Europeana Awareness Assembly, Prague, 10 July 2013

1. ACTION GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS
Action is the leading emerging markets strategic communications consultancy
09.07.2013 – Prague

2. Presentation outline
Who we are… Action Global Communications
What do we do… Action Global Communications
Past experience with Europeana… CYPRUS
Past experience with Europeana… BULGARIA
Current experience with Europeana… BALTIC STATES
BEST PRACTISES

3. Action Global Communications
With over 40 years of building positive reputations for our clients, Action Global Communications is a truly
independent, full service, public relations consultancy. Our wholly owned offices are in Central & Eastern
Europe, Russia, the CIS Countries, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean area.
Action Global Communications brings authentic, relevant insights to companies and organisations
who want to create meaningful connections with their audiences and become credible voices that build
trust in the diverse marketplace of Europe, Middle East and Africa.

4. Action Global Communications
We believe that every company or organization can create meaningful connections with their audiences
through communications that build rewarding relationships and lead to sustainable business growth.
For that, we are committed to help our clients build this bridge using our expertise and vision, commitment and
creativity, across diverse markets and media channels.

5. Action Global Communications Network

6. Action Global Communications Awards

7. UNIQUE
• We are the only independent
global strategic
communications network
focusing on emerging
markets
• 300+ staff
• 40+ offices on three
continents
IN CONTROL
• Our offices are either wholly
or part owned so we can
mirror changing business
models required by our clients
• We offer an experienced
coordinating hub for multi-
market clients delivering a
one-stop-shop for the
management of
communication campaigns
across multiple and diverse
markets
Why Action
IN DEMAND
• We work with trusted affiliates
to extend our reach into other
geographies beyond our
network
• Links and partnerships with
other leading global agencies

8. Communications Services
The art of effective communication starts with understanding and measurement. Understanding your business,
your brands, your people. Measuring the perceptions and attitudes held by your stakeholders. With this real
knowledge Action Global Communications delivers strategic communications that gets your stakeholders talking.
And we do it locally in each market or effectively across borders.
• Corporate communications
• Marketing Communications
• Event Management
• Strategic Media Relations
• Public Affairs
• Crisis Management
• Communications Consultancy
• Digital PR
• Media Monitoring / Market Intelligence

9. • Automotive and Sports
• Aviation & Defense
• Banking and Financial Services
• Energy
• Fairs and Exhibitions
• Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
• International Development
Industry Expertise
• Logistics
• NGO’s and Public Affairs
• Real Estate & Construction
• Retail & Consumer Goods
• Technology
• Telecommunications
• Travel & Leisure
• Education

10. Some of our current clients

11. Our Network Team
Vjosa Berisha
Albania &
Kosovo
Habib
Benramdane
Algeria
Eric
Gyulazyan
Armenia
Elshan
Musayev
Azerbaijan
Rohan
Shanker
Bahrain
Drazena Lejo
Croatia &
Bosnia
Natalie
Christofides
Cyprus
Martin
Frydl
Czech Rep.
Fouad
Kassem
Dubai
Sameh
Selim
Egypt
Rossitsa
Donkova
Bulgaria
Dorsaf
Mezhoud
Tunisia

12. Our Network Team
Maia
Chitaia
Georgia
George
Siafis
Greece
Csilla
Olah
Hungary
Dellara
Heydari
Iran
Tariyel
Jalalli
Kazakhstan
Amna Al
Jarery
Kuwait
Elira
Turdubayeva
Kyrgyzstan
Kristine
Toma
Latvia
Toufic El
Zein
Lebanon
Egita
Veblauskaite
Lithuania
Jumana
Twal
Jordan

13. Our Network Team
Youssef
Lahlou
Morocco
Atulya
Sharma
Oman
Mahmood
Hashmi
Pakistan
Jacek
Jakubczyk
Poland
Elise
Zwain
Qatar
Lina
Shurkevich
Russia
Ibrahim Al
Bloushy
Saudi Arabia
Srba
Jovanovic
Serbia
Michael
Ivanicka
Slovakia
Damijan
Nacevski
Slovenia
Khaled
Ayloush
Syria
Ruxandra
Scortea
Romania

14. In a sentence…
Action designs strategies specifically
tailored for each client in a manner
designed to strengthen and broaden
communications with stakeholders.

