Best practices from the Netherlands Planning and implementing government communication

1. Best practices from the Netherlands Planning and implementing government communication Saturday, November 29

2. Today 09.00 Formulate it: public communication strategy 10.30 Coffee break 11.00 Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, Koos Tamis 12.30 Lunch 13.30 Group work: What’s the communication strategy? 14.30 Plenary reports and discussions 15.15 Tea break 15.30 Implementing it: do it, check and adapt 17.00 Closing remarks and questions 17.30 End of day 2

3. Formulate it Public communication strategy

4. Formulating strategy starts with setting the right goals • What effect do we want to achieve? • Knowledge • Attitude • Behaviour • With whom? Who are the target groups? Who has access to the target groups?

5. Communication goals depend on target groups • How are target groups involved in the subject? • Rational (thinking) or emotional (feeling) • How do target groups perceive the risks regarding the subject? • Financial risk (fine or subsidy) • Social risk (status) • Personal risk (health, comfort)

6. Participation goals • Joint knowledge • Joint thinking • Joint action • Joint decision making

7. SMART goals • Specific. What to achieve with whom. • Measurable. Is it measurable? • Acceptable. Can communication do this? • Realistic. Considering the gaps. • Time bound. Time to be effective.

8. Strategic choices • Positioning the subject (naming) • Key message (promise, proof, tone) • Who is sender of communication? • Target group segmentation • Resources strategy (media, activities) • Designing a communication process according to a time schedule

9. Positioning the subject • How would you name a project? • What is the most important thing you want your public to know, or remember about the subject? • Dutch example: • Shop Closing Hour Act

10. You only get one chance to make a great first impression!

11. Key message • What is the promise? • What is proof you can tell or show? • What tone of voice is most effective?

12. Tone of voice • Alarming / warning • Emotional • Rational/functional • Instructive • Persuasive • Encouraging • Offering a solution

13. Who is the sender? • Acceptable? • Reliable? • Likeable? • Known?

14. This is the sender ‘Dutch central government’

15. But it will change radically into...

16. Campaigns, execution of plans in a ‘communicative’ way Tell about the plans, emphasis on press Plan Do Interactive sessions with target groups to ‘co-create’ new plans Measure results and listen to the target groups Adapt Check Policy process and communication

17. Identify target groups • Who are causing the issue? • Who is key to solving the issue? • Who is (co-)responsible? • Is there any form of organization? • Who is possibly influencing the knowledge, attitude or behaviour of these groups?

18. Insight into target groups • Could there be lack of knowledge? • Is attitude causing the issue? • Demographic characteristics? • Which media do the target groups use?

19. Research on target groups Quantitative sources • Policy research • Central Statistical Office • Media Surveys • Internal sources: own monitoring, tracking survey, databases

20. Research on target groups Qualitative sources • Opinion polls • Interviews with opinion leaders • Media analysis • Stakeholder analysis • ‘Persona’ description

21. Strategy around 3 pillars • Factual message: new rules • Communication in four phases • Multiple tracks aimed at different target groups

22. 1. Factual message • New rules for disability benefits • Long lasting benefits only for those who are incapable of work • In other cases: new rules • Employer and employee should work together • For more information….

23. 2. Four phases ▶ Duration ▶ Reach PRE-PHASE ATTENTION CONFRONTATION INFORMATION

24. 3. Three tracks ▶ Duration Specific groups Intermediaries Public/employers ▶ Reach INFORMATION PRE-PHASE ATTENTION CONFRONTATION

25. Resources strategy • Pressmedia (TV/Radio, print, online) • Advertising (TV/Radio, print, online) • Through third-parties • Outdoor/indoor media (billboards) • Live events (on- and offline) • Co-creation (on- and offline)

26. Reach Costs Media – selection criteria • In target group and other groups (waste) • High versus low • Actual reach versus longer term reach Impact • Costs per 1000 • Media costs (e.g. broadcasting costs) • Production costs Frequency • Needed number of contacts with the message • Contact with medium is contact with message?

27. Be aware.. • Impact is hard to buy • Strengths and weaknesses • Media consumption: insights in target groups (day in the life of)

28. Good reach/high capacity/high flexibility/low costs Low reach/low capacity/low flexibility/high costs Mediumtype matrixCharacteristics of different types of media © 2003 RVD / Publiek en Communicatie Medium reach/medium capacity/medium flexibility/medium costs

29. Chosen resources • Publicity through press office • TV and radio commercials, print ads in newspapers and magazines, and an online banners referring to the campaign website • Relevant third parties communicating to their members • Online benefits calculating tools

30. Case Koos Tamis Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management

31. Group assignment What’s the communication strategy?

32. Assignment • Form groups • Read the handout and discuss it with your group • Prepare a short presentation (10 minutes), answering the questions on the handout • Include the reasoning behind your answers

33. Implementing it Do it, check and adapt!

34. Make it happen • Working structure (‘management’) • Report actions and results • Translate the strategy into • Creative concept (if applicable) • Means and activities • Action plan

35. Working structure • Sponsor/owner of the campaign • Steering committee • Sounding board • Project team • Private parties, such as creative agency and/or communication agency, media buying agency, event organizers

36. Plot target groups + actions

37. Communication calendar

38. Creative concept • Points out the essence of the WIA • It’s not about what you can’t do anymore (red light) • It’s about what you still can do (green light) • Work according to capacity (pay off)

39. Print ads

40. benefits calculating website

41. Check it • Quantitative research to measure effectiveness of communication • Qualitative pre-test of (concept-) versions of commercials, websites • Evaluate with stakeholders • If needed, adapt the actions, or even the strategy

42. Closing remarks Planning and implementing government communication

43. Planning communication requires • Knowing what you’re talking about • Knowing where you want to go • Knowing who you’re talking to • Being interested in getting a response • Getting to the heart of the matter

44. And it requires • Thinking from the perspective of your target groups or audiences • Guts to try and experiment!

45. Dutch examples of exploring new ways • Cell broadcast in case of emergency • Videos online from the Public Prosecution Service • Sponsored TV shows and magazines • Web logs of ministers, mayors • Take a look at government.nl and the websites of individual Dutch ministries

46. ‘PO Box 51’ the national public information service • Website, telephone and e-mail enquiries • Free phone-line (weekdays 8am to 8pm) • Available in case of crisis • Distribution of brochures and leaflets • PO Box 51 pages on Teletext • Radio magazine (15’ a week)