The new European Parliament is in place. The Committee seats are distributed. Every interest group in Brussels is scrambling to throw together an EP engagement plan. This fall we can expect a big push from these groups to engage new members, but how can they make a lasting impression? How can they make sure their message lives on beyond that initial outreach?
The dawn of social media has led to a fundamental shift in how any organisation engages and builds relationships with its audience. Gone are the days of one-way, static corporate messaging where we talk at our audiences about how great we are and all the important things we do. Lobbyists, NGOs and marketers alike, have realised that they need to find creative ways to be relevant and meaningful to their key stakeholders.
They’ve realised that campaigns and other one-off efforts still have a role to play in their comms toolkits, but they need to think longer term about how to build effective brands for their organisations in the eyes of those who matter to them.
Building brands in Brussels
In digital terms, this means they need to create a steady stream of content that is relevant, compelling and human – and that content needs to be more than just a corporate blog. They need to develop a consistent identity and message and release this on a slow drip to their audience. See Facebook Brussels (naturally) and Eli Lilly, for examples of orgs in Brussels with the right idea.This new discipline goes by many names – but I think “brand journalism” is the most fitting term in a Brussels context.
45-second read: here’s how it works
A version of this post first appeared on kobiebrett.com. Views here are my own and not those of any present or past employer or client.
