STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS - INSIGHTS FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS - INSIGHTS FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR

Author(s): Vilma Scarpino, Stephen Harley, Paul Smyth, Caitlin Hayden, Sergei Makedonsky, Jacek Mirenski, Jonathan Russell, Mathew Sweezey, Kim Osborne, Paul Baines, Sarah-Jean Cunningham, Dagnija Lejina, Christopher Ryder, John-Paul Gravelines
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Social Sciences, Economy, Media studies, Communication studies, Socio-Economic Research
Published by: NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence
Keywords: communication; strategic communications; information; media; commercial sector; insight; narratives; propaganda; politics; public opinion; StratCom;
Summary/Abstract: In order to address the questions outlined in the previous section, the project was conducted in 3 phases. RESEARCH AND SCOPING ATTENDANCE. A baseline study of critical capability gaps in NATO StratCom capacity and capability was first conducted, drawing upon key NATO and COE StratCom research documents. Key observations were used to construct a question matrix, which can be found at Annex A to this report. As questions were identified, the COE reached out to commercial experts in these fields inviting them to present their views at a seminar in Riga. At the same time, invitations were sent out to all COE member nations to send delegates to the seminar. THE RIGA SEMINAR. In August 2016, the StratCom COE conducted a two day expert seminar in Riga, split into four sessions which represented a generic communications model: “Research-Plan-Implement-Evaluate”. Two of the four identified sessions were conducted on each day of the seminar with a panel of up to 5 experts giving short introductions and then inviting questions from delegates. Over 50 delegates from 16 NATO nations attended the conference indicating the high degree of interest by the NATO StratCom community. It would have been tempting to draw our experts solely from the point at which government and commercial communications intersect. Instead the COE felt that more powerful insights could be captured by reaching deeper into the corporate sector. We therefore enjoyed listening to the accounts of market research agencies and PR representatives from the retail sector as well as the commercial agencies wholly or partially engaged in complex governmental communications challenges. The list of experts is given below. Full biographies of the contributors can be found in the conference programme at Annex B to this report. For brevity, the term “NATO StratCom” also refers to those working within Strategic Communications and related functions, in government or military institutions at the national level. OUTPUT GENERATION. Transcript evidence was captured in outline to deliver a short presentation to the NATO Information and Communicators Conference in Tallinn in mid-September 2016. This report aims to pass on key insights from the Seminar in greater detail. It is constructed in two parts: The New Commercial Communications Environment – Key insights of our contributors on essential considerations to foster competitive advantage. Advice for NATO StratCom Practitioners – Techniques and approaches that are applicable across the state vs commercial divide.

• Details
• Contents