UPDATE ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION STRATEGY - INTERREG VA PROGRAMME 1. Overview of Communications Activity The following is an overview of communications activity undertaken by the SEUPB, over the past six months, including the official launch of the INTERREG VA Programme at the start of the year. To date, this activity has focused on the promotion of funding calls under the new Programme along with the co-ordination of a series of sectoral workshops to assist potential beneficiaries. It is worth noting that the SEUPB has been subject to two separate purdah periods for the NI Assembly elections (30 ch to 5 2016) and the referendum on UK membership of the EU (27 to 23 June 2016) which has impacted upon the amount of pro-active press coverage generated by the Body. Annex 3 includes the SEUPB s Annual Communications Plan Overview for review and approval by the Programme Monitoring Committee. 2. New Programme Launch Event The INTERREG VA Programme was officially launched on 22 Jan 2016 at the Skainos Centre in East Belfast. The event was attended by over 100 of the SEUPB s key stakeholders including Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Investment Keith Brown, the (then) Irish Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin TD and the (then) Northern Ireland Finance Minister Mervyn Storey MLA. 1
The Communications Team had commissioned a short film highlighting the impact of previous INTERREG IVA funding which was played during the launch event this is available at the below link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_mrrdttzns. The launch event also attracted a significant level of print and broadcast media attention from across the Programme s eligible area including BBC (Scotland), RTÉ and BBC (NI). 3. Promotional Activity Funding Calls for INTERREG VA To help ensure the submission of eligible applications to the new INTERREG VA Programme the Communications Team has undertaken a number of targeted promotional activities including the; Creation and insertion of public notification adverts within the Scottish Herald, the Irish Independent and the Belfast Telegraph (refer to annex 1 for a copy of an advert placed within the Scottish Herald). Issuing of funding call focused press releases across the eligible area of the Programme (within the constraints applied by the NI Assembly election and UK referendum purdah periods). Direct mail out to the SEUPB s database of key stakeholders and potential applicants (circa 2,600 contacts). Co-ordination of 5 separate sectoral workshops in Belfast, Londonderry, Inverness and Dundalk attended by over 150 potential applicants. Use of the SEUPB s existing social media channels to promote the opening of all INTERREG VA funding calls and applicant workshops. (This activity included the uploading of filmed workshop events onto the SEUPB s You Tube Channel). Re-configuration of the SEUPB website to ensure that all relevant information relating to the new INTERREG VA Programme is as accessible as possible. 2
Attendees at the R&I (Objectives 1.1) funding call at the Playhouse theatre in Derry- Londonderry. 4. Media Coverage Significant levels of coverage have been secured throughout 2016 in relation to projects in receipt of funding under INTERREG IVA, the official launch of the new INTERREG VA Programme and the various funding calls which have opened under the Programme. (Refer to Annex 2 for a sample of the coverage generated). 3
5. SEUPB Website Traffic to the SEUPB website remains high at an average of 2,700 visits per month. The most visited pages include the new Programme Overview pages, the INTERREG VA Funding Call timetable and individual funding call information pages. The Communications Team is currently involved in the development of a new website for the Body. At present it is reviewing a number of suggested design concepts with its appointed web development agency. It is anticipated that the webste will be completed by the end of the summer/early autumn. 6. Social Media Activity The Communications Team has continued to develop the SEUPB s social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and You Tube, with the following results: 4
6.1 Twitter This is the most popular social media channel used by the SEUPB, which as of 15/06/16 has 1,240 followers. 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 Impressions 0 Jan-16-16 -16 Apr-16-16 The above chart relates to the number of impressions received by the SEUPB s twitter account. Impressions are defined as the number of times all of the Body s followers are served a Tweet in their timeline or search results. As of 2016 this reached 48,100 impressions, in comparison to 27,800 recorded in January 2016. 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Retweets Jan-16-16 -16 Apr-16-16 Retweets The above chart relates to the number of times SEUPB s followers Retweeted or endorsed a Tweet posted by the Body. As of 2016 this reached a total of 93, with an average of 80 Retweets per month. 5
1.40% 1.20% 1.00% 0.80% 0.60% 0.40% 0.20% 0.00% Engagement Rate Jan-16-16 -16 Apr-16-16 Engagement Rate The above chart relates to the number of engagements (clicks on a Tweet, Retweets, replies, follows, likes, links, hashtags, profile photo or Tweet expansion) divided by the number of impressions received by the SEUPB s Twitter account. In January 2016 this was recorded at 1.0%, rising to 1.3% in ch 2016. Currently the engagement rate stands at 0.9%. 6.2 Facebook Total Page Likes 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 6 June - 12 June 30-5 June 23-29 16-22 9-15 2-8 25 18 11 4 28 Apr -Apr -Apr -Apr - 1 24 17 10-3 Apr Apr Apr Apr 21-27 14-20 7-13 29-6 22-28 15-21 8-14 1-7 25 Jan - 31 Jan 18 Jan - 24 Jan 11 Jan - 17 Jan 4 Jan - 10 Jan Total Page Likes The above chart relates to the total number of likes for the SEUPB s Facebook page, which currently stands at 405, in comparison to 324 in January 2016. 6
