When communicating your EU project to audiences other than the general public, having a key messaging strategy is crucial – not only written but visual as well. The way you communicate these messages must be simple, clear and understandable in terms of readability, accessibility and comprehension. Why is that? Because it is very likely that the key messages to non-scientific audiences are likely to be different from those to scientific or industry player groups. Therefore, key messages should be tailored to each of your key audiences – in terms of language, shape, and format.

Communication after the COVID-19 pandemic

After the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for print materials has become rare. Nonetheless, now that the world is slowly going back to normal – events, networking meetings, workshops, they are all happening again in person rather than virtually or in a hybrid format. Planning concrete activities on how you will share your project and its expected impact is what will eventually determine the best channel to opt for depending on the D&C material that you would like to develop.

Today, more than ever, there are a multitude of channels to reach people: social media, videos, online webinars, graphics, etc. Which ones you choose will depend on your expertise, budget, and the channels specified in your D&C plan which are the best suited to reach your designated target audience.

Types of Communication Materials

The two main types of channels to develop D&C materials are digital (e.g., infographics, social media visuals, videos, website content, presentations) and print (e.g., flyer, roll up, poster, cards, booklet, merchandising). In this post, we would like to share with you some general bullet points with tips & tricks on how to develop more engaging and compelling D&C materials that is best suited for your audiences.

The 5 Tips For Communication Manterials

1. Identify what channel you will opt for depending on the purpose that your material will serve. For example, if you will attend a fair or industry event, you will probably want to create a roll-up and a leaflet showcasing your project’s main goals and objectives, probably featuring some preliminary results if available.
2. Plan out a structure for the content that will be included in the material. Perhaps, depending on the event or meeting that you will attend, you might want to study the audience that will be present. Analyse how your project contributes to the problems of this audience and how your project will address them in its work plan.
3. Follow your project’s visual identity guidelines and D&C plan messaging strategy to create content that is tailored to that specific audience. If you are developing a roll-up for a communication event, for example, make it clear and simple. Include an introductory paragraph that is brief and concise. Highlight in 3 key points what is your project’s aim.
4. Have a checklist of key information to include that is mandatory. This is the information that you MUST include when developing D&C materials (digital and print)
   1. The mention of the funding (CBE-JU, Horizon Europe, LIFE…) & Grant Agreement number
   2. Project’s website & social media links
   3. Project’s direct contact people (coordinator, general email, D&C coordinator…)
5. Effectively prepare your files for printing/exporting/publishing. If you are developing audiovisual, digital materials, make sure that they are not over 20 MB and if they are heavier, we recommend using a transfer software such as Dropbox or WeTransfer. We usually recommend exporting images in PNG format for print and JPEG for digital purposes. Make sure to always keep an editable file for your materials. Last but not least, double-check your final exported files before sending them to print or publishing in the digital channels – we are humans behind the creation of these materials and sometimes it is good to check more than twice to make sure the work is perfectly ready to go.

These are simply general tips that we have identified and wanted to share with you! Most projects will employ a different strategy to approach distinct target audiences through these channels, each one augmenting and supporting the others. What is important is that you consider these tips and adapt them accordingly to your D&C plan’s activities.