Marketing & Communication Strategy

HOLISTIC provides a wide range of marketing and communication services that can be conducted during and within a project’s lifecycle, under funding schemes such as the Horizon 2020, Interreg Med and others.

The services include stakeholders’ identification, analysis and engagement strategies, offline and digital dissemination and communication implementation plans and exploitation activities

Through our services, we ensure that the developments of a project and its results will effectively reach the identified targeted audiences so that to enhance the project’s awareness and publicity. All activities are designed, analysed and measured in such way in order to increase the valorisation of the project, meaning making the results and the outputs more valuable to everybody.

Marketing & Communication Strategy

HOLISTIC specializes in the following areas:

We design and deliver dissemination and communication plans and strategies which support the promotion of the projects and their results during their whole life cycle period. Our services include:
Project Identity & Dissemination Strategy
We design the project graphical identity, so that to ensure the brand consistency (creation of the logo, general colour schemes and design elements to be integrated in specific templates for dissemination purposes). We design an analytical and targeted dissemination and communication strategy. Though this procedure we identify the project results and assets that have a high dissemination potential, the relevant target groups, the means, tools and channels of dissemination.
Digital Outreach & Data Sharing
We develop, update and maintain the website during the project’s lifetime and beyond. The websites, are freely accessible, and are operating as a one-stop-shop for the interested parties that wish to get aware of the project's advancements. We design a strong online and social media presence, including a range of tools and services which enable participatory direct interaction in internet mediated environments. Through social media and the other tools we use, we enable a collaborative process in which natural and genuine conversations may be built on the thoughts and experiences of digital participants.
Communication Material
We produce tailored project documentation and dissemination materials (promotional brochures, flyers, e-newsletters, factsheets, policy briefs, posters, banners, mass emails, videos, and other communication means) which report and present the benefits of the results, services and outputs of the projects. By releasing early project publications (including scientific publications and special issues), we ensure the awareness raising among relevant target audiences and we highlight the achievements and the excellence of the projects.
Events
We organise project events (project meetings, workshops, training seminars, conferences, webinars etc.). We contribute to external events, with main aim to raise key stakeholders’ awareness and facilitate knowledge sharing to increase project impact. We create synergies with other projects and initiatives.
In HOLISTIC we specialise in the identification of key actors and stakeholders and we engage them through tailored strategy plans at various project stages, so that their knowledge, views, real-life limitations and needs are reflected in the project's research subjects, methodology and findings. In this context, our activities include the following:
Stakeholder Analysis
Stakeholder mapping and analysis is the first and most important step in the identification of the most appropriate and valuable stakeholders for the project. We focus on variables of interest as: where they come from, how they can contribute in the project development and how they can benefit from the results/findings.
Stakeholders Engagement & Consultation Plans
The engagement strategy is an important step towards setting the vision and level of present and future engagement for each stakeholder. Within the framework of the strategy plan development, the following parameters are taken into account: (a) the prioritization (b) the identified aspects that can maximise the impact of stakeholders engagement on sustainable energy behaviour; (c) the definition of cost-effective stakeholder engagement activities; and (d) the capacity to understand and manage stakeholders’ expectations.
Establishment & Management of the Stakeholder Consultation Process
Within the framework of the establishment & management of the stakeholders’ consultation process, we identify, design, implement and support the organisation of the activities and other actions where stakeholders will be invited to participate, engage and contribute, such as surveys, physical meetings, virtual events, mapping of events across EU and partners’ countries and we maintain stakeholders digital forums and other discussion/engagement channels.
Exploitation and Business Plan
HOLISTIC undertakes the development of the exploitation and business plans. As a first step, HOLISTIC supports the identification of the exploitable assets of the project, along with the results to be sustained following the end of the project. Accordingly, a plan for exploiting each one of the various assets is specified, including exploitation of the asset by individual partners (where applicable) and joint exploitation (notably in cases where the assets will have been produced by more than one partners). The plan includes identification of the target market(s), identification of interested customers and stakeholders, market analysis, as well as exploitation modalities.
Data Management Plan
HOLISTIC undertakes the development of the data management plan. An open data management plan generates wider interest towards improvements achieved by the project, in order to facilitate and potentiate exploitation opportunities. The goal of HOLISTIC –through this process- is to investigate the appropriate methodologies and open repositories for data management and dissemination, and try to offer through open access as much as information generated by the project. Such information would be scientific publication issued by the consortium, white papers published, open source code generated, mock-up datasets used for supporting the development process, etc.
Market Segmentation
On-going market analyses ensure that the project continues to be aware of new competition as it emerges. Several analyses are undertaken during the project, and include talking to a large sample of potential users outside the consortium to ensure that the proposed services deliver what the market needs at a price buyers are willing to pay. We also analyse key differences between each of the project's new services and emerging solutions, including competing near-to-market research activities. This information is crucial to assure the successful exploitation of the project results, since the business plan use this information.
Targeting
We align relevant new digital services to relevant segments using the appropriate mix of marketing activities, anticipated to be in different ecosystems. In order to proceed so, the targeting strategy that is designed, involves the segmentation of the market, to evaluate the potential and commercial attractiveness of each segment and choose the appropriate ones.
Positioning
A main objective of the marketing activity is to occupy a clear, unique, and advantageous position in the user’s mind. We communicate the benefits and capabilities of each new service early, so that potential buyers understand and buy into it. It will position each new service in each identified target segment, enabling it to explore SME perceptions of each service in relation to its competitors.