Insight Media has worked with the AAL Programme for more than 10 years. In that time, we have produced many of its publications focusing on active and healthy ageing as well as developing its new website. We also worked with its senior management team to write its final position paper that helped define its legacy and the relevance of this work in the new EU partnership programme focused on health and care.
One of our favourite tasks with AAL, however, has always been to attend its annual forum, an important event that showcases its successful projects as well as bringing together the AAL community – a vibrant ecosystem of researchers, industry, care organisations, end users and policy makers.
The AAL Forum, which became the European Week of Active and Healthy Ageing (EWAHA) in 2020, has always been a hotbed of ideas and collaboration opportunities. Through its innovative programme of workshops, it has been AAL’s platform for open discussion about enabling people to live healthy and active older lives using technology, where experts from every sector have been able to share their knowledge and experiences.
Insight has always been there to cover these events, writing important publications that help summarise proceedings and crystalise lessons learned. Read our summary of EWAHA22. a publication that celebrates the final AAL annual event.
As well as being the last EWAHA or AAL Forum ever, this year’s event was special for Insight for another reason – the tables were turned somewhat and rather than just cover the workshops, we were asked to deliver a one ourselves.
Recognised as leaders in European research communication, Insight was asked to share our expertise with AAL delegates and demonstrate how projects can best communicate their results in a way that excites and inspires their audience. So we set out to arm delegates with an understanding of how to communicate about their work in a way that sparks interest and provide them with the tools and inspiration to get out there and tell their stories.
To do this, we focused on our unique 4S approach to effective research communication. Founded on our experience of many years working with research organisations and researchers, this approach is based on four essential stages:
- STRATEGY – developing an effective communications strategy for projects or any specific research outcome
- SEGMENTATION – ensuring you are communicating with the people who need to know about you or your work through audience targeting and communication channel selection
- STORYTELLING – communicating your message effectively and in a way that informs and inspires interaction, whether that is using words, film, animation or digital tools
- SOCIAL MEDIA – using the latest digital tools to reach the widest possible audience with the messages that will generate the responses you need
Insight MD William Davis, who co-presented the workshop with Communications Director Sam Davis, said: “We wanted to provide valuable insight into the strategies we use at Insight Media for identifying an audience, selecting appropriate communications tools and channels, creating the most compelling content, delivering that content, monitoring uptake and reacting to communication results.
“We hope that we gave delegates the tools they need to be able to improve their own communications and understand better how to pitch their products as that is so important for researchers these days.
“We revealed many of our secrets – simple methodologies for ensuring a story about research is engaging and accessible, how to make sure the right people are hearing that story and how to unleash the power of social media to maximise impact and exploitation opportunities.
“I hope it worked for those attending and there are AAL researchers out there now telling really good stories about their work.”
- For more information about good research communication or for help in developing your research communications strategies, contact Sam Davis at sam@insightm.co.uk or call +44 117 (0)248 2755.