action global communications & europeana - dimitris ioannides

ACTION GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS Action is the leading emerging markets strategic communications consultancy

09.07.2013 – Prague

Presentation outlineWho we are… Action Global Communications

What do we do… Action Global Communications

Past experience with Europeana… CYPRUS

Past experience with Europeana… BULGARIA

Current experience with Europeana… BALTIC STATESBEST PRACTISES

Action Global Communications With over 40 years of building positive reputations for our clients, Action Global Communications is a truly

independent, full service, public relations consultancy. Our wholly owned offices are in Central & Eastern

Europe, Russia, the CIS Countries, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean area.

Action Global Communications brings authentic, relevant insights to companies and organisations

who want to create meaningful connections with their audiences and become credible voices that build

trust in the diverse marketplace of Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Action Global Communications We believe that every company or organization can create meaningful connections with their audiences

through communications that build rewarding relationships and lead to sustainable business growth.

For that, we are committed to help our clients build this bridge using our expertise and vision, commitment and

creativity, across diverse markets and media channels.

Action Global Communications Network

Action Global Communications Awards

UNIQUE

• We are the only independent

global strategic

communications network

focusing on emerging

markets

• 300+ staff

• 40+ offices on three

continents

IN CONTROL

• Our offices are either wholly

or part owned so we can

mirror changing business

models required by our clients

• We offer an experienced

coordinating hub for multi-

market clients delivering a

one-stop-shop for the

management of

communication campaigns

across multiple and diverse

markets

Why ActionIN DEMAND

• We work with trusted affiliates

to extend our reach into other

geographies beyond our

network

• Links and partnerships with

other leading global agencies

Communications ServicesThe art of effective communication starts with understanding and measurement. Understanding your business,

your brands, your people. Measuring the perceptions and attitudes held by your stakeholders. With this real

knowledge Action Global Communications delivers strategic communications that gets your stakeholders talking.

And we do it locally in each market or effectively across borders.

• Corporate communications

• Marketing Communications

• Event Management

• Strategic Media Relations

• Public Affairs

• Crisis Management

• Communications Consultancy

• Digital PR

• Media Monitoring / Market Intelligence

• Automotive and Sports

• Aviation & Defense

• Banking and Financial Services

• Energy

• Fairs and Exhibitions

• Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals

• International Development

Industry Expertise

• Logistics

• NGO’s and Public Affairs

• Real Estate & Construction

• Retail & Consumer Goods

• Technology

• Telecommunications

• Travel & Leisure

• Education

Some of our current clients

Our Network Team

Vjosa Berisha Albania & Kosovo

Habib BenramdaneAlgeria

Eric GyulazyanArmenia

ElshanMusayevAzerbaijan

Rohan ShankerBahrain

Drazena Lejo Croatia &Bosnia

Natalie Christofides Cyprus

Martin FrydlCzech Rep.

Fouad KassemDubai

Sameh SelimEgypt

Rossitsa DonkovaBulgaria

Dorsaf MezhoudTunisia

Our Network Team

MaiaChitaiaGeorgia

GeorgeSiafisGreece

CsillaOlahHungary

Dellara HeydariIran

TariyelJalalliKazakhstan

Amna Al JareryKuwait

EliraTurdubayeva Kyrgyzstan

Kristine TomaLatvia

Toufic El ZeinLebanon

Egita VeblauskaiteLithuania

Jumana Twal Jordan

Our Network Team

YoussefLahlouMorocco

AtulyaSharmaOman

MahmoodHashmiPakistan

JacekJakubczykPoland

EliseZwainQatar

LinaShurkevichRussia

Ibrahim Al Bloushy Saudi Arabia

Srba JovanovicSerbia

MichaelIvanickaSlovakia

DamijanNacevskiSlovenia

KhaledAyloushSyria

RuxandraScorteaRomania

In a sentence…

Action designs strategies specifically

tailored for each client in a manner

designed to strengthen and broaden

communications with stakeholders.

November 2012 // Credentials

Europeana 1914-1918

CYPRUS

October – December 2012

Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)Europeana 1914-1918 program aims to collect and preserve memories from all over Europe of World War 1

and make them accessible to the world in the run up to 2014 which marks the 100th anniversary of the conflict.

Objective: to generate attention to the project and attract people to the first public collection event in Cyprus.

Intro

Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)The participation of Cyprus in World

War One was significant, compared to

the island’s size and capabilities.

16,000 Cypriots – among which

around 2 to 3,000 Turkish-Cypriots

and Armenians - served in the British

Army during the war.

This was a huge number, equivalent to

the 5.8% of the total population of the

island which was at that time 274.108.

Most of them served on the

Macedonian front as muleteers.

Cyprus in the WW1

Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)• More than 1/3 of Cypriots had lost all family memorabilia and photos due to the Turkish invasion in 1974

which forced them to relocate urgently to the southern part of the island leaving behind all personal items

• At the time of WW1, Cyprus, being an island, isolated and annexed by Great Britain, was not as

technologically advanced as other European countries; therefore cameras were rarely used and photos of

that time might be scarce.

Challenges

Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)• To generate awareness (buzz) about the europeana1914-1918 project, activating interest

• To urge people to become involved in this project and drive them to the first public collection event

• To generate publicity and encourage press attendance at the public event

• To create long-term interest in the website which people can visit to submit or explore the WWI material

and other cultural heritage content.

Objectives

Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)

Politicians

History societies

EmbassiesLocal

librarians

General public

Ministry of Education

Ministry of Defence

Local and family

Associations

Target audiences

Media


Tools


Press Conference

Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)• The extraordinary story of Agathoklis Hajichristodoulou from

Polystipos in Cyprus – who later went by the name

Polistipiotis. Agathoklis lost both his legs in Salonika to

frostbite.

