Dissemination and Communication Strategy

D8.1 – Dissemination and Communication Strategy November 2023 Authors: Marcello Bardellini (ICONS), Nicolo Vuolo (ICONS); Jerome Friedrichs (EURADA); Arantzazu Blanco, Barbara Branchini (KVC); Irene Garre, MªDolores Fernández (PRIMA) Ref. Ares(2023)8029272 - 24/11/2023 D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 2 of 56 Technical references Project Acronym Agro2Circular Project Title TERRITORIAL CIRCULAR SYSTEMIC SOLUTION FOR THE UPCYCLING OF RESIDUES FROM THE AGRIFOOD SECTOR Project Coordinator Fuensanta Monzó CETEC [email protected] Project Duration October 2021 – September 2024 (36 months) Deliverable No. D8.1 – Dissemination and Communication Strategy Dissemination level* PU Work Package WP 8 – Communication & Dissemination activities Task T8.1Communication & Dissemination plan Lead beneficiary ICONS Contributing beneficiary/ies All partners Due date of deliverable 31 January 2022 Actual submission date 31 January 2022 * PU = Public PP = Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services) RE = Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services) CO = Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services) D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 3 of 56 Document history V Date Beneficiary Author(s) 0. 1 22/12/2021 ICONS Marcello Bardellini, Nicola Vuolo 0. 2 18/01/2022 EURADA,KVC,PRIM A Jerome Friedrichs Arantzazu Blanco, Barbara Branchini, Irene Garre, MªDolores Fernández 0. 3 31/01/2022 ICONS Marcello Bardellini, Nicola Vuolo 1. 0 31/01/2011 ICONS Marcello Bardellini, Nicola Vuolo First final version, approved by the WP leader and the project coordinator, (will be) submitted to EC. 2. 0 23/11/2023 ICONS Editorial revision Summary The current document is the A2C Communication and Dissemination Plan (Task 8.1: Outreach strategy). It is drafted on the basis of the general description of the communication and dissemination strategy (Annex I of the A2C Grant Agreement, Part B) and the specific Tasks description in the Work Plan Table WP8 of Annex I “Description of Action” of the Grant Agreement (GA). A sound and comprehensive strategy is described in this document to ensure the good management of the overall communication, engagement and dissemination activities to be performed during the project. This document describes the communication and dissemination strategy developed for A2C project. It outlines the key elements of the communication and dissemination strategy, which include: the targeted audiences (WHO), the key messages to address them (WHAT), the tools and channels employed (HOW), the timing of the planned activities (WHEN) and the geographical level (local, European) (WHERE), hence providing a guide for the project and partners dissemination activities. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 4 of 56 At M18, the Dissemination and Communication Plan will be subject to an update (D8.2) to keep pace with the A2C progress, realigning measures and objectives (where needed) and including data and insights from the monitoring activity. The final report on Dissemination and Communication (D8.3) will be released by ICONS on M34. Introduction A2C Communication and Dissemination (C&D) Strategy (CDS) will include: - the stakeholder characterisation and mapping - the definition of the dissemination phases of the project - communication and thematic campaigns - tools, actions, channels, timing and geographical specifications to provide a tailored strategy for each local community and for the wider European context - KPIs - Evaluation checkpoints, timing and procedures - KPIs continuous monitoring and CDS actions effectiveness analysis C&D activities will be coordinated by the Outreach Manager (ICONS). Local and regional Communication, Dissemination and Engagement activities will be coordinated by the Local Outreach Desk (PRIMA), which will produce a tailored C&D plan to the local context exploiting the most effective tools & channels, and reach local/regional/national stakeholders and communities. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 5 of 56 Table of contents Technical references ........................................................................ 2 Summary ......................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 4 Table of contents .............................................................................. 5 1 Communication, Engagement and Dissemination strategy ......... 8 1.1 Project Objectives and Outcomes ..................................................................... 8 1.2 Stakeholder’s engagement ............................................................................... 11 2 Task 8.1 - A2C Outreach Strategy ............................................ 12 2.1 Key communication, Engagement and Dissemination activities (M1M4, M13M14, M25-M26) .............................................................................................................. 12 2.2 Dissemination and Communication tools and channels ............................... 25 2.2.1 Visual identity and brand book ..................................................................... 25 2.2.2 Website and Landing page ........................................................................... 27 2.2.3 Media multipliers .......................................................................................... 29 2.2.4 Social networks ............................................................................................ 30 3 Task 8.3 - Communication and Engagement at local and regional level (M5M36) ............................................................................... 32 4 Task 8.4 - Outreach and European level (M1M36) ................. 