Marketing and Data Dissemination Roundtable Meeting
Washington DC
April 4-5, 2000
Topic 4: Communicating marketing within the organization
How can we achieve a good match between external and internal information?
How can we involve the staff in marketing the organization?
Strategic goals
One of Statistics Sweden’s overarching goals is to make statistical
results more readily accessible. One means of achieving this goal is to
enhance communications with the world around us, to make the organization
visible, to extend our contacts with users, to intensify our contacts with
our informants. One of the difficulties involved is to make ourselves visible
– or make ourselves heard – amid today’s flood of information.
Different measures/means for making statistics more accessible and enhancing
communications with the world around
New publishing policy from 1 April 2000:
The official statistics that Statistics Sweden is responsible for are
to be presented and made public on our web site, in Sweden’s Statistical
Databases.
The official statistics that Statistics Sweden is responsible for and
that are presented in our Statistical Reports are to be made public both
on Statistics Sweden’s web site and in print.
All our press releases, plus a selection of the statistics that are
in greatest demand, are to be displayed on Statistics Sweden’s web site.
The official statistics that Statistics Sweden is responsible for may
be presented in other forms as well, provided they have been published
on the web site, as specified above.
So as to improve accessibility, Statistics Sweden has decided to present
press releases, statistical reports and selected statistics on the web
site. Also, from the beginning of 2000 onwards, Sweden’s Statistical Databases
have been available free of charge on the web site. Statistics Sweden is
answerable to the Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for democracy
issues. Access to the official statistics in the databases is treated as
a matter of democracy: nobody is to be barred from access by a fee. The
absence of any fee is therefore intended to ensure that the databases,
essentially, are available to everyone. Statistics Sweden receives financial
compensation from the Ministry for the subscription revenues it has lost.
We have established an Internet portal for the Swedish system of official
statistics, with links to all the public authorities with responsibility
for statistics (about 25 in all). Our aim here is to give users a better
overview of the system of statistics.
More contact with the press/media
Statistics Sweden is to further develop and intensify its contacts with
the press/media. This process requires interaction between the Press Office
and the Statistical Departments. The tasks of the departments include
- developing fresh ways of writing and presenting the material in their
press releases;
- presenting statistics at more press conferences and seminars, perhaps
jointly with other organizations;
- establishing contacts with journalists, building networks.
The role of the central Press Office is to
- build up contacts with institutions offering courses in journalism,
both initial and further training;
- improve techniques for sending out press releases, e.g. by using e-mail;
- support the departments in their endeavours to perform the tasks outlined
above by giving training and advice, mediating contacts with journalists,
supplying feedback, arranging press conferences, etc.
More contact with other institutions within the central government administration
and with the private business sector
The departments are responsible for organizing open seminars on different
topics, particularly in connection with new statistics.
In addition, they are to organize information days on special topics
for other institutions within the central government administration and
the private business sector. These topics may include the labour market,
welfare or national accounts, for example.
Special magazine for clients: "Source: Statistics Sweden"
One measure we have taken at the central level is to publish a special
magazine for our clients. This magazine has come out four times a year
since 1994 and contains information about Statistics Sweden as well as
new statistics. Each year two special supplements to this magazine are
sent out: a catalogue listing the contents of Sweden’s Statistical Databases
and a catalogue of printed publications. "Source:Statistics Sweden" is
distributed to Statistics Sweden’s 6000 largest clients.
How can the whole organization be actively involved in informational
and marketing activities?
A few persons in central positions at Statistics Sweden work actively
with external information/marketing. However, in order to make the informational
and marketing work truly effective, the entire organization ought to be
aware of these efforts and to work towards the same goals, guided by the
same intentions.
How can we communicate with the whole organization?
How can we make the whole organization aware of the externally oriented
work and inspire it to work in the same spirit?
These ambitions are not new. Over the years we have implemented a variety
of measures, e.g.
- a project involving specially appointed client managers (1992)
- a special initiative for adapting statistics to users’ needs (1993)
- appointing marketing directors in each subject area department (1993-94)
- special business training (about 400 employees have taken courses)
- a change in focus to become producers of statistics for other public
authorities with statistical responsibilities (1993).
But now we want to do something new, to shift our focus from the "production"
of statistics to the benefit users derive from them. We are also considering
making a clearer distinction between information and marketing. We have
a few ideas and plans in this area but no strategic plan as yet. However,
one important stage in this undertaking, in our view, is to make externally
oriented information known within the organization too. We see the construction
of a well functioning Intranet as an essential tool.
What we are doing today or planning for the near future:
All personnel have access to Statistics Sweden’s web site internally
via the Intranet. Employees are encouraged to familiarize themselves with
the information available on our home page.
Our Intranet provides continuous information on various current external
events but also other activities. The information is "forced" on users,
since they always get the first page of the Intranet when they turn on
their PCs.
One idea we have is to present the following information on the Intranet
each week:
- the most common question put to Statistics Sweden this week/month
– and the answer;
- the most original question and answer;
- the most column inches written in the press about something published
by Statistics Sweden during the week.
The Chief Press Officer provides feedback to people within the organization
on what has been written specifically about "their" statistics.
Central support from the Chief Press Officer and others
- in making press releases more readable and more interesting,
- in arranging press conferences/seminars,
- in establishing a network of contacts with journalists in different
subject matter areas.
The client magazine Källa SCB is distributed to all personnel.
Employees receive training in
- telephone techniques
- e-mail
- media contacts
- presenting Statistics Sweden.
Questions
How is the Intranet used within the different organizations ?
Are the organizations’ web sites managed centrally or are they decentralized?
How is the cooperation between the central Chief Press Officer and the
departments coordinated?
What are the departments’ most common externally oriented activities?
(contacts with informants, users/clients, press conferences??)
What experience exists of training staff in the "service areas" of telephone
techniques, e-mail and media contacts? Do other training courses exist
in related areas?
Is there a clear, explicit distinction between marketing and information?
E.g. the purpose of marketing is to obtain more commissioned work (cost
recovery), whereas information is provided about Statistics Sweden and
the statistical results.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Marketing Services Office,
Research, Planning and Evaluation Staff
Created: May 26, 2000
Last revised: June 08 2000
