Strategy for Communication Abroad

Transcription

1 Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA General Secretariat GS FDFA Presence Switzerland Strategy for Communication Abroad Background As laid down in the Swiss Federal Constitution (Article 2 and Article 54 para. 2), the fundamental interests to be protected by our foreign policy are the country's independence, security and welfare 1. Good international relationships are an important factor in the protection of these interests. Good foreign policy alone is insufficient to maintain these relationships in today's information and communication society. Appropriate and proactive communication measures are also called for. This is also true for Switzerland which is generally perceived in a positive way by the general public abroad, but also viewed under a critical light due to certain specific characteristics such as its prominence as a business and financial centre. Because of this communication requirement, the FDFA supports the protection of Switzerland's interests abroad as laid down in the Federal Act on the Promotion of Switzerland's Image Abroad (SR 194.1) by means of its communication abroad. Its focus and tools are set out in a strategy that is adopted by the Federal Council under the Ordinance on Switzerland's Communication Abroad (SR ). Presence Switzerland, part of the FDFA's General Secretariat, is responsible for its implementation. The activities are financed via the FDFA's annual budgetary estimate (2012: CHF 6.8 million) and exceptional contributions from the Confederation for the participation in World Expos and Olympic Games. In the framework of the Strategy for Communication Abroad , decision was taken to provide the Swiss representations and partner organisations abroad as well as the Federal Administrative Departments with basic country information resources The strategy identified the following priority regions: Switzerland's neighbouring countries, Great Britain, Brussels as the EU capital, the USA and China. The strategy further defined thematic points of focus about Switzerland to be communicated abroad : the political system, policies on solidarity, financial market, tax issues and Europe and the country's competitiveness and innovation especially with regard to the environment, transport and energy. The Foreign-Policy Strategy adopted by the Federal Council on 2 March 2012 states 1 that the efforts to promote a good perception of Switzerland will be continued resolutely in the coming years. It is against this background that the Strategy for Communication Abroad is presented. The following objectives for the period ranging from 2012 to 2015 form the basis of the strategy: 1 Please refer to: Report on foreign policy focal points of the legislation (Foreign-Policy Strategy ), in fulfillment of motion ("Clear strategic focus of foreign policy") of 2 March 2012.

2 - To provide specific information as required about Switzerland's concerns and positions regarding sensitive issues (challenges), - to use of communication to shift Switzerland's strengths into perspective, - to further convey communication abroad with new communication tools, - to reinforce the coherence of the international communication efforts at the Federal level and to use the potential of private actors (both domestically and abroad) more intensively for measures pertaining to the communication abroad. On the one hand, the strategy defines the focus of the communication abroad: in accordance with the increasing need for a theme-based communication abroad and based on the universality principle of Switzerland's foreign policy, a primarily thematic approach will now be taken. The geographical focus will ensue from the implementation of the thematic communication requirements. In terms of coordination and coherence, the thematic and geographical application will be performed by an interdepartmental flanking group, whereby the priorities of the Foreign- Policy Strategy (neighbouring countries, EU and its member states, strategically important emerging economies) will also be reflected. The strategy also describes the instruments that will be used to develop the basic procedures and to implement the national communication objectives. 2. Strategy for Communication Abroad : Themes, instruments, coordination The development of the global information society in response to technological and economic advances has changed the foreign policy approach. More and more information is available all over the world at ever greater speeds. As a result, foreign policy exposure to the media is increasing, requiring proactive communication strategies and instruments from governments. They have to be in a position to convey their policies; if a state that is actively involved in world affairs does not communicate, others will do so in its stead. In view of the general flood of information, the challenge is to communicate the content in such a way that it is actually taken notice of. Targeted, coherent, efficient and, depending on the event, agile and flexible communication abroad is also of great importance to Switzerland as an internationally networked country. Switzerland is still perceived as a stable and economically strong country that enjoys a high standard of living and beautiful landscapes. For Switzerland particularly, however, the increase in media exposure which in times of economic and financial crises often involves financial topics, is having an increasingly negative effect on its overall image. Problems could arise as a result of its perception abroad, hindering its achievement of political, economic and scientific goals at an international level. It is therefore a core aspect of the communication abroad to promote a positive perception of Switzerland abroad; the appropriate themes must be anticipated and identified together with the specialized departments and representations and instruments suitable for the intended audience must be developed while ensuring maximum coherence between the various actors involved in international communication. 2.1 Thematic focus of the communication abroad Perception of Switzerland abroad In order to be able to define the thematic focus of the national communication, clarity must first be gained concerning Switzerland's current image abroad among the three target groups, namely the general public, the opinion leaders and the media: The general public abroad still perceives Switzerland in a positive light. Stereotypical associations such as traditional products, the countryside, etc., dominate this image. Furthermore, the country's political stability, standard of living, awareness of environmental issues, quality in education and research, health system, governance and the government's proximity to its citizens are regarded as strengths. Swiss celebrities in sport and 2/8