36 5 Task 8.5 - Networking and clustering activities (M5M36) ........ 37 6 Dissemination and Communication formats .............................. 38 6.1 Flyer and printouts ............................................................................................ 38 6.2 Training material ................................................................................................ 39 6.3 Newsletter .......................................................................................................... 39 D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 6 of 56 6.4 Videos ................................................................................................................. 40 6.5 Journalistic articles and interviews ................................................................. 40 6.6 Press and news releases .................................................................................. 41 6.7 Scientific publications ...................................................................................... 42 6.8 Infographics, Factsheets and Best Practice Book ......................................... 42 7 Management of communication and KPIs ................................. 44 7.1 Local Outreach Desk ......................................................................................... 45 7.2 C&D KPIs ............................................................................................................ 45 8 Monitoring of Engagement ......................................................... 47 8.1.1 Outreach measurement ................................................................................ 48 8.1.2 Community engagement monitoring and measurement ............................... 48 9 Conclusions ............................................................................... 50 Annex 1. A2C visual identity concepts ........................................... 51 Annex 2. Events’ template ............................................................. 53 Annex 3. Digital Communication ................................................... 54 List of Figure Figure 1A2C D&C activities and impacts ........................................................................... 9 Figure 2: A2C D&C integrated approach ........................................................................... 12 Figure 3Agro2Circular logo .............................................................................................. 26 Figure 4: A2C Landing page .............................................................................................. 27 Figure 5: A2C Twitter ......................................................................................................... 31 Figure 6:Public participation toolkit. Source: IAP2 ............................................................. 34 List of Tables Table 1List of dissemination and communication objectives, audiences, tone of voice and channels ..................................................................................................................... 10 Table 2: A2C target groups and key messages ................................................................. 13 Table 3: List of website sections ........................................................................................ 28 D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 7 of 56 Table 4: A2C local partners communication and engagement actions .............................. 34 Table 5: A2C D&C&E KPIs ................................................................................................ 45 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations Item Description A2C Agro2Circular C&D Communication and Dissemination KPI Key Performance Indicator CEI Community Engagement Index D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 8 of 56 1 Communication, Engagement and Dissemination strategy 1.1 Project Objectives and Outcomes Agro2Circular (A2C) is an EU funded project that will implement a territorial, scalable, systemic and digitally powered solution for the upcycling of fruits and vegetables residues and non-renewable, multilayer plastic into high added value products. The upcycling of agri-food residues will enhance the use of natural alternatives to synthetic additives for the production of nutraceuticals, functional foods and cosmetics. This systemic solution and circular economy approach will be tested in the Región de Murcia (Spain) and replicated in two other EU countries (Italy and Lithuania). A2C solution is powered by an intensive use of digital technologies enabling the traceability of all processes, providing a valuable decision tool and fostering citizen’s acceptability through data availability and transparency. It will be constructed upon a systemic approach delivering a multidimensional model for A2C territorial adoption that is going to be highly replicable and scalable at European level. The adoption and replication of A2C model will be boosted through the delivery of adequate tools at local and European level. The A2C communication and dissemination (C&D) work runs horizontally across the project lifetime and aims at raising visibility and awareness of the project activities, goals, results, impacts and benefits of A2C across the society. The following image provides an overview of the D&C activities that will be implemented in order to attain to the expected impacts. