Digital and Public Affairs in Brussels

Digital, digital, digital*September 2011 @

*Making it work for you in Brussels

Today

1. Starting point2. Supporting your traditional activities3. It’s a tad different now though4. Doubts and stumbling blocks5. Real-world stuff (if we have time)

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 CONTENT80% 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 EU advocacyi. Communicating message to policy

makers and influencers

ii. Establishing relationships with policy makers and

influencers

iii. Building alliances to

strengthen position and generate

support

iv. Monitoring to identify

engagement opportunities &

keep track of debate

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

Content: Fleishman Brussels

Content client sample: ISOPA

Content Brussels best practice: Pesticides

Online advertising

Legislative Office, International Affairs, Government Administration,Executive Office, Political Organization, Government Relations, Public Policy, Non-Profit Organization Management

Total clicks: 199Total cost: 326 USD

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: 234Total cost: 23 Euro

Anyone in Brussels and major capitals who search for:Energy efficiency, eu energy policy, renovate europe, guenter oettinger, hedegaard

Total clicks: 515Total cost: 517 USD

ii. Establishing relationships with policy makers and influencers

MEP survey 2011www.epdigitaltrends.euENGAGEMENT

www.epdigitaltrends.eu

69% of MEPs use social networks (primarily Facebook)

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

Ryan Heath: “We’re looking for value in social media… the

lobbyists are always the least vocal”

Who does Neelie talk to?

Online communities

iii. Building alliances to strengthen position and generate support

LinkedIn community

Allies on Twitter

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

MEPs tweeting

Tracking blogs and sites

2. It’s a tad different now though

The constituent consumer1. What’s in it for me?

2. What matches my values?

Personal safety, environmental

protection, personal freedom, well-being etc.

More political actors:a pressure group upsurge

A new model of influence

Rational

Diffuse power

Emotional

Centralised power

Few political actorsTechnical arguments

Many political actorsValue-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 relationsReputation management

Marketing

… are converging

Government relationsReputation

managementMarketing

Meaning what?

Think (and act) like campaigners

No, our work is not too cerebral to be emotional

Where does digital fit in?

Digital allows “Every company is now a media company”

How?

Intelligence gathering &

analysisDelivery

Intelligence gathering &

analysisDelivery

CONTENT STRATEGY

Intelligence →

narrative

Insights

43

3. Doubts and stumbling blocks

44

Resources

45

Internal support

46

Angry people (i.e. backlash)

47

IT (or legal) won’t let us

48

3. Real world stuff

Guardian crowdsourcing

Crisis mitigation: Dell Hell

Mobilisation: Hank the angry dwarf

52

Thanks

Digital checklist

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

Your competitors?

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?

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

Email: [email protected] Blog: steffenmoller.wordpress.com