3 entertainment also have a positive influence. Finance and tax issues, however, tend to be viewed more critically. Image studies in the USA and Italy, for example, show a negative image of Switzerland as regards its role as a "tax haven". While opinion leaders abroad are better informed about Switzerland than the general public, their impression is also more critical. The view of Switzerland and its relationship with the EU among opinion leaders in Brussels is particularly striking. An image study reveals that Switzerland is not very visible in Brussels and tends to be perceived as conservative and lacking in solidarity ("cherry picking"). Media reporting abroad stands in contrast with the generally positive image of Switzerland among the general public. This has increased sharply in recent years and is marked by a critical view of various finance and tax issues (e.g. UBS crisis in the USA, OECD blacklist policy, tax amnesty in Italy, tax dispute with Germany, etc.). The public debates and votes on the issue of foreigners also resulted in some critical media coverage. There are, however, some topics that are positively received by the foreign media, although to a lesser degree: the stability and competitiveness of Switzerland's economy, for instance, its innovative policies in areas such as health (health insurance), transport, energy and the environment (infrastructure, public transport, NEAT, etc.), research and innovation (ETH with international partnerships, CERN, the research and innovation capacity of private business, etc.), and also the political system of direct democracy (public referendums on NEAT, the debt brake, the initiative on increased minimum annual holiday, etc.) Challenges The challenges lie in areas that command relatively high levels of attention abroad but are viewed in a rather critical light. These topics are to be communicated in a differentiated way, with greater emphasis on positive aspects and developments. Compared to the broad-based communication of the opportunities however, the challenges should only be communicated on a very specific basis to avoid reinforcing a one-sided view through our own communication. The leading specialized departments and local representations must be closely involved in order to give due consideration to correct timing and political issues, e.g. in the event of ongoing negotiations. Finance and taxation issues Various events concerning the Swiss financial centre as shown above continue to be perceived critically abroad. This media reporting which restricts itself to financial crime and "banking secrecy" is impacting on Switzerland's overall perception. Positive developments in the area of finance and taxation (e.g. blocking and repatriating so-called potentate funds, the 'too-big-to-fail' principle, international cooperation, financial centre strategy) are only mentioned peripherally. The Federal Council's new financial centre strategy provides an opportunity to actively promote Switzerland's innovative policies (e.g. withholding tax, banking regulations) and to communicate the fact that Switzerland offers a stable, innovative and competitive financial centre with internationally accepted conditions. The international communication should help to show these positive developments more consistently. Switzerland's relationship with the EU Switzerland's perception in Brussels is insufficiently differentiated and tends to be critical. This impacts on the safeguarding of Switzerland's interests vis-à-vis the EU. The challenge for all Swiss actors involved in the communication with the EU is to proactively position Switzerland in Brussels and the EU member states as an interesting and innovative partner (e.g. foreign trade, transport, research, finance, etc.) and as a country showing solidarity with Europe. In close coordination with the FDFA/FDEA Integration Office and the Mission of Switzerland to the EU, Presence Switzerland launched in the framework of the Strategy for Communication Abroad several communication activities with the EU. Examples include the "Partners in Dialogue" series of political discussions, networking events such as the "Soirée Suisse" and the use of media platforms like EurActiv to provide information on 3/8

