Who will be interested in this product and why?
The communication plan is a plan which can be used by many stakeholders in different communication contexts. At a global level, decision makers could use this product to launch a general communication campaign. At a local level, fire-fighters, communities like users of the forest... could also use this communication plan to set up their communication action. Of course the communication plan is a guide designing the approach but not a precise description of a specific communication campaign.
What are the innovative features?
The communication plan integrates both concrete proposals and a theoretical backgrounds approach which has mobilized an interdisciplinary approach. Of course, the traditional communication theory has been useful, but new approaches on risk communication, involvement communication… have also been essential to define this product. We have tried to establish a useful bridge joining theoretical and practical approaches in a new field of communication.
How does it serve the European cause and promotes the philosophy of Fire Paradox?
The first step for a new ecological approach of the forest and of fire is to convince public at large. A communication plan permits to develop concrete actions which are useful to inform, to make the public more aware of the stakes, and, as far as possible, to have a positive influence on the public attitudes and behaviors.
For helping professionals or communities to communicate, the communication plan focuses on:
- Understanding objectives – why to communicate?
- Understanding audiences – who communicates with whom?
- Planning the message – what to communicate?
- Seeking feedback on how well the message has been received,
- a "KISS" principle: Keep It Simple and Straightforward
To define a communication strategy for Fire Paradox and more generally in favour of a new ecological approach of the forest and of fire is clearly a very huge task.
The communication plan is based on a new information/communication approach (an information system) and a "glocal communication" strategy, integrating a commitment approach of communication.
So, the complexity of the communication flows and the diversity of the stakeholders in fire prevention and fire-fighting have been taken into account. Beyond global elements, an efficient communication clearly needs the involvement of stakeholders at local levels.
The communication plan gives the detailed steps for communicating by taking into account the innovative aspects: information and communication system, glocal and involving communication. It explains how to develop public awareness, how to communicate about prescribed burnings. In particular it explains in detail how to communicate in direction of media and the public at large. It insists on the importance to be transparent and to build trust. Some key messages, slogans, arguments and mascots are proposed in order to develop an empathy communication. Main lessons about risk communication are also recalled. Other aspects like citizen communication, cause communication, shock communication, storytelling communication are also presented. For example a communication action could put forward arguments such as climate global change arguments, or, for instance, cost and security arguments. Some useful tools like the professional newsletter, or social media (Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Wikipedia) have been also proposed.
An important result is the following: it is essential to carry out an interactive process taking into account different stakeholders through an involving communication.
Online Multimedia Plateform : Prototype