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 9 of 56 Figure 1A2C D&C activities and impacts The main objectives of the communication of A2C are: ● Design the dissemination and communication strategy to support public engagement, project sustainability and the spread of results. ● To spread general knowledge and public awareness about food and plastic waste and the circular economy concept. ● To deliver a framework for autonomous learning and capacity building. ● To implement actions to reach an optimal D&C performance and to periodically assess their implementation and capacity for raising awareness & engagement. ● To support all partners in communicating/disseminating their results and to enhance the transferability potential together with WP7 ● Measure the impacts of the developed communication and dissemination activities ● Enable smooth communication and knowledge sharing among the consortium project partners All the communication activities will boost acceptance and uptake of A2C by transferring knowledge and results emerging from the project towards technical audiences and stakeholders (both at EU and local level) that are likely to be actively involved in the value chain associated with A2C. The general public will be addressed through dedicated D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 16 of 56 Type Detail Keyword Key Message Local Markets (short food supply chain) Value of residues A2C will deliver tools and methods to value the residues. Keep your path clean for a cleaner future. Your waste is your treasure. Out of food waste, new food can arise. For you is waste, for us a treasure. Supermarkets Value of residues Offering a greener packaging, your good proposal will meet a wider range of clients. Thanks to A2C you will be able to follow the product's lifespan, allowing you to have more supplies’ control and transparency toward the final consumer. Farmers Traceability Optimisation Digitalisation A2C will develop an innovative ICT platform functioning as predictive tool for decision support and enabling traceability A2C will help you in performing your daily work at the D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 17 of 56 Type Detail Keyword Key Message farm through the ICT platform A2C ICT platform will foster digitalisation in the agri-food sector A2C ICT platform will lead a hand. A2C ICT platform: at your service. A2C ICT platform will make your work more efficient and effective. Farmers Associations Confagricoltura Waste Traceability Optimisation Digitalisation Circular approach (VS landfill & incinerated) Farmers can become ambassadors of waste generation reduction through A2C circular approach Thanks to A2C you will be able to follow the products lifespan, allowing you to have more supplies’ control and transparency toward the final consumer. A2C circular approach will be shaped around a multidimensional model enabling adoption and scalability of territorial systemic D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 18 of 56 Type Detail Keyword Key Message solutions while being sustainable, regenerative, inclusive, fair, boosting urban®ional economies, empowering all actors (citizens, industries, decision makers, academia) and fostering circular practices. A2C will foster digitalisation in the agri-food sector through the development of an ICT platform as decision support system Cooperativas agroalimentarias Resource Traceability Optimisation Digitalisation Circular approach (VS landfill & incinerated) Thanks to A2C you will be able to follow the products lifespan, allowing you to have more supplies’ control and transparency toward the final consumer. ZLTO Waste Traceability Optimisation Digitalisation Circular approach (VS landfill & incinerated) Thanks to A2C you will be able to follow the products lifespan, allowing you to have more supplies’ control and transparency toward the final consumer. A2C circular approach will be D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 19 of 56 Type Detail Keyword Key Message shaped around a multidimensional model enabling adoption and scalability of territorial systemic solutions while being sustainable, regenerative, inclusive, fair, boosting urban®ional economies, empowering all actors (citizens, industries, decision makers, academia) and fostering circular practices. Coldiretti Resource Traceability Optimisation Digitalisation Circular approach (VS landfill & incinerated) Thanks to A2C you will be able to follow the products lifespan, allowing you to have more supplies’ control and transparency toward the final consumer. A2C circular approach will be shaped around a multidimensional model enabling adoption and scalability of territorial systemic solutions while being sustainable, regenerative, inclusive, fair, boosting urban®ional D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 20 of 56 Type Detail Keyword Key Message economies, empowering all actors (citizens, industries, decision makers, academia) and fostering circular practices. Sectorial initiatives and Platforms CCRI A2C circular approach tackles the inefficiencies and complexity of sorting and recycling of multilayer plastic films EU Cluster Platform EU Circular Economy Vanguard initiative SPIRE Circular approach (VS landfill & incinerated) SusChem Circular approach (VS landfill & incinerated) European Technology Platform Scientific Community Research/Academi c organisations A2C boosts the upcycling of agrifood wastes (from F&V and MPF) through innovative routes of valorisation, leading to high extraction yields, bioactives with the purity and stability required to be used for the production of new food and nutraceutical formulation and D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 21 of 56 Type Detail Keyword Key Message carotenoids for cosmetic Plastic waste valorization science A2C MPF recycling consists of a novel combination of sorting, physical delamination, enzymatic depolymerisation, decontamination and mechanical recycling. A2C will use biotransformation processes and extensional flow mix for the upcycle of the recycled MPF. Researchers A2C MPF recycling consists of a novel combination of