, automatisation and robots, the

European Communication Monitor witness

vances of digital, social and mobile media.

need for strategy taking precedence over op-

a trend from verbal towards visual commu-

With mobile taking the pole position, this

erations, and that communication quality

nication. Seven out of 10 communicators ex-

trend will only accelerate.

must become certified, i.e. evidence based and

perience rising demand for visual communi-

As digital natives (people who were

not only implicitly assumed. Communica-

cation from their stakeholders. 89.5 per cent

born in the digital age) grow older and be-

tion management has entered the 21st centu-

agree that visual communication requires

come the majority of customers, employ-

ry as a recognised function, but its full affir-

new competencies by practitioners, but only

ees and other stakeholders, visual may take

mation depends on its ability to take the lead

every second believes specific management

precedence over literal with unforeseeable

in embracing hypermodernity (as an era fol-

processes are needed to master the upcom-

consequences. Professional communicators

lowing postmodernity) and its communica-

ing challenges (Figure 1).

must catch up.

tive features.

Visual communication requires specific competencies by communication professionals

89.5%

Visual communication requires specific management structures and processes

50.5% Agree (scale 4 – 5)

33.1% Neutral (scale 3)

Fig. 1: Prerequisites for handling visual communication in organisations

34

7.6%

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

Disagree (scale 1 – 2)

16.3%

2.8%

MONITOR

“Today’s economic, social and business environment forces us to rethink the mission and contribution of communication in organisations.”

Romania (21.6%)

Germany (67.1%)

Austria (53.4%)

Czech Republic (24.0%)

Switzerland (45.8%)

Poland (33.3%) Netherlands (38.4%)

Turkey (31.6%)

France (32.0%)

Serbia (37.7%) Belgium (32.0%)

United Kingdom (37.0%)

Croatia (22.6%)

Ireland (33.7%) Slovenia (25.6%) Sweden (34.0%) Italy (30.6%) Norway (35.2%)

Spain (35.8%) Finland (35.6%)

Western Europe Northern Europe Southern Europe Eastern Europe Fig. 2: Attention to the debate about social bots in key countries across Europe

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

35

BRANDING

ARTS PATRONAGE 2.0 Several high-profile examples of relationships between companies and the arts show the media appeal of cultural collaborations. But how can truly creative communications emerge from these unlikely partnerships?

BY ANASTAS I A E L A E VA

C

onsumers are becoming more demanding and, as several recent surveys show, brands need to go beyond merely providing a

quality product or service to win customers’

hearts and minds. They need to create memorable experiences and engage target audiences around their points of passion and interests, with art being a key way to do that. At the same time, faced with constant cuts in pub-

lic funding, cultural institutions are looking

Swatch Art Peace Hotel / Photo: Swatch Ltd.

at establishing corporate partnerships with the goal of making their operations more sustainable. Therefore, collaborations between companies and cultural organisations have the potential to invigorate the brand’s communications while filling a widening gap in

Beyond logo sponsorship

the art world. However, to be successful, such

For years, BMW has been involved in a variety of art initiatives ranging from BMW Art Cars, created in collaboration with acclaimed artists, to sponsorships of world-renowned

initiatives should be based on a clear long-

Our research shows that successful art collab-

cultural institutions, festivals and events. In

term strategy, take into account each side’s

orations require significant commitment in

2015 the company launched an extension to

sensibilities and goals as well as engage a va-

terms of time, effort and investment. One-off

its long-term partnership with the Art Basel

riety of internal and external stakeholders.

projects based on stamping an artistic image

contemporary art fair, the BMW Art Journey.

With the goal of determining what

on a product or a brand’s logo on a press wall

Built around the brand’s idea of mobility, the

makes creative partnerships work and what

at a sponsored cultural event could potential-

award goes beyond just financial support and

trends are driving their future, we conducted

ly do more damage than bring benefits. Such

offers artists from the fair’s emerging art

an international study: Brands and the Arts:

superficial involvement demonstrates that

section an opportunity to undertake a jour-

Making Creative Partnerships Work – Trends,

the brand lacked the effort needed to prop-

ney of creative discovery. Winners can go al-

Best Practices and Insights into Successful Col-

erly understand the arts community and to

most anywhere in the world by any means

laborations. The study analyses more than 40

communicate with it in a meaningful way. To

of transportation to conduct research, make

corporate art programmes and includes in-

be effective, brand engagement with the arts

contacts and create new artworks.

terviews with consultants and managers re-

should go further, and many long-time corpo-

The Swedish alcohol brand Absolut

sponsible for engagements at major global

rate art supporters are constantly reviewing

has been collaborating with artists for over

brands such as Absolut, BMW, Cadillac, Da-

their programmes to try out new approach-

30 years. Its arts strategy also includes the

vidoff, Dior, Hennessy and Swatch, to name

es and to make existing initiatives more stra-

Absolut Art Award for artists and cultural

just a few.

tegic, systematic and sustainable.

writers as well as special art bars at major

40

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

BRANDING

cultural events around the world. In 2015, Absolut went even further, creating a separate entity, Absolut Art, a venture that strives to bring more art to people’s homes and presents an online portal where the works of emerging artists can be discovered and bought at affordable prices.

