Posts filed under ‘corporate communications’
Biofuels debate gets sexy
How about this for the use of digital to get across a very stark political message, in dare we say it a sexy way? As with many of the videos out there, it’s US based. It also dates from 2006.
However, it does seems quite relevant in today’s debate in Brussels about the use of biofuels, which is due to recommence in Committees next week. And we do after all have a tariff of ethanol too, which according to today’s FT is the highest in the world. In any case, we seem to be forgetting in the current debtate that there are some good reasons to move away from oil and the video reminds us in its own beautiful digital way.
n.b. in the name of openness and transparency, we should point out that we (FH Brussels) have an interest in this debate through parts of our client base, who are most definitely in favour of promoting the development of a global market for sustainable biofuels. The video is therefore of a professional as well as personal interest to us…
Why Brussels public affairs practitioners should be helping Google
There has been a number of articles in the press recently about concerns about potentials falls in revenue for search engine giant Google, contradicted somewhat by other reports that companies’ ad spend is continuing to move online. Whatever the truth, it strikes us that public affairs people in Brussels should consider using Google Adwords as standard part of their advocacy programmes towards the EU institutions.
For those not au fait with Google Adwords, they are the “sponsored links” that appear on the right and top of the search results every time you enter a search term. You pay a very small sum (cents rather than Euro) everytime someone clicks on your ad and gets to your website. Where you come in the sponsored links is based on how much you say you are willing to pay for the click through and how often people searching actually click thru’.
It may seem strange for a PR agency to promote the use of advertising, especially in the context of EU public affairs, but there are a number of things about “search engine marketing” that we think suit our needs in a Brussels context.
1. It’s extremely targeted, you can reach out to people who are actually looking for information that you are providing. An added bonus is that you can choose to advertise to internet searches coming from only certain countries. BTW – the EP’s IP address is located in Luxembourg…so if you are trying to reach EP researchers, advertising there alone should do the trick…
2, It’s cheap. At the most we can be talking a few hundred Euro.
3. Like all of us, where do you think policymakers and their staff turn when they need info? Google…
4. It can drive your message to a wide range of people interested in your issue at little cost, even if only a small (but really important) bunch of people click thru. 100,000 people may search for your term and see your message in the ad, even if only 20 click thru.
As an example, think of a situation where an MEP asks his/her assistant to do some basic research on an issue raised in Committee or to provide some background for an amendment that they are going to write. Now hopefully, as is our standard practice, you’ve met and briefed the rapporteur, shadows, political advisors etc. But what about the 30 other members of the committee who you’d rather not alert to your issue if you don’t have to, but all of whom could table amendments on take a position on the basis of a brief chat with one of your opponents? Chances are you don’t know everyone well enough that they will pick up the phone and ring you to ask that question.
In an ideal world, your trade association or corporate website would be optimised to get to the top of the rankings on all key issues for your industry. But let’s face it, this is not always going to be possible given the array of topics for any one company and is perhaps a longer term project (with which we can help too…)
As a test, on your current issue, think of the search terms someone might use in the Parliament to find out more about the issue and type it in to Google. See what comes up… This is the information your target audience is looking at. It might be worth investing a few hundred Euro on Adwords, not only to help Google but to help your own efforts.
BTW – to show we are putting our money where our mouth is, we are currently running our own AdWords campaign for FH Brussels.
Pat keeps on trucking
Our much heralded visitor, Pat Cleary from our DC office, duly delivered earlier this week in a digital event on harnessing digital in public affairs and communications for Brussels trade associations. More of this later.
In between talking to us and our friends about digital and of course the US elections (Pat is part of the vast rightwing conspiracy), Pat of course continued his day job. The time difference ensuring his day went on and on…a bit like the return from Italy some of us endured at the beginning of the week (it was all going well until Belgium).
In any case, we thought you may appreciate seeing the fruits of his hard labour (and that of our DC digital team). It features two of the things that have been keeping many of us in the Brussels office out of the sunshine this week; climate change and a trade association… Enjoy.
Safe journey home Pat.
Event: Harnessing digital for your Brussels trade association
After trailing this in several recent posts, it’s our pleasure to announce the “Beltway Blogfather” is here in Brussels at the beginning of May. As we’ve been harping on about the use of digital by Brussels based trade associations, Pat Cleary (pictured), our SVP Digital Public Affairs in D.C., will be appearing for one lunchtime only at our FH offices on 5th May to share his experiences.
Anyone who works for a Brussels trade association is welcome to attend (and to do so for free). Further information about the event and how to register can be found here.
Another event that is bigger, brasher and with canapes/champagne is in the pipeline for June to present some (hopefully) interesting research that FH has been subjecting helpful consumer/citizens to on how the internet changes the way they take decisions on political issues and candidates. Details in due course. All interested parties will be welcome.
Blogs R Us
This great compilation of all blogs in anyway related to the EU got us thinking about our own (admittedly a little more self promotional) list of blogs. We thought we’d share it with you all. You never know, you may find something of interest outside your usual reading list amongst the posts written by some of FHers in Europe and globally.
