Biotech PR and Public Affairs communications campaign
Background
A number of international and competing multi-nationals have invented a range of new bio-technological applications in such areas as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and farming.
Aspects of this technology raised public debate in the areas of economics, public health, safety and ethics.
Legal and regulatory responses to these issues are provided at a European governmental level but many of the communications challenges are specific to member states.
Objectives:
- Achieve positive movement in European public perception of this technology: “to move the needle of public awareness and acceptability”
- Increase public awareness and acceptance of this new technology so as to provide politicians with reasons to introduce a generally accepted regulatory framework
- Provide credible illustrations to the general public of applications of this technology
- Allow the importation and widespread use/deployment of this technology in Europe
Strategy and plan
Given that the technology is the subject of a public debate, we devised a strategy using communications tailored to a discrete number of audiences whose views are perceived to be honest and credible by the public at large
The approach was two-pronged:
- To provide communications to those organisations and individuals who operate at a pan-European level
- Deliver appropriate communications to individuals and organisations who operate solely at a member state level
Both strands needed central coordination to ensure consistency and widespread use of key messages and beneficial case studies.
Execution and implementation
Market research established public perception of the technology and was then analysed to establish the factors which would engage people and to ascertain which further information people would be interested in obtaining.
A pan-European board of experts was set up and a network of agencies engaged to deliver core aspects of the plan in each member state.
National teams of communications experts were created, initially, in each of 11 EU countries, to develop their national plan, based on a European framework, but incorporating key differences to reflect variations between member states.
Further, regular market research took place to:
- Measure how public perception was changing, and
- Identify new issues and trends, together with fading issues.
Results
Communications activities created a great flux in public opinion, with opposition declining, support remaining stable and with many wishing to discover more about the technology. For many others the issue no longer raised as much debate. By meeting all objectives, much of the heat was taken out of the controversy.
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