4 the Swiss policy on the European Union. These activities should be continued and intensified. Public debates on sensitive socio-political topics It is part of Switzerland's political culture that the most diverse socio-political topics are broadly discussed in public, especially in conjunction with popular initiatives and referenda. These debates are often followed with great interest by the international media. On the one hand, some popular initiatives are favourably acknowledged (e.g. the rejection of the statutory holiday initiative). On the other, some decisions on sensitive topics are perceived and represented in a simplified form. This is particularly the case with national and cantonal initiatives on migration and foreigner issues. It is quite possible that future domestic policy proposals in the area of migration will also provoke critical responses abroad. Communication abroad does not need to justify the content of the debate, but to explain the areas of tension and help to ensure that these referenda are understood against the backdrop of the Swiss democracy and its particular characteristics and strengths (see also Opportunities: Political system). Exceptional situations and crises Awareness of the current challenges does not preclude unexpected situations from developing which could strongly impact Switzerland's perception abroad and threaten its image. It is therefore important to have the necessary tools and institutional mechanisms in place to be in a position to detect crisis situations at an early stage and to respond accordingly. Together with the Federal Chancellery, Presence Switzerland plays an important role in this through constant observation and analysis of Switzerland's perception, coordination of the actors involved, as well as its communication tools Opportunities Opportunities are topics that are perceived positively abroad, but which sometimes garner little attention. Communication in these areas is generally to be reinforced, thereby drawing greater attention to them. Education, research and innovation Switzerland is highly competitive in the areas of education, research and innovation. It holds some top positions in research and innovation, for example the second place in the relative citation index and the first place on the EU Commission's 2011 "Innovation Union Scoreboard" as well as in the WEF's 2011/2012 "Global Competitiveness Report". This capacity for research and innovation is also the result of the efficient Swiss education system which is sought-after by foreign government delegations to Switzerland thanks to, among other things, its dual-track professional/vocational training. Even though Switzerland has particular strengths in these areas, media analysis and image studies show that, overall, they are not given much attention. The international communication must therefore place greater emphasis on Switzerland's competitiveness in the areas of education, research and innovation at all levels (various education levels and institutions, public and private actors). Innovative policies: transport, energy, environment, health, social issues, finance Analysis of foreign media reporting show that Switzerland's various innovative policies do sporadically make for positive headlines in specific countries. The communication on these topics with positive attention-drawing potential must therefore be further strengthened where necessary and designed to reach specific target groups in specific countries. 2 BFI (education, research, innovation) message 2012: SBF (State Secretariat for Education and Science), bibliometric analysis into research in Switzerland. Initial results. Berne /8

5 There is currently a tremendous requirement for investment in infrastructure and public services in many countries. In this field, Switzerland can serve as a model and reinforce its communication. This applies, for example, to the Swiss transport policy where the shift policy of road to rail, public transportation and large high-profile projects such as NEAT (e.g. Gotthard base tunnel) receive positive responses abroad. A further area with opportunity potential is the environmental policy. In image studies, Switzerland's commitment to protecting the environment is often evaluated as very positive. Its public health and social policies also have positive communication potential in areas such as drug policy, social security systems, medical care, health-related research and preventive measures. As regards the financial policy, topics such as the debt brake and fiscal transfer are of interest abroad and regarded as positive. Switzerland's political system The Swiss political system has always generated great interest abroad, which is due particularly to its direct democracy and federal system. The great proximity of Swiss politics to its citizens and, owing to direct democracy, the high legitimacy of political projects and policies such as NEAT, the debt brake or the rejection of the statutory holiday initiative are regarded favourably abroad and seen as a sign of stability and a politically open culture with a high degree of personal responsibility. These factors also deliver a confident and "democratic" response to challenging issues (e.g. taxation, EU policy, public debates on sensitive themes) and thus a basis for a reasonable understanding of Switzerland's peculiarities abroad. Swiss solidarity and good offices Switzerland has a long tradition of international engagement in peace policy, human rights and humanitarian policy, international law and development cooperation. This bears a potential for positive perception that was insufficient used of to date. This potential includes, in particular, the International Committee of the Red Cross, International Geneva and Switzerland's good offices. Here the task of the communication abroad is primarily to reinforce the fundamentally positive perception and to update it with specific and high-profile success stories. Other topics with opportunity potential Over and above the opportunities already mentioned, other topics with positive perception potential include sport, particularly winter sports and exceptional athletes such as Roger Federer and Fabian Cancellera. Another topic is Swiss culture, an area in which innovative approaches to architecture, design and contemporary art generate international interest. Anniversaries of important Swiss personalities (e.g. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's anniversary in 2012) and other historic events can also be put to effective use in our communication abroad. It is also essential to make use of international business, culture and sport events in Switzerland. One important task of the communication abroad is to convey a positive image of Switzerland in these events and, where possible, to be involved in their planning and organisation. Unexpected events that are positive for Switzerland should also be used for the communication abroad. Finally, key attributes of Switzerland, such as reliability and quality, should also form part of the communication abroad. 2.2 Instruments of the communication abroad The instruments of the communication abroad can be divided into two categories: Monitoring and analysis instruments and information and communication instruments. 5/8

