communication director

Digital democracy and twiplomacyHow innovative new tools are revolutionising politics

Use and abuse of political termsPolitical careers live and die by the choice of communications

The psychology of dialogueand compromise Become a better negotiator for you and your team

COMMUNICATION DIRECTORM a g a z i n e f o r C o r p o r a t e C o m m u n i c a t i o n s a n d P u b l i c R e l a t i o n s

www.communication-director.eu

01/2013

Power & persuasionThe art of political communication

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01/2013 COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR

EDITORIAL

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In these tough economic times, it is easy to forget that it is not just corporate communicators who have it hard, bear-ing the brunt of budget cuts in one direction, increasingly demanding stakeholders in another, and rule-changing technological developments in yet another direction. Spare a thought for polit ical communicators. Not only must they

face many of the same problems, they also have a few of their own to contend with as well. This issue of Communication Direc-tor takes a look at some of the challenges and opportunities in polit ical communications today. We learn about the main dif-f icult ies facing government communicators, and one or two ways they could meet these challenges. In polit ics, the wrong word or unadvised comment can cost a career: we also hear about how crafting the right message is a f ine balancing act for those who speak on behalf of polit ical actors and institutions. Reputation management, long considered the exclusive domain of corporate communicators, is shown to be just as necessary and challenging for polit icians, governments – even entire nations. And we get an insider’s look into the multi -faceted communications strategy adopted in the run up to and during last year’s Cyprus presidency of the European Union. Lobbying and public af fairs is another important aspect of the kind of communications discussed in this issue, and so we invited GE to share with us their approach to “in-f luencing the inf luencers”. And let us not imagine that excitement and controversy over the latest new digital tool is the preserve of corporate communicators : in these pages, you can read about an exciting new technique to measuring the ef fectiveness of commu-nication techniques in campaigns both electoral and corporate ; an ambitious new tool for participatory democracy; and how Twit-ter has matured into a surprisingly ef fective tool for diplomacy. I do hope that you f ind something of interest in the f irst issue of Communication Director in 2013.

Marc-Oliver Voigt

[email protected]

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Arriving at agreementsAn overview of the skills necessary to becoming a successful negotiatorThorsten Hofmann

THE STORY OF PR Looking back at landmark communications

McLuhan as PR Master What public relations owes to communication theory pioneer Marshall McLuhanDominique Scheffel-Dunand and Ian Chalmers

Political PR in Russia How the Russian elections of the mid nineties transformed public relationsEvgeny N. Pashentsev

THE BIG INTERVIEW Key communicators under the spotlight

Sixtine Bouygues Director for Strategy and Corporate Communication, European Commission

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AGENDA SETTER Communication ideas in the eyes of experts

A virtual Swiss GuardHigh-profile anonymity and cyber security

LEADERS CEOs in the eyes of the media

CEO Stockwatch by CARMA International

STRATEGIC THINKER The corporate and academic stand on communication

Organising a great press conference Press conferences are as crucial as ever: make sure that yours is a memorable oneDaniela Puttenat

Peering through the cloud Look around you: there is a parallel world of media, information and knowledge Sean MacNiven

TEAM PLAYER How to improve personnel management and your career

Why assertiveness matters in business In tough times, organisations are looking for well-balanced assertive leaders. How do you measure up? Laura Bacci

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“Public relations needs to morph McLuhan’s mind into its message.”

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Measuring influence, gauging reactions Measuring the effectiveness of political and corporate campaigns Fiona Blades and Paul Baines

Influencing the influencers For GE, innovation is a mainstay in public affairs in Brussels and beyond Elma Peters and Hugh Gillanders

Delivering digital democracy The latest initiative for instant and transnational communication Bruno Kaufmann

ASSOCIATION European Association of Communication Directors

The latest developments in the EACD

QUESTIONS TO... The personal side of Communication Directors

Rui MartinsExecutive Board Member & Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Director, Dianova

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STORY TELLER Looking at the important questions of communication

Talking politics Different narratives can clarify or obscure developments in the European UnionDafydd Phillips

Helping governments find a voice The 10 main challenges facing government communications todayMaría José Canel Language and politicsThe wrong choice of words can shipwreck a political careerNeil Corlett

State of the nationReputation management is as vital for political actors as it is for corporate playersChiara Valentini

Political engagement in 140 characters Twitter is growing in popularity as a tool for innovative diplomatic dialogueAndreas Sandre

Promoting a presidency The multi-faceted communication strategy of last year’s Cyprus presidency of the European UnionEleonora Gavrielides

“Despite the maxim, the messenger is often the one to be shot.”