15. November 2012 // Credentials
Europeana 1914-1918
CYPRUS
October – December 2012

16. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
Europeana 1914-1918 program aims to collect and preserve memories from all over Europe of World War 1
and make them accessible to the world in the run up to 2014 which marks the 100th anniversary of the conflict.
Objective: to generate attention to the project and attract people to the first public collection event in Cyprus.
Intro

17. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
The participation of Cyprus in World
War One was significant, compared to
the island’s size and capabilities.
16,000 Cypriots – among which
around 2 to 3,000 Turkish-Cypriots
and Armenians - served in the British
Army during the war.
This was a huge number, equivalent to
the 5.8% of the total population of the
island which was at that time 274.108.
Most of them served on the
Macedonian front as muleteers.
Cyprus in the WW1

18. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
• More than 1/3 of Cypriots had lost all family memorabilia and photos due to the Turkish invasion in 1974
which forced them to relocate urgently to the southern part of the island leaving behind all personal items
• At the time of WW1, Cyprus, being an island, isolated and annexed by Great Britain, was not as
technologically advanced as other European countries; therefore cameras were rarely used and photos of
that time might be scarce.
Challenges

19. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
• To generate awareness (buzz) about the europeana1914-1918 project, activating interest
• To urge people to become involved in this project and drive them to the first public collection event
• To generate publicity and encourage press attendance at the public event
• To create long-term interest in the website which people can visit to submit or explore the WWI material
and other cultural heritage content.
Objectives

20. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
Politicians
History
societies
Embassies
Local
librarians
General
public
Ministry of
Education
Ministry of
Defence
Local and
family
Associations
Target audiences
Media

21. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
Tools

22. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
Press Conference

23. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
• The extraordinary story of Agathoklis Hajichristodoulou from
Polystipos in Cyprus – who later went by the name
Polistipiotis. Agathoklis lost both his legs in Salonika to
frostbite.
• He was the only injured person to have been given
compensation: 40 pounds and a set of ‘new’ prosthetic legs.
He drifted for a few years, before being given a job in the
Forestry Department, but after about a decade of service, he
was fired because he constantly complained about his legs,
which had been replaced twice.
• So in the late 1930s he was given 50 pounds and another
new set of legs to start his own business, either a grocery or a
cobbler. One of the three sets of prosthetic legs that
Agathoklis changed is now kept at the Science Museum of
London!
Politistipiotis / Findings

24. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
Coverage
Results
Evening TV News 12
TV Interviews 5
Radio Interviews 7
Print Interviews 5
Feature articles 2
Press Release Cuttings 32

25. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
Sample coverage

26. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
Sample coverage

27. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
Facebook page

28. Road Show
Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)

29. Road Show
Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)

30. Europeana 1914 – 1918 (Cyprus)
• Excellent working relationships and communication between the agency (Action) and Europeana’s partner
in Cyprus the Ministry of Education and Culture
• Use of personal stories of Cypriots In the press who made the content of the publicity material more
interesting and relevant to the audience
• Engagement of local communities in Cyprus whose residents had participated in the WW1 (e.g. small
villages in the mountains); the Ministry used its contacts and activated its procedures to contact the
community leaders and encourage their participation in the roadshow.
• Passionate and enthusiastic team (Action, Ministry, Europeana) who went out of their way to deal with the
challenges of the project in Cyprus
• Thorough research before the launch of the campaign (we contacted historians, academics, writers,
researchers, etc.) to identify the names of the Cypriots who participated in the war and find their families
• Use of mass media, social media & newsletter to get the word out to the general public
What worked

31. Memorial
In memory of the Cypriot muleteers
As we have seen in Hyde Park in London there is a memorial to the animals at war, and features some of our
donkeys and mules. So, Action has decided to create such a memorial in Cyprus in memory of the Cypriots,
and their beloved animals so that the 16.000 can be remembered by the current and future generations.