Swatch has been partnering with creatives around its art watch editions since the foundation of the Swiss brand in 1980s. Today, it also serves as the main partner of the Venice Biennale where it presents installations by contemporary artists and works created by the participants of the Swatch artist residency in Shanghai.

BMW Art Car Cao Fei / Photo: Liu Chunquan

BMW Art Journey / Photo: Abigail Reynolds

creative freedom, some brands are partnering with artists who have criticised them specifically or the consumer culture in general. For example, for its spring 2017 collection, US apparel retailer J.Crew collaborated with the street artist Michael De Feo, who had previously challenged the brand and its corporate messaging by painting on top of its ads.

As contemporary art often requires so-

Davidoff Art Initiative Studio / Photo: Alfredo Esteban Morales

phisticated technology and materials, this rep-

New brand roles: art experience creator, content creator and educator

resents another opportunity to cooperate and the watch industry (i.e. Richard Mille, Hublot,

to make artistic dreams a reality. The chem-

and Romain Jerome), are starting to collabo-

ical corporation BASF recently collaborated

rate with trendy street, graffiti and tattoo artists.

with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Studies have confirmed the value of the

in New York and the American artist Doug

“art fusion” phenomenon, which suggests that

Wheeler around his ‘PSAD Synthetic Desert

the art has the power to bring creative energy

III’ installation. For almost 50 years, Wheeler

to a brand and to influence its positioning. So,

thought about creating a serene and silent es-

if partnerships around classic culture deliver

cape, and this was eventually realised with the

We are also witnessing more unexpected part-

connotations of heritage, luxury and prestige,

help of BASF’s sound-absorbing material Ba-

nerships. For example, to reach younger audi-

collaborations with contemporary artists can

sotect. The company became so involved into

ences and to add an edgy flair to their products,

highlight a brand’s connection with the present.

installation development, it eventually took

some high-end heritage brands, especially in

To showcase their openness and respect for

on sponsorship of the exhibition.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

41

COLLABORATION

COLLABORATION TRAINING IN AN ERA OF CONNECTIVITY Do we really know collaboration? Or do we just think we know? Spoiler: it’s more than just the act of working together with someone. To define, encourage and improve on collaboration at your workplace, perhaps it is time to look at games for inspiration and training.

BY R A J I V VA I D BASA I AWM O I T

Cooperation

+

Collaboration

+

T

Collaboration can’t be turned on with the flick of a switch

hese days, one often hears that

timates made in 2012) that by 2020 we will be

“collaboration is the new black”.

more than four billion connected people, us-

I first encountered this phrase in

ing over 25 billion embedded and intelligent

2010 when the pharmaceutical in-

systems and sharing over 50 trillion gigabytes

dustry and the biotech industry argued for

of data. I will let that sink in for a second. We

more collaboration. We have of course come a

are not only entering an era of connectivity but

In principle any activity, when framed in the

long way since 2010. The tools of modern soci-

are entering an era of unprecedented connec-

right context, may lead to collaboration. How-

ety have changed – we are much more mobile

tivity in the history of humankind. This kind

ever, unlike cooperation, collaboration cannot

than before, data is much more accessible than

of connectivity is setting up demands for col-

be turned on with the flick of a switch. There

before and we are increasingly more connect-

laboration that are also unprecedented. How-

is a fundamental difference between collab-

ed. In fact, the International Data Corporation

ever, do we really know how to collaborate, or

oration and co-operation. In collaboration,

has predicted (and these are conservative es-

are we only cooperating?

partners have a mutual shared goal with a

46

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

COLLABORATION

The idea of using simulations and games for

thing that is innate or easy to do, why train for

training is not new. For instance, in 1970 the

it in the first place? But as explained earlier, this

Financial Times released a “National Manage-

stems from the fact that most people mistake

ment Game” that successfully ran for 15 years

their cooperativeness (defined by friendly ges-

and involved more than 70,000 people. The

tures, willingness to share information, pleas-

game tried to simulate the day-to-day running

ant behaviour and so on) with collaboration.