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COMMUNICATIONS READER Book Reviews

“I am proud to be part of a project which has already proven its value for 60 years.”

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ORGANISING A GREAT PRESS CONFERENCEEven in the age of web 2.0, a press conference remains an important and useful public relations event. There are, however, a few dos and don’ts.

By Daniela Puttenat

D espite online media, blogs and Twitter, the classic press con-ference is still an important public relations tool that allows journalists to find out about im-portant news, ask pointed ques-

tions to company representatives and obtain important background information. Virtually no public relations professional will be able to avoid organising a press con-ference in their working lives. Here, there are several interrelated requirements that a public relations pro-fessional must master: perfect event management, the correct way to deal with target group media, talent in presenting and talking confidently, a high level of resil-ience and a confident appearance. Even seemingly small details determine the success or failure of the press con-ference.

1. THE OCCASION The most important aspect of a press confer-ence is the event itself. Journalists sacrifice several hours of their work-ing time to travel to and participate in a press conference; the occasion must therefore be so fruitful that the press representatives do not walk away feeling annoyed, thinking “I could have gotten this information on the internet or from a press kit!” Particularly in times when publish-ers are cutting costs, editorial offices are thinly staffed and no longer like to send out representatives.

In our multimedia world, an in-creasing number of press conferences

STRATEGIC THINKERThe corporate and academic stand on communication

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STRATEGIC THINKER


are also taking place virtually. Par-ticipants dial into a telephone con-ference or use a link to access a mi-crosite that has been set up especially for the occasion and which provides information such as pictures (in high resolution, of course), texts and pres-entations. Speed is key in the increas-ingly competitive opinion market, so journalists bring their laptops with them to write and broadcast their reports online in real time. Today, journalists expect a workplace that is equipped with the latest technolo-gies, including internet access.

Occasions for a press conference include:

• Presentation of a company’s annual results by the chair of the manage-ment board or managing director

• Profound changes in corporate culture that cannot be explained through a press release alone (merger, acqui-sitions, job cuts, restructuring proc-ess, new management team)

• Superlatives such as the presentation of the most expensive watch or the smallest mobile phone (particularly in the consumer goods industry)

• Presentation of a new film or pro-gramme concept (particularly in the entertainment industry)

• Large-scale product presentations, particularly at trade fairs (the new sports car, the exclusive jewellery line). Here, the press conference borders on becoming an elaborately staged show

• The launch event for a long series of events important to the media (tour, world exhibition, World Cup, Tour de France)

If you are unsure whether or not a press conference is truly appro-priate, you are better off deciding against it. Even if your client or boss believes that the subject is exciting

and essential, take a critical look through the eyes of a journalist: if you were a journalist, would you want to at-tend a press conference on this subject? Why is a simple press release not enough here? Do you have enough time before the scheduled date? You should be able to begin planning at least eight weeks in advance or, even better, three to four months beforehand. A major press confer-ence also involves significant costs. At the end of the day, you have to take responsibility for these questions.

2. THE DATE AND TIME Before you set a date, it is advisable to check for potential rival events taking place on the same day. These could be fixed dates or one-off events: your competitors’ events, the annual results an-nouncement of a stock exchange giant, a major sporting event in your city, pending important political decisions, trade fairs and so on. Bare in mind that journalists have families too and that they may be away during holiday periods. Having said that, an announcement in the sum-mer months, the so-called ‘silly season’, may receive more attention and therefore have a greater chance of being published than usual in the absence of other, more im-portant announcements.

Generally speaking, Monday is not a good day for a press conference as this is when editorial offices usually do their planning for the week. Friday is also not desirable because of the weekend, unless you are specifically target-ing publication in the weekend issues. You are most likely to get together an acceptable number of guests for your press conference between Tuesday and Thursday. Howev-er, these days are popular for precisely this reason and rival events may be taking place. These unwelcome clashes must be assessed as carefully as possible in advance. Some dates, such as the annual general meeting of a listed company, are set long in advance and can also not be postponed. Late morning is a good time to start – editorial conferences usually take place before this so you should not kick off too early. 10 am to midday are popular times.

3. THE VENUE The choice of location makes or breaks your event. You should therefore choose a location that befits the occasion, subject and size of your press confer-ence. If your company has to report bad news, you hardly

You are most likely to get an acceptable number of guests between Tuesday and Thursday.

