Involving communities in communication strategy and planning

To better care for the world and engage communities, we must first deepen our relationship with ourselves. The Inner Development Goals skills invite us to mobilise our inner resources so that we can interact better with others and deal with the challenges facing society in five distinct ways:

• Being: rethinking our relationship with ourselves by knowing how to be present to ourselves with integrity and authenticity, and by accepting our emotional and sensory dimensions with humility and curiosity;
• Thinking: sharpening our cognitive skills by rehabilitating our critical thinking, opening up to different opinions and accepting complex causalities;
• Relating: caring for others and the world with respect, empathy and humility, aware that we are part of a vast, interconnected system;
• Collaborating: maintaining dialogue with our stakeholders by creating a context of psychological safety and a relationship of trust, and by stimulating co-creation between stakeholders in an inclusive manner;
• Acting: driving change by cultivating the courage to challenge existing opinions and defend values, an optimistic attitude to keep hope alive for meaningful change, and the ability to remain determined and committed with perseverance when efforts are slow to bear fruit.

Segmenting your audience can have positive effects on many levels:

• Customise messages;
• Target potential obstacles to change, to provide greater reassurance;
• Use the most relevant channels (social networks, events, etc.);
• Adapt “calls to action” to improve the effectiveness of your campaigns;
• Remain accessible, both in production and in the channels used.

Involving your audience in a campaign can greatly improve its success. By encouraging their participation, a campaign can generate more interest, create a sense of belonging and increase its impact.

Here are some good ways of working with local communities:

• Give people a voice and bring them together;
• Illustrate your message;
• Make your campaign interactive;
• Tell the truth;
• Back it up with facts;
• Add a little humour!

Co-designing your responsible communications with its stakeholders and communities is an essential process for building trust and credibility with your audiences. A few keys to co-constructing your communication strategy:

• Take the time you need;
• Be transparent;
• Involve your audiences as agents of change;
• Use a variety of channels to communicate;
• Reward engagement by listening and improving your relationship with your audience.