sorting, physical delamination, enzymatic depolymerisation, decontamination and mechanical recycling. A2C will use biotransformation processes and extensional flow mix for the upcycle of the recycled MPF. Trainees A2C MPF recycling consists of a novel combination of sorting, physical delamination, enzymatic D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 22 of 56 Type Detail Keyword Key Message depolymerisation, decontamination and mechanical recycling. A2C will use biotransformation processes and extensional flow mix for the upcycle of the recycled MPF. Decision Makers Public administrations Safety Circular economy Policy and Regulation Traceability Optimisation Digitalisation Job creation Reduction of CO2 emission A2C boosts the upcycling of agrifood wastes (from F&V and MPF) through innovative routes of valorisation, leading to high extraction yields, bioactives with the purity and stability required to be used for the production of new food and nutraceutical formulation and carotenoids for cosmetic Financing bodies Investing in a sustainable economic model for the future of agriculture. A2C solid, safe and scalable solutions for agri-food waste upcycling and multilayer plastic product recycling will provide an D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 23 of 56 Type Detail Keyword Key Message economic and ecological greener future. Standardisation bodies Let's sustainability be the norm in EU regulation of food waste upcycling and multilayer plastic recycling. EU/Regional/National development agencies European Plastics Recycling and Recovery Organisations Circular business models are key for Sustainability Local/Regional/EU initiatives Lifegate Territorial Demonstration Upscale A2C proposes innovations in the fields of Circular economy, ICT and sustainable entrepreneurship, through a systemic solution Citizens Teachers For Future Mothers for Future #Zerowaste Safety Circular approach (VS landfill & incinerated) Current recycling technologies are still inefficient and need to be improved A2C: new solutions for a better planet A2C solutions productions will create new jobs. [will the jobs and the factories have a greener impact on workers and the country where they'll be based?] Help us tracing a new roadmap for D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 24 of 56 Type Detail Keyword Key Message the next generations. Help us to make a clearer path for our children. What goes around, turn around. Do not allow the past's bad practices to haunt your future. [green and handy] As you want it. Do not change your habits, change the planet. Students PassOnPlastic, Recycle Lots of waste can be avoided in our daily life We can choose food and beverages packaged in recyclable materials Packaging still has a long life to live: choose food and beverage wrapped in recyclable materials. Don't trash your life, don't trash our planet: avoid unnecessary waste. Civic Society Organisations Plastic Free ANSE (Asociación Naturalistas del [will the jobs and the factories have a greener impact on workers and the D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 25 of 56 Type Detail Keyword Key Message Sureste), Ecologistas en Acción, Procabo, Asociación Ambiente Europeo Asociación Murcia Limpia country where they'll be based?] Go separate ways: decoupling economic and human activities from the consumption of finite resources. 2.2 Dissemination and Communication tools and channels A2C implements an integrated and impact-driven communication and dissemination approach with a multiactors and multichannel strategy. The communication tools were chosen to be the most effective to reach the project’s target audience. 2.2.1 Visual identity and brand book A2C logo and visual identity are based on the result of a brand personality exercise in which the coordinators of the project were actively involved. The aim of the brand personality exercise was to highlight the features, characteristics and elements that make A2C stand out as a European research and innovation project. The project logo, a set of icons, graphic elements, images, infographics, social media GIFs and cards, templates for presentations and reporting will be designed to reflect the project’s values, key messages and characteristics. Different options for the logo and the visual identity (available in Annex 1) were developed by ICONS, based on the results of the brand personality exercise. These options were presented to the project’s coordinator to choose the final version of A2C logo: D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 32 of 56 3 Task 8.3 - Communication and Engagement at local and regional level (M5M36) The Local Outreach Desk will be coordinated by PRIMA and, with the support of ICONS, will be in charge of local communication and engagement actions and campaigns in line with the public and citizen engagement strategy (Task 7.1). Citizen engagement is here understood as a process of institutional and citizens’ transformation, in which the participation of the quadruple helix of open innovation (encompassing administration, business, research and education and citizenship) plays a key role. Suitable resources and key actors from the quadruple helix will be selected to benefit from synergies and to avoid an overlapping of measures or the overburden of the selected actors. The process of citizen engagement entails different levels of public participation based on the Spectrum of Public Participation developed by the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) 1 as reflected in the figure below. The levels of participation range from the left of the Spectrum, with low participation (where stakeholders are simply informed about problems and solutions, i.e through websites or social media) to the right of the