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TEAM PLAYERHow to improve personnel management and your career

WHY ASSERTIVENESS MATTERS IN BUSINESSIn tough times, organisations are looking for well-balanced assertive leaders. How do you measure up?

By Laura Bacci

A ssertiveness by itself will not get you a promotion, nor the respect of your peers and bosses. But failing to stand your ground effectively, and – conversely – being too con-trolling and aggressive, can halt

your advancement up the corporate ladder. So why are or-ganisations seeking out assertive leaders and where do you fit on the assertiveness barometer?

Assertiveness is a way of describing how people defend their interests. Assertive leaders can create a compelling vision, communicate strategy and clearly define objectives and service quality standards. They inspire their people, gather support, and create alignment within a team so that everyone moves in the same direction. They avoid the confusion and disorientation caused when team members are trying to second guess what they’re supposed to be do-ing and why.

Assertive leaders exude confidence. They are prepared to stand their ground when they walk down the corri-dor to deal with the human resources or finance depart-ments. They create a safe space for team members to voice

concerns and discontent, avoiding the trap of toxic com-munications cycles. They can even encourage the most soft-spoken people to share their thoughts and ideas with the wider team; ideas that might turn out to be star dust further down the line.

Until now, organisations have viewed assertiveness as a trait that relates exclusively to the personality of the individual. Either you are as-sertive or you are not. But it is now time for companies to start looking at assertiveness as an institutional issue. That is because the structure and function of every organisation has a direct impact on whether the next generation of leaders are ca-pable of rallying their people in the right direction.

Organisations also have a respon-sibility to ensure that their current crop of leaders has the right envi-ronment in which to be assertive. They cannot expect team leaders to act assertively if those leaders don’t have a clear mandate from manage-ment, or if their jobs are constantly being put on the line. The organi-sation as a whole has to create the right environment for assertiveness to flourish.

WHY SHOULD YOU BE AN ASSERTIVE TEAM LEADER? Being assertive is a fantastic trait whether you are managing relation-ships upwards, downwards or hori-zontally within an organisation. It comes in very handy when you are negotiating resources for your team,

Being assertive is a fantastic trait whether you are managing relationships upwards, downwards or horizon-

tally within an organisation.

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TEAM PLAYER


trying to get budgets approved, se-curing full-time employee positions or backing your key performance in-dicators in front of the big boss dur-ing the annual review process.

If you are servicing other depart-ments you need to be able to say what needs to be said in a construc-tive manner. In doing so, you will establish your team’s reason for ex-isting and defend their expertise. In the process you are also likely to challenge misconceptions, push-back unrealistic deadlines, create a productive dialogue and develop trusting relationships with your peers.

With the external eco-system a lit-tle assertiveness is also of great val-ue. Whether you are doing business with contractors, managing complex

campaigns with multiple stakehold-ers, or negotiating deals on behalf of your company, assertiveness will bring dividends.

THE ASSERTIVENESS TIGHT-ROPE Research published by the American Psychological Association shows that individuals who come across as too low or too high in as-sertiveness tend to be rated as inef-fective leaders by their colleagues (see Table 1). Highly assertive in-dividuals do get the tasks done and achieve short-term goals. However, they often dampen relationships and are likely to undermine team spirit over the longer term. While low lev-els of assertiveness might make you popular, it often goes hand-in-hand with underperformance.

Being assertive is a little like walking a tightrope which is suspended 10 metres above the ground. What is likely to make you fall and what will keep you balanced? There is no straightforward answer to this question. This is be-cause balance comes from aligning your own personal val-ues, strengths and sense of purpose with the needs of the outside world. Assertiveness involves taking charge from the inside out. Know who you are and what you have to offer and listen carefully to what is going on around you. That will help you to apply the right degree of assertive-ness to the right group at the right time.

STAYING IN BALANCE So how can you keep your as-sertiveness in balance, and what cues should you look for to recognise when you are out of balance? The answers depend on a number of factors which are, quite often, out of your control. Factors such as the direction of the or-ganisation, the nature of your team and the individuals who are part of it.

WHERE IS YOUR COMPANY HEADING? You need to pick your leadership style (and with that, the right amount of assertiveness) depending on your organisation. What is the overall strategic business, and what are its financial and organisational objectives?

