Communication Strategy and Visibility Guidelines

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Communication Strategy

and Visibility Guidelines

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Development of a Communication Strategy

The development of the MARIE Communication Strategy (MACS) is fundamental to create the necessary snowball effect integrating all the Building Energy Efficiency (BEE) public and private actors in Mediterranean.

In this sense, the main overall objective of MACS is to create the communication fundaments for the implementation of the MARIE’s capitalization measures in order to ensure the coherence and effectiveness of the communication activities and the appropriate dissemination and visibility.

The Communication Strategy:

o It is transversal

o For internal and external communication o With a comprehensive publicity plan

o Includes the Information and Training Program o Will include the Associated Partners Platform

o Will be present in the Social Networks, like Facebook or Twitter Hereby is outlined the Communication Strategy’s main elements.

1. The specific objectives 2. The target groups

3. The messages and actions 4. Tools and materials 5. The expected results

1. Objectives of the MARIE Communication Strategy

The purpose of the communication strategy is to contribute to the achievement of the MARIE’s objectives. To this end, the following communication specific objectives have been identified:

o To create an innovative and attractive image associated to the promotion of BEE in the Mediterranean.

o To facilitate the engagement and participation of MARIE partners and associated organizations in the construction of MEDBEES Strategy.

o To disseminate and increase the awareness levels of civil society related to BEE improvement, facilitating tools for interaction and clarification.

o To program training facilities to reach high quality professional training levels in order to facilitate the MEDBEE Strategy implementation.

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2. The target groups

Identifying the audience is crucial so is to choose the most effective ways of communication. The identified target groups are the following:

Public entities: Local and regional public authorities and policy makers

Private companies and professionals: Suppliers of building materials, systems, services and technologies related with BEE, constructors and promoters, professional services, architects, engineers and experts. Real state agencies are also an important target group.

Civil Society: Universities, institutions and Technology Centers, NGO, population in EU Med-space who should learn to develop good practices to benefit from improved living and working conditions in EE buildings.

Depending on the target group the specific communication tools will be selected.

3. Messages and actions

Overall message: Towards Energy Efficiency in the Existing Mediterranean Buildings.

Specific actions for each target group should be designed:

Actions directed to the regional housing public authorities and policy makers:

To facilitate the engagement and participation of Mediterranean public authorities in the agreement of a common MEDBEE Strategy.

Actions directed to suppliers of building materials, systems, services and technologies related with BEE, constructors and promoters, professional services, architects, engineers, experts and Real State agencies.

To create a favourable scenario for the involvement of private companies and professionals in the MEDBEE strategy.

Actions directed to the Civil Society

To develop a general awareness about the importance of EE in Buildings.

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4. Tools and Materials

The tools that shall carry the message to the audience are the following:

Activities:

Advisory Group: Three events (one for year) with competent public authorities at EU and National level. In these meetings the participants will receive all the information produced by MARIE and will contribute to the general strategy of the project.

Scientific Group: Three events (one for year) with scientific representatives of the nine MARIE countries. Will produce an interaction with the project and guaranty the quality of the outputs.

Forums of Regions and Cities: Three events (one for year) opened to all MED Regions and Cities. The first one will take place in October 2011 and will be included in the Annual Med Program Conference in Barcelona. The idea is to organize the Forum in collaboration with Elih-Med project in order to reach the maximum audience and dissemination effect.

Associated Partners Platform Conference

Will be held in Malta in 2013, and should consolidate all the work done by the Associated Partners Platform (APP) during the first three years of MARIE. This Conference should also prepare the organization needed to capitalize the project after its conclusion.

Closing Conference.

One event scheduled for 2014 in Barcelona to close the project and start up the different structures and tools created and included in the MEDBEE Strategy.

Participation in External Events

Different events as Costrumat, or others along the Mediterranean countries, will be considered for action in order to integrate the project objectives into the national networks included in the APP. These events are not scheduled for the moment.