spectrum with high participation degree (in which stakeholders are empowered to take decisions, i.e referendums) 2 These levels are discrete degrees and each of them will be appropriate depending on the context, the project stage and the target users. The actions planned in A2C will be analysed together during WP7 Meetings to select the level of participation according to the goals of the specific action, its complexity and sensitivity. To this end, partners involved (KVC, PRIMA) will collect data from the partnership during meetings that will be used in the first step (analysis). ● Inform: These actions are aimed at providing the public with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problem, alternatives, opportunities and/or solutions. Inform level is considered as transversal across the spectrum of 1 http://tompkinscountyny.gov/tccp/publicparticipation 2 Ostling, Alina & Francoli, Mary & Steibel, Fabro. (2016). From Informing to Empowering: Improving Government-Civil Society Interactions within Open Government Partnership (OGP). D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 33 of 56 processes, since effective engagement requires a strategic flow of information. Examples: lectures and seminars in educational institutions ● Consult: These actions are aimed at obtaining public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decisions, but with little interaction. This level is appropriate when specific input is required by the public but early engagement is not possible. The targeted public is informed about how their feedback influenced the decision. Examples: interviews, surveys and questionnaires on packaged food consumption and recycling behaviours. ● Involve: Actions at this level require working with the public to ensure that concerns and needs are understood and considered, by means of a two-way exchange of information and discussion and providing opportunities to influence the outcome Decisions at this level are made by the administrations, although the issues raised should be taken into account. Examples: focus groups, study circles. ● Collaborate: actions in which the public is directly engaged in decision making and involved in the interactive process, often including an attempt to find consensus solutions. These actions require creating trust and ensuring a genuine engagement, being costly and time-consuming while implying risks that can damage future relationships with key stakeholders. Examples: Co-creation forums, Delphi studies, circular economy governance desks, generation of a video documentary. ● Empower: At this level, the public is given the opportunity to make decisions for themselves. At this level, a decision could be made by the community through a process that requires little interaction, such as a referendum or voting measure. The level promises to implement what you decide. In the agro2circular framework, this level corresponds to the stakeholder panel, including representatives of organizations, industrial companies, and associations which are relevant in the A2C’s results uptake, such as environmental or consumer associations. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 34 of 56 Specific actions have already been proposed by local partners: Table 4: A2C local partners communication and engagement actions A2C partners: Communication and engagement actions: PROEX Engagement plan to raise local and regional primary agricultural stakeholders’ awareness through targeted actions AGRO - Conferences and workshops targeting both the local and regional industrial sector, facilitating their circular economy approach - Administrative support desk to support the local and regional industrial sector Tailored events to engage the general public Figure 6:Public participation toolkit. Source: IAP2 D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 35 of 56 PRIMA - Lectures/workshops at regional schools, universities and educative events to raise awareness on A2C topics (M9-M20, twice/weekly) - Pending to assess the availability and need and frequency of this activity. - Regional contests for scholars aimed to spread the circular economy approach and fostering their involvement in these practices - Short documentary production involving several actors (Alhama de Murcia municipality, local companies, students), arising awareness about project topics and fostering community engagement on circular and climate neutral practices A youngster video game production, based on the waste management of products linked to the circular economy A2C partners: Communication and engagement actions: - Surveys and questionnaires regarding package consumption habits and recycling behaviours - Focus groups with different stakeholders (administration, civil society, industry) exploring barriers and opportunities at the local and regional level Additionally, communication will focus on local and regional dissemination of results through content packaging and relations with key stakeholders, stimulating social acceptance and replication. Dedicated publications will be produced for local and regional dissemination, as well as edited, easy to read Public Deliverables. PRIMA, together with the rest of the collaborators in this task, will disseminate the materials produced by ICONS. ACCOUNTABILITY KVC, PRIMA will be in charge of the design and execution of communication and engagement activities. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 36 of 56 4 Task 8.4 - Outreach and European level (M1M36) To disseminate A2C results, the following materials will be developed by ICONS, including: ● A biannual eNewsletter; ● A dedicated, easy-toread, info-packs supported by visual tools (e.g. infographics, factsheets) with dedicated content for each target group; ● Abstracts of key Public Deliverables, conveniently edited to facilitate their dissemination; ● The project's final publication: A2C Best Practices Book, in both electronic & printable format. It will include guidelines, lessons learnt and recommendations; ● Scientific & technical publications. Public outreach contents will be developed to address the general public, including citizens and other general stakeholders. These contents aim for widespread distribution through European and global media and information multipliers and will be packaged through the following communication formats: - Press and news releases, to increase A2C visibility and to promote events related to and organised by the project; - Independent journalistic articles (2) on A2C and project related topics; - Audiovideo productions: a series of short videointerviews with project experts, stakeholder’s representatives and decisionmakers; - A final video for web distribution, featuring A2C outcomes; - Dedicated social media campaign at EU and global level for thematic World Days and other EU initiatives. ACCOUNTABILITY ICONS will be in charge of the production and execution of tailored D&C formats and all A2C partners will support by providing inputs and suggestions (related to contents). D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 37 of 56 5 Task 8.5 - Networking and clustering activities (M5M36) A2C participation in networking events and engagement in clustering activities at regional and European level will increase the project’s visibility among the relevant stakeholders and segmented target groups. A final event will take place at the end of the project to share A2C main results and lessons learnt with stakeholders and similar projects. Specifically, A2C consortium will seek to mobilise and integrate key European stakeholders (industry, academia, consumer associations, NGOs) to promote the project’s linkage with European fields of action and initiatives at different levels, such as Circular Economy Action Plans and the European Bioeconomy and Industrial Strategies. Networking and clustering activities will be led by EURADA. To this end, A2C will initiate B2B meetings, organise events at EU level, such as workshops and other dissemination events, as well as participate in external events – again at multiple levels. Special emphasis will be put on clustering activities with other relevant European projects and initiatives in the field of circular economy, for example the A2C sister projects funded under the same call/topic. The aim of these clustering activities will be to identify synergies and to promote dialogue and exchange of good practices between the involved project actors and stakeholders. Furthermore, close collaboration with the CCRI will be sought to maximise the impacts of networking and clustering activities and to guarantee the dissemination of project results on a wider scale and among a wider audience. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 38 of 56 6 Dissemination and Communication formats 6.1 Flyer and printouts The project flyer will be produced at M8 by ICONS as supporting material to inform stakeholders on A2C objectives and expected impacts, involved partners and contact details. Its visual identity will be consistent with the project visual identity developed at M2. Project partners will be in charge of translation of the flyer in their own local language to foster local distribution during dedicated local fairs, workshops, conferences, events and roadshows. A .PDF version of the flyer will be available for download in the resource section of the project website. Additional communication materials such as rollups, posters, banners etc will be developed on demand according to the partners’ needs. All these materials will be printed for distribution during the events. However, due to the possible limitations posed by the COVID19 pandemic to physical events across EU countries and regions, the number of printed materials will be carefully assessed in due course. ACCOUNTABILITY ICONS will be in charge of the development and the design of the flyer. This will be done in cooperation with CETEC, who will provide the text of the flyer. ICONS will be in charge also for the design and development of all the supporting communication materials (posters, rollups, banners etc). All the other partners will provide any further information that may be necessary for the development of the flyer. They will be asked to translate the texts of the communication materials in their local language if needed. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 39 of 56 6.2 Training material Communication material will be produced for local events and training activities organised by local partners. These materials will be distributed before and after the event to raise awareness and foster outreach of the activities carried out, lessons learnt, interesting stories and innovation implemented in the demos. ACCOUNTABILITY ICONS will support the project coordinator and local partners in organising the training activities. The latter will actively cascade information about the training down to business and research stakeholders in their community. The content of the training and support materials will be produced by CETEC, UVEG (Task 8.6 leader) and the technical partners involved in this task. ICONS will take care of the layout. 6.3 Newsletter A2C newsletter (Task 8.4) will be issued every 6-month basis, starting on M6. People can subscribe to it via the website, in compliance with the GDPR guidelines. The newsletter is a tool designed to reach both the professional community and the general public. It will be in English, in HTML format. The newsletter will contain project updates and main achievements in the form of articles, news and press releases. Upcoming activities, workshops and events will be advertised. All partners will be asked to send to ICONS relevant news and events to be included in the newsletter. All newsletter’s issues will be available on the website, promoted via social media and the partners’ networks. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 40 of 56 ACCOUNTABILITY ICONS will be in charge of developing the contents to be featured in the project newsletters in cooperation with the rest of A2C partners. ICONS will also take care of sending it to the online registered users. 6.4 Videos A series of short video interviews with project experts, stakeholders’ representatives and decisionmakers will be produced by ICONS (Task 8.4 – Outreach at European level). The videos will be in English and they will be accessible via website and distributed via social media, communication portals, platforms and events. Moreover, towards the end of the project, ICONS will produce a final video, in English, on A2C main outcomes. ACCOUNTABILITY ICONS will produce all the videos, developing and distributing them. Input from CETEC and the technical partners will be asked to integrate the content. 6.5 Journalistic articles and interviews Professional journalists (2) will cover topics linked to A2C, writing independent journalistic articles and interviews. These tools aim to reach a broad audience. The independent journalistic articles and interviews will be published on A2C website. Moreover, they will be distributed to the public at a European and at a global level using different multipliers or platforms, namely youris.com, phys.org, Worldnews and AlphaGalileo. Their outreach and engagement will also be fostered through A2C and partners’ social media channels. The articles and the videos are meant to reach both the general public and the professional community, raising the public’s awareness and acceptance of the project. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 41 of 56 ACCOUNTABILITY The editorial production will be discussed by ICONS with CETEC. Contents will originate either from external sources collected by journalists (during their investigation) or directly from A2C project. ICONS will take care of the distribution. 6.6 Press and news releases The press and news releases will focus on specific project issues and milestones, promoting project events and progress, drawing stakeholder’s and public’s attention towards A2C project. All the press and news releases will be available to local partners for translation into local languages and distribution through their existing channels. News releases will be used to inform the audience of the participation of some members of A2C consortium to external events and to present their latest project findings and achievements. Both the press releases and the news releases will be published on the project website and, whenever the content is particularly relevant, they will be distributed to external online resources and news multipliers (like AlphaGalileo). ICONS will be collecting and monitoring on a six-months basis all publications released by partners through a dedicated template. ACCOUNTABILITY ICONS will be responsible for producing and distributing press releases and news releases. All A2C partners will flag up to ICONS interesting aspects worth covering by press or news releases, by providing them with the necessary details and background information. ICONS will draft them and take care of their distribution. Once they are ready, the other members of the consortium will be encouraged to further distribute them through their own portals, newsletters or other appropriate channels. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 48 of 56 the overall monitoring and impact assessment campaign which will be carried out by ICONS over the course of the whole project. 8.1.1 Outreach measurement Outreach data provide a quantitative assessment of the impacts in terms of awareness. Outreach data are monitored on web, social and during workshops and events. Web monitoring is performed by the project according to different approaches: ● Direct monitoring, by retrieving data on the web traffic (and views) for the A2C public communication products (articles, interviews, press and news releases, videos) from the A2C website and platforms working in syndication with WP8. ● Direct monitoring of social media accounts managed by the project through social media analytics tools and the use of dedicated state-of-the-art software tools, such as Nuvi®. ● Indirect monitoring, by identifying the referrals made on A2C materials by other online and social web resources. A more sophisticated analysis of top influencers mentioning and retrieving A2C posts will be made possible by the use of Nuvi ®. Outreach will also include the number of people reached through off-line dissemination and communication activities (such as number of participants at conferences/fairs where A2C is represented, number of citizens participating at local events, etc.). The outreach data retrieval will be aimed at the definition of the impact data, which will provide an input to the definition of the Community Engagement Index. 8.1.2 Community engagement monitoring and measurement Engagement indicators, measuring activities of the users associated with A2C's communication products are: ● For publications: Number of likes, shares, comments, clicks related to each publication on website, social media, other platforms. Number of downloads if allowed by the platforms leveraged. ● For social posts: Number of likes, shares, comments, clicks related to each post. ● For website: Number of page views lasting more than 1 minute. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 49 of 56 ● For webinars and events: Number of participants to local events. Number of follow up requests. To measure the effectiveness of engagement, ICONS has developed the Community Engagement Index (CEI). This index integrates all communication activities (i.e. publications, project website, social media, webinars, workshops/events, and other activities) into a single metric. It represents the level of interest and engagement generated by A2C considering the overall community the project is able to generate through its different activities and describes their overall impact. The CEI therefore takes into account total outreach and related activities animating the community, representing the total engagement of the A2C community in the topics covered by the project. It is worth stressing that CEI measures the engagement of a community with a content. It doesn't describe the overall effectiveness of A2C communication activities, but only their engagement rate. Low values of the CEI indicate little interest by the target audience (compared to its outreach), while high values suggest high interest and engagement of the community in that specific content. To improve the effectiveness of the communication activities, ICONS leverages its Communication Effectiveness Quadrants, which plot publications (but also social posts, web pages, events, etc) in 4 quadrants depending on their total outreach and engagement and consider the related PEI to identify most successful communication outputs and potential pitfalls and take corrective actions whenever needed. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 50 of 56 9 Conclusions This Communication & Dissemination Plan is a flexible living plan. The communication strategy aims at maximizing the dissemination materials and activities, ensuring that key stakeholders receive the information and benefits of the project. It also allows the project team to adapt to future developments, especially the lessons learned from the first period of the project. The C&D activities are of crucial importance for the project itself and its sustainability. Mapping, reviewing, monitoring, and validating them in a living plan is essential. The present version will be subject to one update over the course of the project (D8.2 - M18) and the final version will be released towards the end of the project (D8.3 – M34). This will allow the overall communication and dissemination strategy to be adjusted according to the evolution and needs of the project. D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 51 of 56 Annex 1. A2C visual identity concepts D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 52 of 56 D1.8V1.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 53 of 56 Annex 2. Events’ template A2C EVENTS Partner Short Name Partner's role Type of event Title of the event Date Place Countries addressed URL How was Agro2Circular presented? Scientific Community Industry Policy makers Total audience WETSU S Attendee EXHIBITION Aquatech Amsterdam, world’s leading water trade show for process, drinking and wastewater 02/11/21 Amsterdam, Netherlands 15000 International https://www.aquatechtrade.com/amsterdam/ Poster CTNC Speaker OTHER II Day of meetings with iWATERMAP project partners 04/11/21 Murcia, Spain x x x 15 EU Presentation CETBIO Speaker TRADE FAIR INNOVAM+ 09/11/21 Cartagena. Spain x x x 300 National INNOVAM+Website Presentation INFO Other OTHER D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 54 of 56 Annex 3. Digital Communication Partner Short Name Website Twitter Channel involved in dissemination of projects' contents (link) KVeloce https://kveloce.com https://twitter.com/Kveloce_I_D_i EURADA https://www.eurada.org/ https://twitter.com/Eurada_RDAs EVERSIA Projects and Innovation - EVERSIA EVERSIA https://www.laverdad.es/ SOLP https://www.solplast.com CETEC https://www.ctcalzado.org/en_US https://twitter.com/CetecCentro CETBIO http://www.cetecbiotechnology.es/ REGE https://regeneralevante.com/proyectos/agro2circular-territorialcircular-systemic-solution-for-the-upcycling-of-residues-fromthe-agrifood-sector/ https://twitter.com/REGENERA_ESE/status/1480893655632252935?s=20 TCA http://www.tecnoalimenti.com/ INFO https://www.institutofomentomurcia.es/web/portal/agro2circularkom EVRY https://evrythng.com https://twitter.com/EVRYTHNG D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 55 of 56 Partner Short Name LinkedIn Channel involved in dissemination of projects' contents (link) External discussion groups the partner participates to (LinkedIn groups, Facebook groups, forums, blogs…) KVeloce https://www.linkedin.com/company/k-veloce https://www.youtube.com/user/kveloceidi EURADA EVERSIA Eversia: Publicaciones | LinkedIn EVERSIA SOLP https://www.linkedin.com/company/solplast-s-a/mycompany/ CETEC LinkedIn_CETEC CETBIO REGE https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6886659691523436545 TCA https://www.linkedin.com/company/tecnoalimenti-s.cp.a./?originalSubdomain=it YouTube (private channel) INFO EVRY https://www.linkedin.com/company/evrythng Innovation Blog (https://evrythng.com/blog/) Videos (https://evrythng.com/videos/) Newsrooms (https://evrythng.com/newsroom) D1.8V2.0 A2C Dissemination & Communication Strategy Page 56 of 56 Partner ShortName Other Partner's Communication Manager (name, surname, email address) KVeloce Aran Blanco [email protected] EURADA Jerome Friedrichs, jer[email protected]g EVERSIA Álvaro Estrada: [email protected] Irene Montoya: irene.mo[email protected] EVERSIA Eversia, la innovación como pilar estratégico | La Verdad SOLP CETEC Facebook_CETEC Fuensanta Monzó: [email protected] CETBIO Verónica Cánovas: [email protected] REGE Víctor Fabregat: [email protected] TCA Marianna Faraldi: [email protected] INFO EVRY Axel Norbelly: axel.norbell[email protected]