of a business and train managers to manage fic-

The second observation also touches on hu-

tive balance sheets and handle competition. Pi-

man behaviour – coupled to an acceptance of

lots have long had to train for many hours on

dogma – that competition is always good and

flight simulators before flying passenger planes

that societies only advance by being competi-

on their own. Medical students are accustomed

tive. This is also reflected in traditional game

to training on cadavers or plastic patients that

design which defines games as “a system in

are pre-programmed with symptoms. So what

which players engage in an artificial conflict,

is new about using games for training today?

defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable

What has changed is the landscape and the com-

outcome” (to quote Katie Salen and Eric Zim-

plexity of games and the ease of accessing, de-

merman in Rules of Play: Game design Funda-

signing and using them. In the past, the entry

mentals). This understanding is also amplified

barrier for simulations had always been high.

by the concept of the Nobel-prize winning Game

Not so today. These days, thanks to technolo-

Theory, which, according to Wikipedia, is “the

high-degree of trust and a high level of in-

gies such as Unity, game design is much more

study of mathematical models of conflict and

ter-dependency. In a cooperation, on the oth-

accessible than ever before. Board games have

cooperation between intelligent rational deci-

er hand, the partners might be inter-dependent

also made a comeback and the board games

sion-makers” and which contrasts games as ei-

but they undertake the partnership with indi-

of today are very different from the simplistic

ther Zero-sum (‘I win or you lose’ logic) or non

vidual goals in mind. Thus, cooperation might

games of the past. They are complex, engaging

zero-sum (win-win or lose-lose logic).

deliver a shared outcome but is built on indi-

and very well designed. These “serious games”

Thus, according to traditional Game The-

vidual goals, whereas true collaboration deliv-

have established an identity of their own. Fur-

ory, games fall into two categories: competitive

ers on a mutual goal and shared value. Cooper-

thermore, the entry and evolution of gamifica-

(for example chess and checkers) or cooperative

ation is comparatively easier to achieve which

tion defined as “the use of games/game-mechan-

(for example, Settlers of Catan). But there is a

is also why more examples of cooperation can

ics in non-game contexts” (Sebastian Deterding,

third genre: that of collaborative games (for ex-

be found than of collaboration.

Gamification: Toward a definition) has cement-

“Collaborative games need to have certain elements to boost collaboration.”

ed the central role of games and gamification

Gaming as a way to facilitate and train for collaboration

in society today.

Effective game design

True collaboration is a process (and thus can be

It should, however, be reiterated that a game is

learned), it is a mindset (and thus can be incul-

only as good as the design behind it. Needless

cated), and is essentially dynamic (i.e. it requires

to say, a game designed to ask the right ques-

flexibility). This is where games and gamifica-

tions will always deliver greater value than just

tion set in. Games designed with collaboration

a good-looking game. While games have en-

in mind require one to spend time with oth-

tered the 21st century and are more pervasive

ers engaged in an activity towards a common

than in the past, games designed for true col-

goal. This allows for trust-building which is an

laboration are still rather rare. The reason for

essential ingredient of collaboration. Anoth-

this can be multi-faceted, though two general

er important ingredient is a level-playing field

observations can be made: 1) The demand for

within a safe environment where players ex-

serious collaboration games is not very high; 2)

change ideas, opinions, strategies, perspectives

The history of game-design itself has often re-

and so on without fear of judgement – gaming

lied on competition as the main driver for en-

often creates this. Often these exchanges con-

gagement with the game.

tinue post-game and lead to real-world boosts

The first observation is rather easy to explain –

in collaboration.

as collaboration has often been viewed as some-

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

COMPETITIVE, COOPERATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE GAMES ••

In a competitive game goals of players are diametrically opposed.

••

A cooperative game models a situation where two or more individuals have interests that are “neither completely opposed nor completely coincident” (John Nash) (e.g.

Settlers of Catan).

••

Collaborative games: Collaboration as a team differs from cooperation among individuals in that cooperative players may have different goals and payoffs where collaborative players have only one goal and share the rewards or penalties of their decisions. (e.g. Pandemic, Dungeons & Dragons)

47

#KEEPQUESTIONING

#KEEPQUESTIONING

MELISSA FLEMING In the face of public apathy, can one human story illuminate a large-scale crisis? We put your questions to the head of communications of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

52

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

#KEEPQUESTIONING

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

53

#KEEPQUESTIONING

“Communicators who speak about people as statistics might make headlines but they won’t build compassion, foster change and inspire action.”