6 2.2.1 Monitoring and analysis The monitoring and analysis instruments are used to establish the strategic parameters of the communication abroad, to identify topics with high priority and to detect potential image crises at an early stage. The analysis is based on permanent, system-based observation and analysis of coverage on Switzerland in leading media and social networks abroad. The approach consisting of simultaneously analysing classic and social media was introduced in 2011 and permits continuous observation and validation of media reports about Switzerland by topic, target group, actor and region. The results of this monitoring process are regular analysis with recommendations (weekly, quarterly and annual analyses, theme-based indepth analyses) that are reflected in the short- and long-term communication. In addition to the media monitoring, image studies are periodically carried out in selected countries or on selected topics based on current events (e.g. large international events, communication campaigns, etc.). In terms of Presence Switzerland's services for federal organisations and other interested parties, the monitoring and analysis will focus especially on broad and regular communication of the analysis and on consulting concerning Switzerland's perception abroad and possible communication measures Information and communication technologies The purpose of the information and communication instruments is to present specialised content in a form that is adequate and suitable to the topic and the target audience (general public, opinion leaders, media). Any topics defined as challenges should be represented in a differentiated way. The main focus rest, however, on opportunity-oriented communication. Information and promotional materials - Presence Switzerland's information tools convey the backgrounds of various Swiss topics to help establish a differentiated image; they are adjusted to the respective target audiences (general public, media or opinion leaders) in terms of topic and design. In this context, visual content for use in a variety of different information and communication technologies is of increasing importance. To reach a broad audience, the information provided in the national communication must be brief, precise, memorable and in the appropriate form for use by the actors in their various media. Presence Switzerland will therefore develop a broad range of audiovisual material (short movies, etc.) on the main topics, especially the opportunity-oriented ones, which can then be put to flexible use by the representations abroad and other interested parties within their information and communication technologies. - The promotional products that are designed to appeal at a visual, more emotional level can be used for any target audience. Platforms abroad - Participation in large international events, i.e. World Expos and Olympic Games, contributes to Switzerland's positive image abroad in great measure. A broad section of the public can be reached by these large events. The generally positive perception generated at such events can be reinforced by focusing on particular topics. Within the period of the strategy, Presence Switzerland will set up the House of Switzerland at the Olympic Summer Games in London (2012), the Swiss Pavilion at the World Expo in Yeosu, South Korea (2012), the House of Switzerland at the Olympic Winter Games in Sotchi (2014) and subject to financial approval by the Federal Assembly in 2012 the Swiss Pavilion at the World Expo in Milan (2015). - The communication projects are aimed at developing programme content and event platforms abroad, customised to the respective countries. For these, the network of Swiss foreign representations will be provided with a range of standard events on the priority topics, such as theme-based evenings or discussion events. A fairly large number of 6/8