Engagement Rate 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 6 June - 12 June 30-5 June 23-29 16-22 9-15 2-8 25 18 11 4 28 Apr -Apr -Apr -Apr - 1 24 17 10-3 Apr Apr Apr Apr 21-27 14-20 7-13 29-6 22-28 15-21 8-14 1-7 25 Jan - 31 Jan 18 Jan - 24 Jan 11 Jan - 17 Jan 4 Jan - 10 Jan Engagement Rate The above chart relates to the weekly engagement rate of the SEUPB s Facebook page. Engagement is defined as the % of people who saw a post and shared, clicked or commented on it. The engagement rate stands at 3.4% as of 12 June 2016. 6.3 SEUPB You Tube Channel 250 Views 200 150 100 50 0 Jan-16-16 -16 Apr-16-16 Views The above chart relates to the total number of views of all content within the SEUPB s You Tube Channel. Current content on the channel includes a number of filmed sectoral workshops for potential project applicants to the INTERREG VA Programme. The average 7
number of monthly views from January to stands at 123. Additional content will be uploaded when newly funded projects become active. 6.4 Linkedin Engagement 8.00% 7.00% 6.00% 5.00% 4.00% 3.00% 2.00% 1.00% 0.00% Jan-16-16 -16 Apr-16-16 Engagement This chart relates to the engagement rate as defined by how people react to SEUPB updates in terms of comments, likes, clicks or shares. (Please note that no activity was available for ch 2016). The engagement rate for 2016 stands at 7.46%. 6.5 SEUPB Social media analysis Twitter is the best performing social media channel used by the SEUPB, followed by Facebook and Linkedin. The SEUPB s You Tube channel requires more filmed content but this will available as soon as INTERREG VA projects become operational. In order for the SEUPB to further develop its social media presence fresh, relevant content must be uploaded on a daily basis. It is the intention of the Communications Team to encourage all newly funded projects to become active on social media. This will create a network of social media partners and a reservoir of content that can be used to help promote the impact that EU funding is having across the Programme s eligible area. 8
7. Corporate Publications Your EU The spring edition of Your EU has been published and has been circulated to the SEUPB s key stakeholders contact list. It is also available on-line at www.seupb.eu 9
Annex 1 Promotional Activity Funding Calls for INTERREG VA Public notice advert in the Scottish Herald for the R&I (Health and life Sciences) funding call under INETRREG VA. 10
Annex 2 Sample of Media Coverage Generated Launch Event Coverage - BBC (Scotland) 11
Launch event coverage - BBC (NI) 12
Launch Event Coverage News Letter 13
Launch Event Coverage Daily Mirror 14
Launch Event Coverage Irish Independent (online) 15
INTERREG IVA Programme coverage Drogheda Viaduct project 16
Example of funding call coverage for Environment theme of INTERREG VA BBC (NI) 17
Annex 3 Annual Communications Plan Overview (2016) for INTERREG VA Activity Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Programme Launch Event X Your EU Magazine X X X europa (e-mail marketing) X X Media Relations including funding call announcements X X X X Placement of public notifications ref new funding calls X Communication Workshops (for new Programme beneficiaries) X Co-ordination of Sectoral Workshops for potential Programme applicants X X Development of new Website X X X Media Briefings on INTERREG VA X X Development of marketing collateral for INTERREG VA X X Social Media Activity X X X X Staff newsletter (internal communications) X X X X 18
Create Information and Publicity Guidance for New Programming Period X Media monitoring and evaluation X X X X Programme INTERREG VA Year 2016 Specific Communication Objectives Co-ordinate an official launch event of the new INTERREG VA Programme which attracts attendance from each of the SEUPB s target audience groups and generates positive coverage within print and broadcast media outlets across eligible area. Inform over 500 potential beneficiaries of the eligibility criteria, funding calls, new programme rules and guidance. Create a new corporate website for the SEUPB which attracts over 3,000 page impressions within its first full month of operation. Increase the SEUPB s combined social media presence in terms of engagement on all of its existing channels (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and You Tube). Target Audiences Priority 1 Regional Government; Local Government and Associated Bodies; the EU; Beneficiaries of previous programmes; Citizens; Academic and Research Institutions; Potential Beneficiaries and the Media. Quarter 1 (Jan-) Priority 2 Political (Northern Ireland / Ireland); Business and Business Institutions. Quarter 2 (Apr-Jun) 19
Proposed Co-ordinate official launch of the new INTERREG VA Co-ordinate a series of sector specific new Programme calendar of programme. application development workshops across eligible area. activity Create new marketing collateral to include information Continue social media activity to raise profile of new leaflets, nomadic stands and branded merchandise etc for programmes. the new INTERREG VA Programme. Draft Annual Report for 2015. Co-ordinate a series of sectoral specific new Programme application development workshops across eligible area. Create first 2016 edition of europa e-zine. New website development. Co-ordinate a series of media briefings on the INTERREG VA Programme. Media relations activity to help generate eligible Programme applications and publicise the sectoral New Website development. workshops for Programme applicants. Media relations activity to help generate eligible Continue social media activity to raise profile of new INTERREG VA Programme. Programme applications and publicise the sectoral workshops for Programme applicants. Media monitoring and evaluation. Produce internal staff e-zine. Produce internal staff e-zine. Media monitoring and evaluation. Produce Winter/Spring edition of Your EU! Magazine. 20
Quarter 3 (Jul-Sep) Quarter 4 (Oct-Dec) New website development. Launch new corporate website for the SEUPB. Media relations activity i.e. new funding Media relations activity i.e. new funding announcements. announcements. Continue social media activity to raise profile of new Continue social media activity to raise profile of new programmes. programmes. Create second 2016 edition of europa e-zine. Produce summer edition of Your EU! Magazine. Produce internal staff e-zine. Produce internal staff e-zine. Co-ordinate a series of media briefings on the INTERREG Media monitoring and evaluation. VA Programme. Media monitoring and evaluation. Co-ordinate communication workshops for new Programme beneficiaries. 21