W

hen 19 year old Doaa and her boyfriend Bassam, Syrian refugees trapped in a grinding existence in Egypt, handed over all of Bassam’s life savings to refugee smugglers for a journey on a rusting fishing

boat, little could they have imagined the horrors that lay ahead. After their boat was attacked and left to capsize in the Mediterranean,

Doaa – but not Bassam – was finally found by rescuers after four days in the water, one of just 11 people who survived from the boat.

How do we know this? Because Doaa’s experiences before, during and after these harrowing events have found a storyteller – Melissa Fleming, head of communications for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – who developed Doaa’s narrative into an online article, then a Ted Talk, then a book... and soon a major motion picture produced by Steven Spielberg. In the first of our new series of #keepquestioning interviews, we invited communication professionals from across Europe to put their questions to the head of communications of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) about the strategy behind UNHCR’s storytelling, the fight against apathy and their long-term vision for supporting refugees.

Melissa Fleming on stage at the 2017 European Communication Summit / Photo: Bernal Revert

54

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

#KEEPQUESTIONING

Helen Palmer Strategic Media Director, Weber Shandwick: “The stories you have told are heart rending and it is hard to comprehend how people could be unmoved by them. However, apathy and prejudice about refugees still persist. How do we reach and move those people who will never watch a TED talk or read a newspaper account of a refugee’s story?”

We are doing audience research in a number of key countries to determine people’s attitudes toward refugees and also where they get their information. We also test how various Karin Helmstaedt Television and Event Presenter:

groups respond to certain messages. This allows us to decide

“You’ve taken Doaa’s story a long way: it's become a book and

not just whom we should target but also with what kind of

it is going to become a film. Yet this story will also run its

news and stories, via which medium and how we want them

course, it will reach a point of saturation. Do you have other

to respond. We are trying to move away from just preach-

stories in the pipeline to replace it when you need to make

ing to the converted and working to reach the undecided

the next assault on the lack of empathy?”

and anxious middle. People who care about a fair society,

It is amazing to me how Doaa’s story has not run its course,

human rights and helping people in need but who have very

but actually keeps resonating with new audiences. If I accept-

legitimate worries. We don’t bother trying to convince the far

ed all the speaking requests I am getting, I could be telling her

right who operate on a platform of hate toward migrants and

story full-time around the world! But yes, there are so many

refugees.

other important refugee stories that I and my team are committed to telling. To build empathy, these stories must show

Kathleen Noonan Director of Philanthropies and Education

the person’s resilience, and also that there is hope. For one, a

Communications, Europe, Microsoft:

young Yazidi woman from Iraq recently reached out to me

“In the past, UNHCR worked closely with celebrities and ambas-

wanting me to tell her story. She and her two younger sisters

sadors to draw attention to specific programmes and crises. You

were kidnapped by ISIS and held as sex slaves. She managed

are now expanding beyond that approach and doing innovative

to escape after two years in horrific captivity and get resettled

partnerships with Humans of New York and working with vir-

to Canada. But her sisters are still enslaved.

tual reality to draw attention to the Syrian Refugee crisis. Why have you made the decision to shift your storytelling strategy,

Ivo Banek Managing Partner, Communication Works:

and how you have implemented it?”

“How do you balance empathy and the professional distance

We haven’t fundamentally shifted our strategy – we are still

you need in order to be credible as a communicator?”

working with traditional media and with celebrities as Goodwill

In my field, if you don’t feel empathy yourself with the refu-

Ambassadors. But we have expanded our reach through other

gees you are representing, then you will have no credibility.

partnerships. Your Humans of New York example is a good

As the saying goes, “statistics are human beings with the tears

one. We reached out to Brandon Stanton when the U.S. gov-

dried off.” Communicators who speak about people as statistics

ernment and media were expressing concerns about resettling

might make headlines but they won’t build compassion, foster

Syrian refugees. We arranged for him to meet with refugees in

change and inspire action. That is why I travel frequently to

Jordan and Turkey who were scheduled to depart for the U.S.

war zones and refugee camps to meet refugees and learn about

His photographs and storytelling generated an enormous wave

their circumstances. That said, taking in refugee stories can be

of sympathy and funds. One of the refugees, a Syrian inven-

overwhelming too. You feel a kind of secondary trauma, which

tor, was even invited to the White House and seated next to

can cause a lot of stress and feelings of guilt. So it is important

Michele Obama for the State of the Union address. We have

to recognise how lucky we are to live in a peaceful place, to have

also recently partnered with Google to create this innovative

passports, to have a home and to be able to chose where we live.

website, Searching for Syria which shows Syria then and now.

Only then can we have the strength to help others.

Media partnerships are absolutely crucial to getting our message out and placing our content.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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ISSUE FOCUS

ISSUE FOCUS

ISSUE FOCUS

The personalisation of communications 60

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