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National Standards Authority of Ireland

Research and Recommendations

Gabriela Pinto – Brenda Herrera – Michelle Reid

Mary Schaffer – Elizabeth Sterling – Lauren Mynderse

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary pg. 2

Situational Analysis pg. 3

SWOT Analysis pg. 5

Objectives pg. 6

Secondary Research pg. 6

Recommendations pg. 10

Conclusion pg. 15

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Executive Summary

The National Standards Authority of Ireland doesn’t just deliver standards and

certification; it delivers opportunity. It delivers the possibility of achieving more by providing

the standards that can lead to ultimate success. By implementing NSAI standards, businesses

can more easily access international markets and offer higher quality products and services,

thereby earning more revenue and a larger client base. By implementing NSAI standards,

businesses grow faster, earn a competitive edge and lay a foundation for a more successful

future.

Despite the promising effects of adapting standards in business practices, management

and products, research indicates a lack of engagement and working relationships between the

NSAI and Irish businesses. According to a survey by Behavior & Attitudes, only 5 percent of Irish

companies knew about the NSAI and dealt with them regularly as of November 2012. Nearly a

quarter of surveyed companies were familiar with NSAI but had no working relationship with

the organization.

To provide businesses with the opportunity for success, the NSAI must focus its

attention on building engagement and working relationships with its consumer base of Irish

businesses. Therefore, it is recommended that the NSAI further interaction with Irish

companies through engagement attempts such as brochures and newsletters, social media

efforts, showcasing events and publications in Irish trade journals. The NSAI can benefit most

from engaging with its audience through conversational and responsive social media platforms,

such as Facebook and Twitter. By establishing an open line of communication with its target

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audience, the NSAI can begin to build relationships with these businesses and increase

understanding of the importance of standards.

This campaign’s recommendations are based on the idea that the NSAI should further its

engagement efforts to build working relationships with additional Irish businesses. Once

relationships are established, businesses may implement NSAI standards, opening themselves

up to the opportunity of achieving more. It is recommended that engagement efforts, including

brochures and newsletters, social media efforts, showcasing events and trade journal

publications, be made a permanent part of the NSAI’s attempts to build and maintain

relationships with new Irish businesses. By continuously engaging with its audience, the NSAI

can provide businesses with standards and certification, the stepping stones to a more

profitable, higher quality, international future.

Situational Analysis

Aiming to inspire consumer confidence and build an environment in which standardized

and certified products can be domestically and internationally relied on, the National Standards

Authority of Ireland provides standards and certifications for businesses and products. The NSAI

provides standards for several diverse areas, including toy safety, farm buildings, food storage

and handling, calibration levels of scientific equipment and gasoline levels in gas station pumps.

More than just offering standards, however, the NSAI delivers opportunity. By

implementing standards, businesses have the potential for a more successful future. For

example, because Matthews Coach Hire implemented NSAI standards, they were the only Irish

company to win the offer to become an official transportation service during the 2012 London

Olympics.

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In November 2012, most Irish companies surveyed by Behavior & Attitudes believed

standards were valuable to a company’s ultimate success. Companies believed complying with

standards improved the quality of products and business practices, delivered a competitive

edge over products and businesses that do not implement standards and provided easier

access to international markets.

However, despite the majority of companies believing standards provide the potential

for ultimate success, the same survey indicates a lack of engagement and working relationships

with the NSAI’s consumer base of Irish businesses. According to the survey, 43 percent of Irish

companies were aware of the NSAI, but only 5 percent knew about them and dealt with them

regularly. Nearly a quarter of companies were familiar with NSAI but had no working

relationship with the organization.

The lack of working relationships between the NSAI and Irish businesses presents a

significant challenge to standards implementation. If businesses, especially small, locally owned

employers, are unaware of the opportunity to achieve more by implementing standards, they

miss out on the possibilities of growth, diversification and opportunity exploration which

standards provide.

The NSAI is already building working relationships with Irish businesses, having

established a few channels of communication, including a LinkedIn profile, a YouTube channel

and a consumer brochure. The NSAI relies more on LinkedIn when interacting with Irish

businesses.

