Do we have a good corporate communications plan? Do we know exactly what and to whom we would like to communicate? Do we have a relational strategy with the different target audiences? How can we align communications work with our business objectives? What must be done to ensure the coherence of advertising, public relations and sponsorship actions? What is the most suitable time to implement the different communications actions? Do we have a communications policy that is truly oriented towards improving our corporate reputation? How is a corporate social responsibility programme planned and executed?
Only experience, having worked with leading institutions and companies in their respective sectors, and a critical evaluation of points of improvement enable one to gain, over time, a strategic vision of communications. At Manifesta we have these three elements.
The professionals at Manifesta like to go into depth, to look over the documents, the communications proposals, and the recommendations several times. And to finish working on them and arriving at a consensus with our clients and their teams of professionals.
What are the first communications measures that must be taken if there is a crisis? Who should be on the crisis committee? Should we adopt a proactive or reactive attitude towards the media? Do our plans provide for a person prepared to act as spokesperson for the organisation? What is the key to drawing up the official position of the company in a few minutes? How can we prepare a brief and useful crisis manual? What must be done in the area of internal communications?
Communicative management of crisis situations is one of the key specialisations that we work on at Manifesta.
Consultancy in highly diverse exceptional situations, such as the first unloading of genetically modified soybean at the port of Barcelona, the closure of some of the factories in the textile sector, the governmental withdrawal of pharmaceutical subsidies, the social controversy generated by a major public work in Catalonia, the case of the mad cows disease, or the initial opposition by public opinion to leading real estate projects, among others, has provided us with extensive experience in this field and a recognition in the sector.
Can a stable relationship with the media be planned over time? How should we prepare for an interview with the newspaper Expansión? When dealing with information professionals, which elements should our executive team take into account? How and when should a press conference be called? How is a press visit to our facilities organised? Should the institutional Web site provide specific information for journalists?
Management of the press office continues to be, justifiably, one of the communications priorities of organisations. Dealing with information and with information professionals requires maximum rigour, specific technical knowledge and a well-developed methodology.
At Manifesta we are aware of the value of stable professional relations with the different media: press, radio, TV, Internet and information agencies; local and national; general and specialised; public and private.
How can a City Council improve communication with its different audiences? What should be the communications strategy in preparing for the next elections? How can we prepare a campaign to inform the citizens on the results of the most recent political plan? How is communications for a controversial subject on the local or regional level focused? What prior actions should be taken in terms of research before launching an institutional advertising campaign? How can we improve the negative perception that users have of our institution?
Public administrations are increasingly aware of the importance of smooth and transparent communications with citizens, to ensure a positive public evaluation that enables them to renew their trust.
Institutional communications has some specific technical and sociological characteristics that make it much different from what is common in private companies. On the other hand, it is essential to be familiar with how public administrations work and communicate in order to be able to provide effective and resolutional consultancy services.
How should we approach the public administrations that are essential to our interests? What is a lobby action, and how should it be designed and executed? How should we prepare for a meeting with a minister or a minister's advisor? Who should be in charge of speaking with institutional representatives? How can a public administration be linked to an initiative that is favourable to our interests? Are we present in the most important sectorial events? Which institutions in the business and social spheres should we belong to and how can we make the most of our relationship? How should we manage the invitation of a member of the Royal Family to the 50th anniversary of our company in terms of protocol?
Organisations have an increasing need to relate with public administrations, to participate in the public debate and maintain an active role in the socioeconomic environment. For their part, public administrations have accepted the fact that it is desirable to have a good relationship with the private sector.
Facilitating this relationship and exchange can be essential in day to day activity.
At Manifesta we have had the opportunity to advise our clients on these sorts of subjects. This has allowed us to gain extensive knowledge of the internal aspects of the relationship with the different public administrations, and to know the point which one can arrive at in these subjects that are highly sensitive and, at the same time, strategic.
What can our company do to be considered as an organisation with a responsible attitude towards our closer community? Is it worthwhile to collaborate with the City Council of the location where we have one of the company factories? How can one make the most of this cooperation from the point of view of communications? How can we improve the relationship with the residents' or shopkeepers' associations who repeatedly question the actions of our entity? Would it be worthwhile to make a round of presentations of our most recent leading project to major local entities?
A good reputation begins with the perception that the immediate environment has of our entity. Business dynamics are weakened when the relationship with nearby groups is tense or problematic.
Often the solution to these conflicts involves explaining and presenting the facts in a professional way; facilitating a frank and honest dialogue; making small changes in our way of operating that show our good will towards those we are speaking with.