• He was the only injured person to have been given

compensation: 40 pounds and a set of ‘new’ prosthetic legs.

He drifted for a few years, before being given a job in the

Forestry Department, but after about a decade of service, he

was fired because he constantly complained about his legs,

which had been replaced twice.

• So in the late 1930s he was given 50 pounds and another

new set of legs to start his own business, either a grocery or a

cobbler. One of the three sets of prosthetic legs that

Agathoklis changed is now kept at the Science Museum of

London!

Politistipiotis / Findings


Coverage

Results

Evening TV News 12

TV Interviews 5

Radio Interviews 7

Print Interviews 5

Feature articles 2

Press Release Cuttings 32


Sample coverage


Facebook page

Road Show


Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)• Excellent working relationships and communication between the agency (Action) and Europeana’s partner

in Cyprus the Ministry of Education and Culture

• Use of personal stories of Cypriots In the press who made the content of the publicity material more

interesting and relevant to the audience

• Engagement of local communities in Cyprus whose residents had participated in the WW1 (e.g. small

villages in the mountains); the Ministry used its contacts and activated its procedures to contact the

community leaders and encourage their participation in the roadshow.

• Passionate and enthusiastic team (Action, Ministry, Europeana) who went out of their way to deal with the

challenges of the project in Cyprus

• Thorough research before the launch of the campaign (we contacted historians, academics, writers,

researchers, etc.) to identify the names of the Cypriots who participated in the war and find their families

• Use of mass media, social media & newsletter to get the word out to the general public

What worked

Memorial

In memory of the Cypriot muleteers

As we have seen in Hyde Park in London there is a memorial to the animals at war, and features some of our

donkeys and mules. So, Action has decided to create such a memorial in Cyprus in memory of the Cypriots,

and their beloved animals so that the 16.000 can be remembered by the current and future generations.


Europeana

BULGARIA

March – September 2013

Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)Our objective was to communicate and drive awareness for Europeana, but also to celebrate the 130th

anniversary of the Varna Regional Library (Europeana’s main partner in Bulgaria).

Our scope of work involved the development and implementation of the communications strategy to

successfully fulfill the objectives set, the organization of the press event and Europeana Travelling Exhibition,

Media relations activities (national & regional), public affairs support, moderation of events and logistics.

Intro

Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)• Regional local partnerships (like the regional library or institution) are more difficult to create or generate

national media outreach

• There was not enough time for the coordination of all media activities of Europeana with the local partners

• We needed double the effort in order to generate the support of the various authorities (such as the

Ministries of Culture and Education) due to their slow pace of work and the busy schedule of the head

representatives.

• Bulgaria at that time, had no Government, so the political situation in the country took most of the general

public’s attention

Challenges

Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)

Press Conference

• Europeana – bringing

culture online to Bulgaria

and bringing Bulgarian

culture to the rest of

Europe with the help of the

library

• The importance of digital

content for the modern

Bulgarians and the digital

access to knowledge as

part of their lifestyle


Europeana Travelling Exhibition “Linked Across Time and Space”


Results

• 15 media were present at the press conference in Varna from all the regional media and also

correspondents from the national media

• 18 media were present at the launch of the travelling exhibition in Sofia from the most important national

print media and two TV channels

• 32 cuttings from regional and national press were generated as a result of the press conference

• Another 32 cuttings from national press were generated after the launch of the exhibition in Sofia

• We had continuous media coverage in all the cities where the exhibition was generating interest both for

the digitalization, as well as the travelling exhibition


Sample coverage

Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)• Time is key...

• Good engagement and communication between all relevant parties is very important.

• Procedures should always be in place.

• Utilize each supporting partner’s strong values.

Learnings


Europeana 1989

BALTIC STATES

AUGUST 2013

Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)In preparation for the 25th anniversary year in 2014 Europeana, will encourage individuals to contribute items

of private memorabilia from this pivotal time so that it can be digitally preserved and shared online.

In the Baltic States, the focus will be on the Baltic Way, the longest human chain in history, connecting the

three capitals: Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius over a distance of 600km on 23 August 1989.

Intro

Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)• To increase awareness of the Europeana project to the general public in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia

• Generate interest in the contribution website and encourage everyone who participated in the Baltic Way,

or those who have a family member who did, to contribute their memories

• Promote the public events so as to increase attendance and contributions of family documents for digitising

and publishing

• Drive traffic to the Europeana website so people visit and explore the 1989 material as well as contribute

their own material for digitisation

Objectives

Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)

Politicians

Decision makers

EmbassiesLocal

librarians

General public

Individuals aged 40+

Activists Local and family

School history

teachers

Target audiences

Media

Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)To have one overall message for the Baltics, but to localise communication activities appropriate for each

country

To plan a bespoke programme of specific events, activities and opportunities for each country

To leverage the personality of each National Project Ambassador to grow awareness of Europeana in each

country

The key to success will be

Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)

Tools

ALL COUNTRIESALL COUNTRIES

PRESS RELEASES

MEDIA EVENTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

MEDIA FOR WARSAW LAUNCH

INTERVIEWSFEATURE ARTICLES

Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)Lithuania is the first of the Baltic countries to host the

Europeana roadshow, on 9th, 10th and 13th August.

Mask the date

In Estonia, collection days will take place in the National Library

of Estonia, on 30th and 31st August.

In Latvia the press conference and collection day event are

scheduled for the 23rd and 24th of August .

November 2012 // CredentialsTips for a successful PR campaign

Thank you