Communication Policy & Strategy Revised April 2012

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1 Communication Policy & Strategy Revised April Purpose Communication is a strategic tool for the used to achieve the overall objectives of the school. For the communications work at SSB to be efficient and purposeful, guidelines are needed in a Communications Policy. The Communications Policy is produced by the marketing / communications coordinator and revised by the Head of School, and approved by the Board. The policy includes general guidelines for all communications work. The policy must be supplemented by appendices that provide practical advice, rules and recommendations in specific situations. All of the appendices are not currently developed, but are in the process and will be available shortly. Of these appendices, the SSB Graphic Profile Manual is an essential part of all communication internally and externally Our most important communicators are the students and employees themselves, through their interaction with their students, colleagues, and SSB families. Employees are the ambassadors for the brand and will therefore continually be kept informed of the school s development and its specific activities. New employees should always be informed and educated about the brand and its content and how this can be used in communications work. 2. Vision Communication must contribute to strengthening SSB s brand and market position. Communication must contribute to achieving the goals set out in the strategic development plan. The goals are broken down and defined in quantitative and qualitative objectives. 3. Communication Identity All communication, internal and external, must exemplify our brand and, at all times, be connected to our mission: The provides a dynamic Nordic education with a European profile in a safe, supportive learning environment where every student applies the creative and critical skills needed to become a responsible and environmentally aware citizen. The purpose with the brand awareness is to create a clear picture that distinguishes the Scandinavian School of Brussels from the other competing schools. Communication must contribute to creating positive attitudes towards SSB, and increase interest in the school over the long term among prospective families and students, prospective employees and potential business partners. We will strive to be strategic, consistent and cost-effective in our communication efforts. We shall strive to reach the right audience at the right time through the right channel and at the right cost. Therefore, the communications work has to be planned and budgeted well in advance to get the right content in the right place at the right time. Aspects of communication should be considered in the early

2 part of the planning in conjunction with projects and major activities that are an important part in overall strategic planning and follow-up. Equally as important, as being precise in our push of information, is to respond adequately, fast and friendly to all types of inquiries from our groups of interest. All employees must commit to this strategy. 3.1 Key principles Communication is two-way path. Communication must be open, reactive, accurate, understandable, and tailored. Open: Communication / information is to be based on openness, respect and tolerance. All SSB employees should be open to feedback and information at all times. Reactive: All types of inquiries should be responded within three working days. If a teacher is short on time/resources s/he should reply that the inquiry/question/issue are forwarded to school management. The school management should immediate reply an answer to the query or an estimate of when an answer will be given. Accurate: Communication / information must be relevant, true, impartial, balanced and objective. When information comes to us, we must ask for correctness and respond in the most appropriate way. Understandable: Information should be given as soon as possible and be easy to understand. The working language at SSB is English, however, translations can be utilized if it is deemed important for the message to be understood. Tailored: Information should be specific to audience, content and channel. No matter what the subject matter, the message should always communicate the values at SSB. The language of communication can at times be translated into one of the Nordic languages or French if deemed necessary. We should be active when exploring different group s interest and need for information and communication. Communication activities should be planned and conducted in a professional manner. Action plans should be used as support for implementation of various actions. The actions should be documented, monitored and evaluated. 3.2 Graphic Profile The graphic profile should have a consistent visual expression in the pictures, art and text. This guide will make it easier for the recipient of information to understand different messages and understand that it is SSB who is the sender. SSB s logotype is the fundamental part of the graphic identity and is attached to this policy. Anyone who uses the school's logo should follow the manual. Each employee in a management position is responsible to see that communication is done on the basis of the recipient's needs and in

3 accordance with school guidelines, and that the correct logo and color codes are used on material where SSB is the sender. 4. Segmentation target groups (not ranked): Employees and students / families A well-functioning internal communication is a prerequisite for a stimulating work environment. Internal communication is about engaging the people in the organization in school activities. It is also important to ensure that external communications be effective and credible, we educate good ambassadors. Alumni Ex-employees and students are important ambassadors for the school and can relate much of their knowledge, experience and contacts back to school. To get the most out of this resource good communication tools are needed. Communication activities will help to maintain and develop relations with our "alumni". Funders / sponsors The current situation with less financial resources means that we must expose the Scandinavian School of Brussels more. Strategic actions to attract funders and sponsors should be identified. Journalists Mass media in the different Nordic countries and Belgium is an effective channel to reach the school's audiences. We should develop media contacts and actively participate in international school debate. Business and organizations Collaboration with companies and organizations is an important prerequisite for the school's development and renewal. By participating actively in organizations and events where our companies and associates are active, we increase the possibilities for partnership. Potential employees We will always strive to employee the best people. We will clearly communicate our good working environment and the professional development opportunities that the school can offer in order to successfully recruit employees. Potential pupils Competition for students has increased significantly and it is no longer clear that a Nordic family necessarily chooses a Nordic education. An active segmentation analysis is needed in order to reach these groups in the best way possible. Potential families/companies Competition for students has increased significantly and it is no longer clear that a Nordic family necessarily chooses a Nordic education. An active segmentation analysis is needed in order to reach these groups in the best way possible. Nordic schools - both abroad and "at home" Good partnerships with other schools abroad and schools back "home" allows SSB to strengthen its position and facilitate the recruitment of new staff, new families and guest students. 5. Key Communication messages