7 opinion leaders in business and politics can be reached in this way. Given their effectiveness, these activities should rather be reinforced in future. - Under the Ordinance on Switzerland s Communication Abroad (SR ) the use of important platforms is specifically pointed to. The question of how to make effective use of interactive communication media (especially social media) for the international communication in this context is yet to be evaluated in greater depth. Presence Switzerland gained extensive experience in the use of social media from Switzerland's participation in large events. This knowledge is to be reflected when the parameters of the social media applications at the FDFA are defined. Platforms in Switzerland The international communication does not take place only beyond our borders; activities within Switzerland are also an important element of the communication abroad and can even reach pivotal importance if reinforced accordingly. - The foreign delegations should primarily reach media professionals and opinion leaders in politics and business and familiarise them with the priority topics of the Strategy of Communication Abroad. In this context, both the backgrounds of the sensitive topics and the strengths are to be communicated. - Furthermore, large international events and prominent institutions of global renown in Switzerland, such as the WEF, Art Basel, ETH, "Weltklasse Zürich" and the potential Olympic Winter Games in Graubünden in 2022 are of major value to Switzerland's image abroad. Presence Switzerland is working to increase its collaboration in established events and to launch theme-specific events with the respective partners in the public and private sectors. Corporate design The implementation of a clear brand concept creates the prerequisites for long-term awareness of Switzerland and allows it to distinguish itself from other countries. The Federation's corporate identity forms a brand for the Federation's activities both domestically and abroad. The Brand Switzerland defined by Presence Switzerland matches the corporate identity and forms the visual basis for the specific activities pertaining to the communication abroad. The Brand Switzerland is available to employees of Switzerland's representations abroad, the FDFA headquarters and partner organisations who carry out activities as part of Switzerland's communication abroad. 2.3 Coherence and networking It is essential for Switzerland to have a uniform foreign policy and thus also a coherent communication abroad. Accordingly, it must be implemented in close collaboration with the Swiss representations abroad and increasingly also the FDFA and the specialized departments heading up certain topics. Existing international strategies (e.g. Swiss foreign health policy, international strategy in areas such as education, research, innovation) must be included. In particular, the specialized departments must also be included where this is indicated by political relevance, e.g. in the event of ongoing negotiations, in order to ensure the correct timing and to be able to take into consideration any political sensitivities in the communication abroad. The services offered by Presence Switzerland, such as media monitoring, analysis of Switzerland's perception and the communication concepts must meet the needs of the specialized departments in order to achieve the best possible effect. The communication abroad must also be closely linked to the information activities of the Federal Chancellery which, together with the federal departments, is responsible for the content of the government's communication. An interdepartmental flanking group under the leadership of Presence Switzerland and the Federal Chancellery is therefore to be launched to ensure the coordination, coherence 7/8

8 and further elaboration of the strategy. It will include the following federal agencies outside the FDFA which are actively involved in communicating abroad on the above-mentioned thematic domains in terms of Switzerland's challenges and opportunities: FDHA: FOC, FOPH, FSIO, SER; FDJP: FOM; DDPS: GS; FDF: SIF; FDEA: SECO, OPET, CTI; DETEC: FOT, FOEN; FDFA/FDEA: Integration Office Specifically, the interdepartmental flanking group consisting of the directorates of these bodies is to be convened by Presence Switzerland together with the Federal Chancellery to undertake a thematic and geographic definition of the communication abroad and to determine the parameters (nature and scope) of the interdepartmental collaboration. On this basis, those officers of Presence Switzerland and the specialized departments with direct responsibility will then develop and implement joint measures. Any private organisations affected will also be involved as necessary. Reports will be submitted periodically to the interdepartmental flanking group which will define the broad outlines of the new strategy on this basis. Private organisations should continue to be involved within the framework of the existing coordination group for the communication abroad which meets under the Chairmanship of the FDFA Secretary-General. Collaboration with private business will continue in publicprivate partnership projects. Private Swiss actors abroad, whether they are businesses or individuals, i.e. Swiss nationals abroad, are also to be involved in the communication abroad. Foreign persons who are living, studying, etc. in Switzerland or have an emotional connection to Switzerland (residency, etc.) should also be involved in measures of communication abroad in a suitable way. 8/8