Digital, digital, digital*

Groningen, 23 April 2012

*Making it work for you in Public Affairs

Introducing myself

Master International Relations Public Affairs Consultant & Board Member BVPA

What is Public Affairs?

Program today

1. Starting point

2. Supporting your traditional activities

3. Towards a new Public Affairs model

4. Where to start?

1. Starting point

What type of issue?

“We’ve only got an audience of 1,000”

“Only some policy-makers and a few of other stakeholders care about this issue”

“This issue isn’t on the public radar and frankly we don’t want it to get there”

MEP survey 2011 www.epdigitaltrends.eu YOUR CONTENT

80% of MEPs visit interest group sites every week

92% of MEPs use a search engine every day

2. Supporting your traditional activities

Scope of traditional advocacy

i. Communicating message to policy

makers and influencers

ii. Establishing relationships with

policy makers + influencers and

building alliances

iii. Monitoring to identify engagement opportunities & keep

track of debate

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i. Communicating message to policy makers and influencers

MEP survey 2011 www.epdigitaltrends.eu YOUR CONTENT

63% of MEPs read blogs every week

78% of MEPs visit Wikipedia every week

80% of MEPs visit interest group sites every week

MEP survey 2011 www.epdigitaltrends.eu YOUR CONTENT

92% of MEPs use a search engine every day

CONTENT* *Presenting your positions online

DRIVING TRAFFIC* *Ensuring that target audiences view your positions

Online advertising

Legislative Office, International Affairs, Government Administration, Executive Office, Political Organization, Government Relations, Public Policy, Non-Profit Organization Management Total clicks: 199 Total cost: 248 Euro

Work in the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of Ministers OR live in Brussels are above the age of 22 and have interests in the European Union, politics and energy Total clicks: 234 Total cost: 23 Euro

Anyone in Brussels and major capitals who search for: Energy efficiency, eu energy policy, renovate europe, guenter oettinger, hedegaard Total clicks: 515 Total cost: 393 Euro

ii. Establishing relationships with policy makers + influencers

and building alliances

MEP survey 2011 www.epdigitaltrends.eu ENGAGEMENT

www.epdigitaltrends.eu

69% of MEPs use social networks (primarily Facebook)

34% of MEPs are on Twitter (15% growth per year)

Who does Neelie talk to?

LinkedIn community

Dedicated online communities for key stakeholders

iii. Monitoring to identify engagement opportunities & keep track of debate

M(E)Ps tweeting

Tracking blogs and sites

Monitoring keyword activity

3. Towards a new public affairs model

The constituent consumer 1. What’s in it for me?

2. What matches my values?

More political actors: a pressure group upsurge

A new model of influence

Rational

Diffuse power

Emotional

Centralised power

Few political actors Technical arguments

Many political actors Value-based arguments

Source: Simon Titley

Heard at the EP: “I’m on your side, but my constituents are not” (nor are the papers and blogs they read)

The disciplines…

Government relations

Reputation management

Marketing

… are converging

Government relations

Reputation management

Marketing

A broadening scope of Public Affairs

Communications

Public Affairs

Government

relations

Bid adieu to your comfort zone

Meaning what?

Think (and act) like campaigners

Narrative: be a storyteller

Where does digital fit in?

Digital allows “Every company is now a media company”

How?

Intelligence gathering &

analysis Delivery

Intelligence gathering &

analysis Delivery

CONTENT STRATEGY

Intelligence →

narrative

Insights

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4. Where to start?

Digital checklist

Where do you appear in Google (you and your issue(s))

To what key-words is your issue linked to?

Is your company/issue(s) Wikipedia page appropriate?

How many people are visiting your issue Wikipedia page

Do you appear elsewhere i.e. 3rd party content?

Are people tweeting about you/your issue?

For your issue, do you know the top 5 best blogs & Twitter feeds

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Thanks

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Contact @hannekeverhelst

linkedin.com/in/heverhelst

Digitalpublicaffairs.nl Publicaffairs2point0.eu

hanneke.verhelst@fleishman.com