The NSAI has the unique opportunity to provide businesses with the potential for

greater success. They can achieve this by not only increasing awareness of the opportunities

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standards create, but also by engaging and establishing working relationships with new

businesses through more responsive and conversational platforms, such as Facebook and

Twitter.

SWOT Analysis

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Objectives

Increase awareness of the NSAI among Irish businesses

Expand understanding of the NSAI’s certification process

Drive businesses to implement standards in their practices, management and products

Improve two-way asymmetrical communication between the NSAI and businesses

Secondary Research

Need for Two-Way Communication:

Although almost 4 in 5 companies have indicated that applying standards in their

organization has been beneficial both for their reputation and their profitability, there is still

broad skepticism that the implementation of standards would actually lower costs or increase

product prices. This skepticism comes from a lack of resources highlighting the successes of

companies who have shown increased profits and benefits from adapting NSAI standards, and

little continued communication on the process of how standards become beneficial for

organizations in the long run.

According to Grunig’s findings on the Four Models of Public Relations, two-way

communication is the best way to influence publics’ behaviors and attitudes towards the

positive effects of standard implementation. This back-and-forth style of communication allows

for an exchange of ideas between the organization and its publics, mutual understanding

between the two parties and an effective way to manage conflicts by allowing publics to feel

involved in the dealings of the organization.

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Grunig’s method also describes that two-way communication, especially two-way

asymmetrical communication where both parties are actively involved in the conversation,

allows organizations like the NSAI to produce long-term relationships with its publics and helps

organizations retain those relationships by creating constant and active communication

between the two parties. If both the organization and the publics are in constant contact, it

moves the organization to be seen as a personable entity which its publics can rely on, and

therefore, reduces skepticism and increases adaptation of standards in businesses

Two-way communication also allows for up-to-date feedback from publics which can

assist the NSAI in editing its message to increase businesses’ familiarity with its purpose beyond

its current 43%. Sarah Noel, professional blogger for the digital marketing agency Kyle Lacy,

describes this two-way communication as best accomplished through social media outlets.

Social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter allow for short and direct messages that

can be targeted to a set group of individuals and businesses who are already actively seeking

information. Publics who like a Facebook page or follow an organization on Twitter create

conversations around those organizations which can raise awareness from other similar

businesses in the same field about what the NSAI is accomplishing and the benefits of being

involved in adapting standards and certifications.

Two-way symmetrical communication is easily accomplished through these social media

channels because they allow an increased amount of freedom for individuals to air grievances,

make suggestions and send positive feedback to organizations through comments and likes. By

responding to these comments, an organization creates a lasting relationship with businesses

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and individuals which are likely to lead to behavioral changes and further adaptation of

standards.

Familiarity with the NSAI

According to research conducted by surveying 351 businesses, an average of 43 percent

of companies indicate that they are familiar with the NSAI to some extent. The extent varies on

size and sector of the particular company, as well as the experience with standards practices in

general. There is also indication of broad familiarity with the organization, but many companies

comment that although they are familiar with the NSAI they lack a working relationship with its

practices.

A correlation between the size of a company and its relationship with the NSAI was also

evident. The larger the company, the more likely it was to not only be aware of the NSAI and its

dealings, but also certified to some of its standards. One fifth of larger companies, or 1 in 8

deal with the NSAI regularly and are overall aware of NSAI practices. This is why we would like

to focus our awareness efforts on smaller businesses in order to establish a more concrete

relationship with them. The data also shows that companies who have added experience with

standards practices were more likely to deal with the NSAI. These include mainly businesses

who deal in international markets which require higher standards in products and services.

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Target Audience

Although many stakeholders, such as general consumers and government entities could

benefit from learning more about the NSAI, research shows that targeting businesses,

especially smaller or local companies, would be the best way to increase awareness of the

standards authority and its practices.