4 It is important that we are consistent in the message we want to communicate to the market. The following key messages are identified: Dynamic, Nordic education - Technology enriched - Creative - Critical thinking Tri-Lingual education - Mother tongue, English and French Excellent academic results The claim to be stressed in all external communication is: "We prepare students for success back home and abroad" SSB is a service minded organization SSB exists only for the purpose of the student s education and social development. 6. Mediamix 6.1 Corporate Communications Media Relations Media communication plays an important role and its impact is large, therefore it is necessary to have an accurate, professional and trustworthy relationship with the media. The media play an important role as opinion leaders and reviewers, but also as an information channel. SSB sees the media as a resource for disseminating their messages. An employee who is contacted directly by a member of the media should always have a policy of asking for the journalist's name and contact information and what questions the journalist wants answered. Then, the employee should request to get back to the reporter. The contact is forwarded to Marketing Coordinator or Head of School for further assessment. Crisis communication SSB s Student Care team acts as the crisis management team at the school. This group has an action plan for activities in connection with events such as death, major disasters and other emergencies. 6.2 External & Internal Communication SSB strives to be a green school. Therefore, all paper information has been replaced by electronic tools, such as SharePoint, SchoolSoft, website, electronic newsletter, , blog and facebook. For families or companies who struggle to have access to digital information, paper copies of online information can be provided. SSB.be our external communication hub SSB s website is the main channel of communication for all external communication. This demands a lot in terms of content and organization. One person should be responsible for maintaining the site. In addition, for each main webpage on the site, there should be a contact person who has the responsibility of keeping the page up-to-date and correct.

5 Social media/blogs Personal websites, blogs, facebook or films that are connected to the website must only contain material that is relevant and ethically correct when representing the school. Commercial PR (incl. Sponsoring) We will actively write articles to show that we are leaders in the field of education. Sponsorship indicates support in some form that offers exposure in connection with an event or activity where both the school and the partner are participating. In most cases, sponsorship offers a mutual benefit to both partners. Advertising n _t en UTF-8 1 some cases, we use advertising. The main media for this are digital banners and magazine advertising. In Search engine advertising Various educational portals are used to advance SSB as an alternative when students are choosing Upper Secondary school. Through this channel, we can give an overall picture of what our school can offer, especially to prospective students. Schoolsoft / SharePoint / The main channel for internal communication is Schoolsoft and digital newsletters for our students and families and SharePoint for employees. For this, the same principles as for external communication apply. 7. Roles and Responsibilties Management Team The Head of School is ultimately responsible for the Information and Communication. The Head of School determines the school's communication policy and sees to it that all employees are informed. Certain aspects of communication can be delegated to the Deputy Heads after careful orientation. Responible for Marketing / Communications The general manager for communications work has operational responsibility for implementing the communication strategy adopted in the school's development plan. This means that the person responsible for communications work will initiate, drive, support and monitor the internal and external communications work. SSB will establish an annual communications plan with a steering group - marketing management annually. This person is also advisor to senior management on communications issues. Managers 1 Internal communication is a departmental responsibility. Each Deputy Head is responsible for communication within their section. The Deputy Head is expected to be an information representative of their section of the school. A central communication task for each Deputy Head is to promote their section s development. Employees n _t en UTF-8 2

6 It is every employee s responsibility to seek, understand, and communicate the information that is needed for the school to work well. Every employee is expected to be a good ambassador for SSB. 7. Appendices A number of appendices should be attached to this plan to provide further details and explanations. Strategic Development Plan Communications plan 2012 (to be finalized June 2012) Grafic manual Guidelines for social media (to be finalized June 2012) Crisis management plan (to be finalized May 2012)