The leadership style you choose is not necessarily your own personal working style. For example, you cannot suddenly decide to be an authoritative leader so you can take your team through a restructuring phase – but then fail to make yourself heard by displaying low assertive-ness skills. You will not get the results you were expect-ing, and you will lose credibility within the company.

Table 1: Characteristics of different types of assertive behaviour (adapted from Ames and Flynn, 2007)

Type of assertiveness Typical characteristics

High or over assertive Dominance, aggressiveness, lack of deference, hostility, pursues goals in a hostile and offensive manner.

Low or under assertiveSelf-sacrifice, cooperativeness and consideration, passivity and submissiveness, failure to take charge in situations that require initiative or conviction.

Individuals who come across as too low or too high in assertiveness tend to be

rated as ineffective leaders.

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Not only were the elections of the 1990s pivotal events in Russia’s history, they were landmarks in the development of Russian public relations.

By Evgeny N. Pashentsev

POLITICAL PR IN RUSSIA

T he Russian parliamentary elections of 1995 were a major event in the development of Russian political public relations, and the presidential elections of 1996 further established public relations as a widely used tool

in the struggle for power. Previously, political consult-ants had only been listened to: agreed with at times, or turned to for help on occasion. Politicians had tended to

look upon public relations firms as something rather dubious – a tool for money laundering, perhaps?

Having received support from party sponsors and impressive re-sults in election campaigns, political consultancy turned into a profitable sphere of business. Experts estimate that political public relations made

THE STORY OF PR

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up between 60 to 70 per cent of the overall amount of orders placed with Russian public relations agencies. In this respect, the Russian market differed from its western counter-part, where financial, corporate and crisis public relations tended to pre-dominate. Futhermore, the Russian market exhibited an evident trend towards monopolisation, with only a few firms operating nationally, such as Nikkolo M, Imageland, PR Center and Image-Contact.

CONTRACTS It would be a mis-take to see corporate and politi-cal public relations in Russia in the 1990s as two totally separate spheres; in fact, there was extensive interpen-etration. Professionals who had pre-viously worked exclusively in politics began consulting with businessmen, while those who made a reputation in corporate public relations could switch to politics. This interpenetra-tion pointed to the market’s instabil-ity. There was a belief, shared even by most longstanding operators, that one’s political profile and connections with certain powerful authorities were more important than having skilled professionals in one’s team.

Contracts with the leading agen-cies were more typical for Russia’s right wing and centrist parties. For the leading public relations play-ers, the left-wingers were politi-cally unacceptable; moreover, the latter’s paying capacity was insuffi-cient. For example, in March 1999 the Right Deal political movement signed a contract with Video In-

ternational covering a package of advertising and pub-lic relations services. As Boris Fedorov, the Right Deal‘s leader, pointed out, political movements need help from public relations and advertising professionals: “They are responsible for the campaign’s form, not content. The content is determined by one’s self. To be able to convey your ideas and proposals to society, you need profession-als”. The State Duma elections of 1999 became another important phase in the development of Russian political public relations, with consulting agencies and party po-litical consultants being widely employed in the election campaigns. What follows are some general observations on the results of the elections as well as on the content, methods and objectives of the public relations techniques used in the election campaigns of 1990s.

APPEALING TO THE ELECTORATE? First, the par-ties appealed to pre-existing segments of the electorate. For example, the leadership of the CPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) agreed to let the right make use of young voters, while the grateful right gave up the older generation as a bad job about to die out anyway. The countryside ‘reactionaries’ mainly voted for the left, and the ‘sophisticated urbanites’ for the right; an inverted picture compared with the ‘civilised’ west. Such are, per-haps, the terms of a larger political game where the actors have been assigned roles beforehand.

Experts also unanimously draw attention to the fact that most of the leading political parties and blocs did not have an ideology. The clichés that were once popular, such as “private ownership will revive Russia”, quickly withered in view of the evident social irresponsibility of those who had taken the biggest slices of the social pie. Following and parallel to this partition of property, there developed equally cynical processes of its repartition in favour of the strong. The resulting cynicism and apathy of the public might have quickly led to a problem, with the masses run-ning wild to a dangerous extent. Moreover, long before these elections, polls indicated growing discontent among Russians: people wished for political and social changes.