According to research conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes of 351 companies, 57

percent of businesses are unaware of what the NSAI does and do not deal with any of their

standards or certifications. However, 79 percent of companies who have adapted at least some

of the certifications and standards offered by the NSAI say that implementation has been

beneficial for their company’s growth and profit. Businesses would be more likely to apply for

certification if they were aware that standards create opportunity for growth and profit.

By tailoring messages specifically to businesses, the NSAI can create conversations to

show how other companies who have implemented NSAI standards have succeed and

benefitted from their services. These conversations will increase awareness of the NSAI to

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different business industries and create demand for standards implementation to make

companies more competitive within Irish markets.

Recommendations Brochures and Newsletters

Research indicates that creating conversations through email remains a vital component

in a marketing campaign, with over 84 percent of marketers believing it to be an important or

very important strategy according to a research study by Bluecast Digital. The NSAI currently

utilizes some marketing conversation strategies through brochures which educate businesses

on the services provided by NSAI, their work in certification services and proper placement, and

usage of the Irish standard mark. It is recommended that the NSAI continue to use these

brochures for the purpose of educating prospective businesses considering certification.

However, in addition to continuing to distribute the brochures, it is advised that brochures be

updated monthly. Brochures should be easily accessible to businesses seeking certification and

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those who have already achieved certification. The NSAI should offer business owners the

opportunity to subscribe to monthly updates on the agency and send newsletters to certified

and potentially certified businesses via email.

Most importantly, newsletters and brochures should include additional information

about the NSAI, and clearly display why businesses would benefit from their services.

Newsletters should contain facts that confirm the increase in success and profits after

businesses are certified and showcase successful businesses that have achieved standards and

are profiting from their certification. By reading these success stories, other businesses would

see the benefits of certification and become motivated to apply NSAI standards within their

own businesses.

Social Media

According to a 2013 study by Shea Bennet, Ireland’s publics are leveraging social media

to interact with companies by discovering offers and promotions, seeking advice, and posting

praises and complaints. The NSAI can take advantage of this interaction by keeping businesses

informed and involved through social-media channels. Currently the NSAI is utilizing the social

media sites, LinkedIn and YouTube. Through these channels they offer informative videos, and

updates on the work they are doing throughout Ireland. The NSAI is currently engaging

businesses through their LinkedIn account by creating conversations about the work they are

doing to enable enterprise and protect the community. While the NSAI is taking steps in the

right direction, we believe that they can strengthen and expand their interaction with

companies by creating Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Bennet’s study found that Facebook is the most-popular social network site with 70

percent of Irish businesses active on it. The NSAI will have a chance to communicate with these

businesses if they create and effectively utilize a Facebook page. It is suggested that the NSAI

frequently post on their Facebook page about companies that are achieving and maintaining

the standards set by the NSAI. These posts will help businesses to see that the NSAI offers

companies the chance to do more. In addition to featuring successful standard-following

businesses on their Facebook page, we suggest that the NSAI continually ask for feedback, such

as, “how have the NSAI’s standards affected your business.” Prompting businesses to give

feedback will help promote two-way communication between the NSAI and its publics. The

NSAI can also elicit conversation with companies by creating a Twitter account.

Twitter is the second most-popular social network used by businesses in Ireland with 61

percent of companies favoring it. Twitter users in Ireland produce an average of 1 million

tweets a day, giving the country the 10th highest number of Twitter users per capita. The NSAI

can benefit from Ireland’s prominent Twitter presence by creating an account. It is suggested

that on their twitter that the NSAI post features and questions similar to those suggested for

their Facebook page. By condensing the material on their Facebook to fit Twitter’s micro

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blogging platform, business that do not have time to read extensively can still be introduced to

the message that the NSAI can help them achieve more.

NSAI Showcase Event

With the intention of engaging the media and creating positive dialogue through various

channels, the July showcase event is an exceptional way to illustrate the beneficial uses of NSAI

standards and certifications. Journalists will be invited to attend the event where various

companies will be showcasing their growth and successes by using standards, as well as an

appearance by Maurice Buckley, CEO, NSAI who will talk about the opportunities created for

businesses with the help of these standardization practices.