32. November 2012 // Credentials
Europeana
BULGARIA
March – September 2013

33. Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)
Our objective was to communicate and drive awareness for Europeana, but also to celebrate the 130th
anniversary of the Varna Regional Library (Europeana’s main partner in Bulgaria).
Our scope of work involved the development and implementation of the communications strategy to
successfully fulfill the objectives set, the organization of the press event and Europeana Travelling Exhibition,
Media relations activities (national & regional), public affairs support, moderation of events and logistics.
Intro

34. Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)
• Regional local partnerships (like the regional library or institution) are more difficult to create or generate
national media outreach
• There was not enough time for the coordination of all media activities of Europeana with the local partners
• We needed double the effort in order to generate the support of the various authorities (such as the
Ministries of Culture and Education) due to their slow pace of work and the busy schedule of the head
representatives.
• Bulgaria at that time, had no Government, so the political situation in the country took most of the general
public’s attention
Challenges

35. Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)
Press Conference
• Europeana – bringing
culture online to Bulgaria
and bringing Bulgarian
culture to the rest of
Europe with the help of the
library
• The importance of digital
content for the modern
Bulgarians and the digital
access to knowledge as
part of their lifestyle

36. Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)
Europeana Travelling Exhibition “Linked Across Time and Space”

37. Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)
Results
• 15 media were present at the press conference in Varna from all the regional media and also
correspondents from the national media
• 18 media were present at the launch of the travelling exhibition in Sofia from the most important national
print media and two TV channels
• 32 cuttings from regional and national press were generated as a result of the press conference
• Another 32 cuttings from national press were generated after the launch of the exhibition in Sofia
• We had continuous media coverage in all the cities where the exhibition was generating interest both for
the digitalization, as well as the travelling exhibition

38. Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)
Sample coverage

39. Europeana Awareness Campaign (BG)
• Time is key...
• Good engagement and communication between all relevant parties is very important.
• Procedures should always be in place.
• Utilize each supporting partner’s strong values.
Learnings

40. November 2012 // Credentials
Europeana 1989
BALTIC STATES
AUGUST 2013

41. Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)
In preparation for the 25th anniversary year in 2014 Europeana, will encourage individuals to contribute items
of private memorabilia from this pivotal time so that it can be digitally preserved and shared online.
In the Baltic States, the focus will be on the Baltic Way, the longest human chain in history, connecting the
three capitals: Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius over a distance of 600km on 23 August 1989.
Intro

42. Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)
• To increase awareness of the Europeana project to the general public in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia
• Generate interest in the contribution website and encourage everyone who participated in the Baltic Way,
or those who have a family member who did, to contribute their memories
• Promote the public events so as to increase attendance and contributions of family documents for digitising
and publishing
• Drive traffic to the Europeana website so people visit and explore the 1989 material as well as contribute
their own material for digitisation
Objectives

43. Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)
Politicians
Decision
makers
Embassies
Local
librarians
General
public
Individuals
aged 40+
Activists
Local and
family
School
history
teachers
Target audiences
Media

44. Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)
To have one overall message for the Baltics, but to localise communication activities appropriate for each
country
To plan a bespoke programme of specific events, activities and opportunities for each country
To leverage the personality of each National Project Ambassador to grow awareness of Europeana in each
country
The key to success will be

45. Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)
Tools
ALL COUNTRIESALL COUNTRIES
PRESS
RELEASES
MEDIA
EVENTS
SOCIAL
MEDIA
MEDIA FOR
WARSAW
LAUNCH
INTERVIEWS
FEATURE
ARTICLES

46. Europeana 1989 (Baltic States)
Lithuania is the first of the Baltic countries to host the
Europeana roadshow, on 9th, 10th and 13th August.
Mask the date
In Estonia, collection days will take place in the National Library
of Estonia, on 30th and 31st August.
In Latvia the press conference and collection day event are
scheduled for the 23rd and 24th of August .

47. November 2012 // Credentials
Tips for a successful PR campaign

48. November 2012 // Credentials
Tips for a successful PR campaign

49. Thank you