To amalgamate, on the basis of an amorphous patriot-ism, the interests and political will of the power elite with the naive faith of some segments of the society that a degree of good may come out of the corrupted State is not an easy task and its solution requires skills as well as funding. “The ideal blocs, parties, and leaders were given wide publicity before the elections using methods that lay far away from the ideals of civil society,” writes Ekaterina Egorova, direc-tor of the Nikkolo M centre of political advertising. “The

Professionals who had until then exclusively worked in politics began

consulting with businessmen.

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THE BIG INTERVIEWKey communicators under the spotlight

Director for Strategy and Corporate Communication, European Commission

Interview: Dafydd Phillips

SIXTINE BOUYGUES

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THE BIG INTERVIEW


Last year you were awarded the French Legion of Honour: congratulations! In your statement, you said that you ac-cepted the award which “recognises my work at the service of a cause I serve with passion, European integra-tion.” What is behind this passion?Europe is part of my DNA. Born in France, with Swedish and Polish origins, I always felt it was a privi-lege to be both a French and Eu-ropean citizen. Being awarded the French Legion of Honour is recog-nition by France of my commitment to Europe. I am proud to be part of a project which has already proven its value for 60 years. A project that was initiated by, amongst others, French nationals like Jean Mon-net and Robert Schuman. A project that has brought not only peace, but also freedom and justice, democra-cy and human rights. We have the same rights in other European Un-ion countries as we do in our home country. We can travel, work, study or reside in other EU countries. We can vote in certain elections in other EU countries. We can even receive consular protection outside the EU if our country is not represented lo-cally. Here in Europe, a market of 500 million consumers makes us a first-rate economic power. The cur-rent crisis has made us work more closely together than ever. And with globalisation, the EU is in-creasingly part of the solution for Europeans.

You have also been quoted as saying that “Europe is definitely a brand.” How does thinking of the EU in terms of a brand help you set clear goals in your communications work?Indeed, Europe is a brand. It has a brand identity which is visually ex-pressed by the EU emblem and is underpinned by widely recognised

values. Eurobarometer surveys regularly show that the three values which best represent the EU in the minds of Europeans are peace, democracy and human rights. However, this brand does not just belong to the EU in-stitutions in Brussels, but to all EU citizens. People relate to and interpret the EU in different ways, especially in to-day’s political context. Therefore managing the EU brand is a difficult task. European institutions do their best to explain what the EU does for citizens, but they are not the only brand managers. Other EU brand managers in-clude the national governments, the media, regional and local politicians, think tanks, experts and stakeholders who might be affected by EU policies. They all give their own views and shape the image of the EU. Communicat-ing about specific policies is not enough. The management of a brand is an on-going process where it is always im-portant to refer back to the EU’s core values. The recent award of the Nobel peace prize to the EU is a powerful reminder of this.

You’ve also said that although perceptions of the European brand is positive, the EU always takes the blame for wider problems and doesn’t speak up to the same extent that “neg-ativists” do. Why do you think negativity is so potent?Our society is undergoing great changes: globalisation has changed the way people perceive the world. Today, countries are regarded as more vulnerable in the face of the growing power of world markets. With the globalisa-tion of communication and new technologies, people no longer belong just to one country, but to the world. This two-fold globalisation has created a widespread feeling of a loss of identity. The resulting temptation for some in Europe, and not only within the EU, is a “repli sur soi”, a rejection of European as well as national politics.

And what do you think are the reasons that have prevented the EU from speaking up in its own defence?I think that the EU has been speaking up in its own de-fence, through our commissioners, for example. Just look what President Barroso said during his State of the Union address last year: “even more dangerous than the scep-ticism of the anti-Europeans, is the indifference or the pessimism of the pro-Europeans.” But President Barroso is just one of 29 people sitting in the European council

I am proud to be part of a project which has already proven its value for 60 years.

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STORY TELLERLooking at the important questions of communication

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“Talking politics” by Dafydd Phillipspage 52 - 55

“Helping governments find a voice” by María José Canelpage 56 - 59

“Language and politics” by Neil Corlett page 60 - 63

“State of the nation” by Chiara Valentinipage 64 - 67

“Political engagement in 140 characters” by Andreas Sandrepage 68 - 71

“Promoting a presidency” by Eleonora Gavrielidespage 70 - 75

“Measuring influence, gauging reactions” by Fiona Blades and Paul Bainespage 76 - 79

“Influencing the influencers” by Elma Peters and Hugh J. Gillanderspage 80 - 83

“Delivering digital democracy” by Bruno Kaufmannpage 84 - 87

POWER AND PERSUASIONPower and persuasion in political communication

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