A good communication strategy is increasingly important in all European projects. Here are some interesting guides on this topic.
Why do we tell about European projects?
Communication plays an increasingly important role in all areas in life, and European projects are no exception. The modern world is about images, digital communications, and telling stories to an audience accustomed to quick, impactful communications. European projects adapt to the reality around them. The European Commission, as well as institutions and project funders around the world, particularly value being able to demonstrate (and further increase) the effectiveness of their initiatives through good communication.
So, first and foremost, we communicate because the world asks us to, as do the European Commission and our funders. A good communication strategy is decisive in the assignment and implementation of a project. But communication also holds other, no less interesting advantages: it puts us in touch with our target audience and with our partners, giving us important insights and opportunities for our business; it allows us to better understand what we are doing (sometimes it is really necessary, isn’t it?); it creates around us a good image and a good reputation.
The communication dimensions of European projects
Communication is (by definition) a complex and multifaceted process. It is even more so nowadays, when new technologies and digital media multiply the opportunities and means to take our messages to the whole world. The concept of communication in our projects includes, for example:
- Strategic and conceptual aspects: to whom do we communicate, why, and with what resources? what messages do we want to get across and what image do we want to give of ourselves and our projects?
- Typical dilemmas: what mix between classic and social media, print and digital communication, events and meetings, classic communication and viral communication?
- Operational doubts, but no less Hamletic: will I have chosen the right image, the right language, the right time, the right “testimonial”?
A communication strategy can be more or less ambitious, but it is important (and more importantly, it can work) even for relatively small projects. A number of guides, some very interesting, have been published to help experts and laymen in the world of “project communication.” Let’s look at some of them together.
Guides from European institutions: an effective selection
Let’s start with the most official source of all, the European institutions. The proposed guides touch on very general topics, but are no less interesting. We suggest in particular:
- The European Commission’s guide on clear writing. Because good communication starts with clear ideas and clear words (available in all EU languages);
- Parliament’s guidelines on communication, particularly the second part, devoted to using images to “tell stories” effectively;
- A guide for effectively communicating EU values and human rights (because any kind of European project is ultimately its defender and promoter);
- A guide for gender-sensitive communication, an increasingly important theme in all project communications;
- The page with the list of official audiovisual materials of European institutions. We especially highlight the various photo galleries (including, for example, that of the European Commission, with a search engine by theme and keyword).
Other guides from European institutions with specifics on communication
Other European institutions and managing authorities of European programs are publishing even more specific guides that are sure to be of interest to those involved in communicating about European projects. We suggest for example:
- The Council of Europe’s communication methodological guide, which briefly and effectively goes through all the steps for implementing a communication strategy;
- Interreg IV-C Program’s Project Communication Guide and a guide on media, communication and citizenship from the Civitas Initiative, both less recent but equally rich and comprehensive;
- A guide for effective use of images, full of practical advice, prepared under the ENPI Neighborhood Program;
- Major European programs present specific guides on communication. For example, Horizon2020 presents several versions, all of them interesting and with different levels of analysis(1 | 2 | 3 | 4).
INTERACT program guides, what they are and where to find them
We have already talked about the excellent guides and materials produced under the INTERACT program. The platform offers some specific guides on communication that are particularly interesting:
- An “inspiration guide” for communication in Interreg programs (but useful for all kinds of projects and programs), supplemented by an even more interesting practical “toolkit” covering different aspects of communication;
- Some shorter and more specific but very interesting presentations devoted to the production of “video stories” and the concept of “storytelling” in project communication(1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5).
To work!
All that remains is to read the in-depth guides best suited to your needs and aim for the best in communication about your European projects!
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