Direct knowledge of the leading public figures in the community and participation in initiatives by the entities through which they are mobilised is always positive from the relational point of view
Who should be responsible for the internal communications of the organisation? How could the communication between different departments be improved? How can we stimulate internal participation in strategic decision-making? How should personnel be informed of the restructuring process we will have to face soon? What is the best way to bring the General Management closer to collaborators? How can we generate participation for the preparation of an internal electronic newsletter?
Companies and institutions have become definitively aware of the key importance of workers for achieving success, of the need to protect this group and invest in their training.
However, we are one of the European countries that, up until now, has invested less in internal communications. And still, when this is done, in many cases it is not fully integrated in the overall company communications plan, and we do not take advantage of the opportunities to relate external and internal communications.
Development of specific internal communications actions should enable persons in the organisation to identify with the strategic and business objectives established by the Management. These actions contribute to generating greater cohesion and a certain sense of belonging to a specific project.
What does corporate advertising mean? What is the difference between that and an advertising campaign for products/services? What can it provide us with? Does it generate a direct benefit for the image of the organisation? Should it necessarily be conducted together with a product campaign? Who should coordinate it? What are the keys to success in performance?
Very often, advertising campaigns do not optimise the potential of the corporate reputation that the most outstanding corporate products and services can contribute (due to their technological leadership, their contribution to the welfare of society, their capacity to have an international impact, etc.).
At Manifesta we are responsible for complementing this deficiency and providing campaigns with a more global, strategic and corporate scope.
Is sponsorship of an activity or an initiative a good option as a communications action? Is it compatible with our personality and corporate style? How is the return calculated? Is it clear that sponsorship must be associated with communications actions to increase public knowledge and prestige? How can good opportunities for sponsorship be found, and by what channels? Is joint sponsorship worthwhile?
Corporate sponsorship can be a positive addition to a more extensive communications programme. However, not all proposals, even if they are made by prestigious entities or institutions, are compatible with our strategic communications objectives. They must be evaluated according to specific corporate image criteria and their value must be very clear.
On the other hand, in order to strengthen investment and optimise results it is essential to make the most of the informative and public relations opportunities offered by the actions being sponsored.
Can we communicate certain information when we are involved in a legal proceeding? What precautions should be taken into account? What should be the role of the legal team in the issues that affect the corporate reputation? How should we deal with the media in these cases? What should be done in the field of internal communications?
The evolution or result of a legal proceeding can have a significant effect on the image of an organisation. In the positive sense and, unfortunately, what is most common, in the negative sense. It is important to know if we can manage the information that affects a proceeding of these characteristics and how it should be done. On the other hand, recovering lost prestige can become another important point.
As a result of our twofold training, in communications and law, we can provide qualified criteria in these cases and facilitate the communication needed with the legal teams.
How should a special corporate event of the highest level be designed? What are the primary elements of added value in their design? What should be the criteria to select institutional representatives or leading public figures that increase the prestige of the event? How can we link our corporate vision of the event with that of the production team? Who should be on the internal team in charge of supervising the event? How can we use the event appropriately in the media? What are the keys to containing and controlling the final budget for the action?
Celebrating an anniversary, awarding a prize, or inaugurating a new corporate office are suitable occasions for communicating the style, prestige and reputation of the company. Since they are attended by key audiences that are essential for the interests of the company (clients, institutional decision makers, sectorial representatives, journalists, collaborators) a demanding professional perception must be generated.
Having worked with a significant number of leading institutions and companies in their respective sectors has provided us with the opportunity to participate in the design and execution of special events which were unique in their exceptional configuration.
On the basis of a stable or specific professional relationship, Manifesta offers expert opinion on highly diverse strategic questions such as:
- Preparation of special and customised reports on subjects related to corporate communications.
- Benchmarking on communications and information treatment in specific sectorial areas.
- Qualitative and quantitative research on subjects related to brand image and perception (reputation and corporate image audits, surveys on level of public awareness, studies on economic valuation of the brand, etc.)
- Support in implementing internal or in-house communications departments.
- Research and selection of qualified suppliers of marketing services, advertising, graphic design and production of special events.
As a result of the increasing importance of communications in the management area, corporate and institutional management teams are receiving intensive training on specific corporate communications subjects.
The professionals at Manifesta have extensive experience in communications subjects on the university level. This enables them to turn training sessions into highly practical meetings adapted to the particular reality of each client.
- Spokesperson training
Session oriented towards optimising communication with the media and journalists. Simulation of TV and radio sets for practical training sessions.
- Crisis management training
Session specifically designed to become familiar with the usual actions, techniques and tools in communications management for crises or controversial situations.
- Spanish media overview
Session that aims to provide greater knowledge of the complex structure of the media in Catalonia and in Spain as a whole, and of the primary tools needed to learn about their internal operations.
- Ad hoc communications training