By featuring businesses that have persevered in difficult economic climates with the

help of standards and certifications from the NSAI, credibility and trust is strengthened for the

organization. Building recognition in order to engage small business owners on the importance

of certification and standards is crucial.

Allowing this event to be a forum for research on the topic will drive discussion and help

supplement the building of awareness that we are aiming to accomplish. Demonstrating

relevant research and case studies to the public will help the NSAI connect with consumers and

businesses.

Implementing social media onto this platform can create two-way communication

between the NSAI and the public in order to reinforce positive attitudes and encourage a

change in consumer and business behavior towards standards and certification practices.

According to a quarterly survey research done by Ipsos MRBI*, 53 percent of adults age 15 and

up use Facebook as their main social media channel as of February 2013. LinkedIn and Twitter

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come in at 20 percent and 23 percent respectively. On the average, we have seen an increase of

social media usage by 6 percent from May 2011. Social media strategies including Facebook

interaction and LinkedIn updates could potentially help promote and spread awareness of the

event, which in turn can help businesses foster lasting relationships and develop a more

concrete understanding of standards practices with their target audience. We would also

suggest providing a live Twitter feed during the showcase in order to provide interactive

discussion for those publics who were unable to attend as well as to maintain an active online

presence throughout the event.

Overall, this showcase event would provide the NSAI with an opportunity to highlight

and provide insight to the importance of standardization and certification services as well as the

advantages that businesses can gain from them.

Trade Journals and Newspapers

The NSAI should highlight successful businesses that have implemented standards in

their operations. There are various trade publications in Ireland that would be instrumental in

getting the NSAI more recognition and visibility in the small to medium business world. Some of

the largest trade publications and newspapers in Ireland include: ShelfLife, Smart Company,

Checkout, The Irish Independent, The Sunday Business Post, The Irish Times and Business Plus.

Each of these publications gives the NSAI a different opportunity to feature their success and

importance in a place where business owners will see it. These feature stories will showcase

why the NSAI is currently relevant and important to successful businesses. They will encourage

other businesses to become certified through the NSAI in order to reach that same success.

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It is recommended that the NSAI start by placing feature stories in trade journals geared

toward small businesses such as: Smart Company, The Sunday Business Post and Business Plus.

Then once these publications have opened the door to media attention, it will be easier for

larger media outlets such as the Irish Times and the Irish Independent to continue the coverage

and bring it to an even broader market.

Conclusion

To further understand how to increase the number of companies applying NSAI

standards and certifications to their business activities, secondary research was conducted by

gathering valuable information through internet searches, trade journal publications and news

articles about business practices in Ireland. Based on secondary research conducted about the current understanding of the NSAI

and its position in the market, it was concluded that the NSAI should reach out firstly to

businesses to gain popularity among different industries and increase the number of companies

applying for standards and certifications. By increasing the amount of certified businesses in the

market, the NSAI will assist these companies in creating opportunities for growth and profit

both within the Irish economy and throughout other global markets.

Through the implementation of these recommendations, the NSAI will foster

relationships with industry leaders which will create opportunities for businesses to grow and

profit while strengthening the Irish economy.

It is vital for the NSAI to continue to use these recommendations along with other

methods of retaining two-way asymmetrical communication with its clients to ensure

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businesses are always aware of industry changes in standards and certifications, as well as

maintaining relationships with already-certified companies. Tracking conversations through

social media and awareness-evaluation surveys will allow the NSAI to recognize mediums in

which it can create opportunities for its clients and maintain a strong presence in the dealings

of businesses within the Irish economy.

Additional Sources

Behaviour & Attitudes. Survey of managing directors and CEO's of Irish business conducted for

Carr Communications. Nov. 2012. Raw data. Ireland, n.p.

Bennett, Shea. "How Is Social Media Being Used in Ireland?" Media Bistro. N.p., 25 Apr. 2013.

Web. 10 May 2013.

Luke. "Irish Social Media Statistics (update 3)." Web log post. Neworld Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 10

June 2013.

"Social Network Monitor Quarterly Survey." Ipsos MRBI. Feb. 2013. Web. 14 June 2013