Materials (among others):

Press Release: Written communication to announce something that has specific value (for example, the MARIE Kick-off meeting, the MARIE Forum of Regions and Cities, APP

Conference, Closing conference…).

The press releases shall be disseminated and published in local newspapers, magazines, social networks, websites, radio, TV, etc.

Set of Brochures: Two pamphlets, the first one for advertisement and dissemination among the three MARIE target groups, should incorporate information about the MARIE project (objectives and brief description, envisaged results, etc.) as well as about the partners. The

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first brochure will be published before the MARIE Forum of Regions and Cities. The second one should be ready for the Malta Conference in 2013 and will explain the results obtained during the first 2 years of the project.

MARIE Web tools: Three interconnected main web tools are envisaged:

1. The official website with public access, containing information and news about the MED PROGRAM, on the MARIE project, the partners involved and the outcomes. It will contain additional information on the project outputs and will be designed to provide interaction with the general building’s users.

2. The social networks presence through pages and accounts, linked with the official website.

3. The MARIE Associated Partners interactive web tool will incorporate all types of information to facilitate communication with the Associated Partners.

4. The Intranet, for internal communication among partners and access to all kinds of relevant information.

The main features of the Intranet will be: o Document Upload/Download.

o Forum for discussion online among partners. o Calendar, timetables, planning of activities, etc.

5. The Information and Training Platform, with a comprehensive information of all different target groups and levels of knowledge, quality guidelines that apply to all the education units and general information about each piece of learning material.

Image and logo: Concerning the visibility and identification of the MARIE project, there are formatting rules to be followed by all partners. The logo, the project image, colours, fonts, presentation & templates will be designed.

The financial resources made available for the implementation of such strategy are as described in the budget of the application form.

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5. Expected results

It is important to remark that the preparation of the MARIE Communication Strategy is considered as subtask in the WP2 description. The partners involved in the WP2 will be co-responsible for the implementation of the MARIE Communication Strategy.

Nevertheless, active involvement of all MARIE consortium partners will be sought throughout project execution, each having a particular role as an information multiplier (e.g. in the dissemination of press releases, in the organisation of regional dissemination events).

The MARIE Communication Strategy should reach as its main result the involvement of the most important target groups related to BEE in Mediterranean in a new dynamic to increase the implementation of building’s energy renovation process.

The Communication Strategy will be reviewed every year by the Steering Committee under the direction of the WP Coordinator.

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Communication Results & Indicators.

European institutions towards which

communication tools will be disseminated

12 (target structures for communication tool dissemination)

State Administrations towards which communication tools will be disseminated.

Local and Regional Authorities towards which communication tools will be disseminated.

Other Public and semi-public bodies towards which communications tools will be

disseminated.

Private sectors towards which communications tools will be disseminated.

General Public towards which communications tools will be disseminated.

30 millions (target structures for communication tool dissemination)

Specific Project Partners towards which communications tools will be disseminated.

Number of website developed 2 (website)

Number of connexion to the websites 89 (connexions to website)

Number of targeted communication actions carried out by the partnership: events, seminars, conferences, exhibitions.

78 (communication action)

European institutions concerned by communication actions

12 (target structures for communication actions)

State Administration concerned by communication actions

Local and Regional Authorities concerned by communication actions

Other Public and semi public bodies concerned by communication actions

Private sector concerned by communication actions

General Public concerned by communication actions

30 millions (target structures for communication actions)

Specific Partners concerned by communication actions

Number of press releases: project’s visit, press workshop, press conference, press release

120 ( project’s visit, press workshop, press conference, press release)

Number of articles published

(press)/broadcasted (radio/television)

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Visibility Guidelines

The visibility guidelines are based on the specifications from the MED Programme Manual on publicity requirements.

The main requirements are:

• For Publications (press release, joint brochure)

• European flag with ERDF mention “Project co financed by European Regional Development Fund”.