To start with there is a blog by Micky B(erendt) on EU politics and policy on our corporate EU site. Until recently a key member of our Brussels team, Michael has a wealth of institutional and PA experience and now uses it to reflect from afar. Those of us who have benefited from his wisdom over the years are glad that the blog keeps him in our world. We’ve also already mentioned Pat Cleary in D.C. and the bizcentral.org experiment, so we shall move on.
We don’t just do public affairs of course. There’s some real experts out there on everything from consumer and healthcare to tech and corporate PR. Many of our global practices have caught the digital wave buoyed by our CEO’s enthusiasm for it. Our energy practice, led by our cowboy boot wearing colleagues in Dallas and Houston, have an energy communicators blog. And boy, do Dick and the Johns know about oil and gas. Colleagues here in Brussels, such as Rob Anger and Teresa Calvano, contribute to a global blog on sustainability communications. The Digital team in London have a group blog on the use of digital in marketing communications and the Next Great Thing looks at mobile marketing in Asia! (Cool!). Finally, one shouldn’t forget Mark Senak’s Eye on FDA, focused on regulatory affairs in the pharma sector, which sets the standard for all of us.
Then there are blogs focused on communication to specific societal groups like the Boomers blog, the Hispanic communicators blog and the FH OutFront blog, which focuses on the Lesbian and Gay community. Eddy Evans, former London colleague and now an Englishman in DC, lends a hand here.
Finally, there are a host of FH people who write personal blogs. Jeff Weintraub, a god-like member of the DC team writes on DC politics and much more. Digital European leader Ben Mason in London writes his own on all things digital of interest and more. Harald Simons in Amsterdam reflects on all kinds of stuff related to being an international communications consultant. And finally, we should mention David Lowry. While he hasn’t posted much recently, he goes to show that the resolutions of the European Parliament are read and reflected upon as far away as St. Louis!
If you don’t fancy putting this little lot into your RSS reader, then try this page on our corporate site, which handily aggregates the best posts from the raft of FH bloggers including those listed above.
Why it is better that public affairs is public
Amidst the continuing discussions over transparency here in Brussels, a blog entry on the advocacy activities of eBay on the European Parliament Blog reminds us that whatever position an organisation advocates towards policymakers, they should be prepared for it to become public.
Brussels is, so the cliche goes, a small town. You’d be amazed how willing people are to talk about who is saying what on any given issue. Its part of the unwritten rules of the game. And that goes for institutional actors as well as lobbyists (consultants, corporates, trade associations, NGOs et al). The position paper that you just emailed to the MEP’s office could be forwarded to anyone at the touch of a button, more than that it probably will be.
As such, it is not just an organisation’s lawyers who should be checking what you write in your position paper. The public affairs team should also ensure that whatever is advocated fits in with corporate messages and the core values of the organisation. Such an approach seems like common sense, but in our experience is not always followed when an organisation’s bottom line is at stake.
Such an approach also makes a lot of sense in terms of ensuring that an organisation’s advocacy is effective. Decision-makers in Brussels need information and are happy to listen as long as you have something to say that is relevant to them and what they are trying to achieve. The result of Brussels openness, despite what some may say, is better legislation and a vibrant public affairs culture that stresses professionalism rather than personal contacts.
In such a system, what you say, how it resonates with policymakers’ objectives and when you say it are going to play a large role in how successful you are in persuading people. But underpinning this is how credible you are as an organisation in making that case. How much the decision-maker sees you as authoritative on the issue and how far your position echoes what they think you stand for are therefore important factors in how likely you are to be believed.
We think many organisations are getting this, as we have seen many more investing time in building their reputation with decision-makers in recent years. It is for a large part about ensuring that Corporate Communications and PA work together hand in glove. They are after all both communications functions. Such investments are sometimes difficult to justify internally, but PA functions in enlightened companies seem to be winning the argument.
One example of this is Sun Microsystems, an open source company that takes its approach to business over to how it communicates its stance on policy issues. You can find their policy positions on their website. Other examples that we have come across are consumer goods manufacturer P&G and of course Google’s (US focused) Public Policy blog.
Now there’s transparency at work.
Stubb invites open season on toys
Alex Stubb MEP’s post of yesterday invites blog readers to comment on his initial thoughts on the newly proposed revision of the toys safety directive. Will any industry actors take the challenge on this most engaging of issues?
Three challenges for industry actors spring to mind:
1) Who will take responsibility for posting the comments?
2)What will industry actors choose to say?
3) Will industry be too scared to engage in an open debate on an MEP blog?
Will anyone take the challenge and see this as a way of getting its views to the top of Mr. Stubb’s intray? We shall of course watch what happens with interest.
In any case, what the post does show is that Brussels public affairs practitioners should be monitoring MEP blogs for their views on issues that affect their organisations. They may see new threats emerge or indeed identify allies that they did not know existed. Another example? New blogger on the block Bill Newton-Dunn MEP posted about aviation issues just last week. Not his natural stomping ground at all.
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February 29, 2008 at 3:25 pm fhbrussels 1 comment