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Shaping the agenda:

How to drive thought-leadership and business impact through professional associations

and global platforms

Stephen King, Etisalat Group & Chair MEPRA Standards & Ethics Committee

Carine Duvignaud, General Manager, Middle East PR Association

Sarah Campbell, Philips Electronics Middle East

First things first….

• Speed Networking!

• Introductions– Who are you– Who do you work for– What is it you want to get from your MEPRA membership?

MEPRA: Introduction

• Non profit "members" association based in the UAE.  MEPRA is a self-governing and self-regulating body founded to set standards for the industry in the Middle East 

As a professional association MEPRA needs an active membership to flourish.

• MEPRA's mission is to:– Encourage and promote the public relations profession within the Middle East region;– Raise awareness of public relations as an important social and economic activity;– Raise professional standards and provide a structure for continuing professional

development;– Provide practitioners with a forum to discuss PR issues;– Provide a unified voice for the public relations profession around the area of best

practice and promote thought leadership on issues relating to public relations.  

For more details on membership options visit www.mepra.org

Upcoming Events

• 2013 MEPRA Awards– 13 best practice categories & 3 teams/individual categories– 87 entries in 2012– Deadline for submission: 3rd October– Awards Gala event on Wed 27th November

• Industry Leaders’ Dialogue (8th July)– Reputation management in the Middle East: regional perspectives, looking to the future and the

influence of social media– Panellists will include:

• Ema Linaker, Social Media Director, Ogilvy, Dubai• Samer Marzouq, Blogger and Social Media Consultant, Dubai• Wael Sabri, MD, Global Communications Network, Saudi Arabia• Yahya Hamidaddin, Managing director, Adalid Public Relations, Saudi Arabia

• Social Media Forum (September)

• On-going Professional Development Programme

Sharing outcomes

1. Understanding of associations in the regional context

2. Scope of PRD and Agencies in achieving strategic objectives through association engagement

3. How to – Evaluate a PR Association– Set objectives and plan for your engagement – Measure and report the results

4. Inspiration for new engagements

5. Familiarisation and knowledge on World Economic Forum

Setting the scene…

The Top 10 Worst Jobs For 2013

1. Newspaper Reporter2. Lumberjack3. Enlisted Military Personnel4. Actor5. Oil Rig Worker6. Dairy Farmer7. Meter Reader8. Mail Carrier9. Roofer10. Flight Attendant

What does this mean for the modern media relations professional?

We need new cheese!

• Strategic measurement & evaluation

• Social Media• Sustainability Reporting

• Public Advocacy

MEPRA Learning Streams

Becoming more strategic is essential

Proactively identifies related opportunities and proposes feasible

projects

Responds to stakeholder

requests

Understands the request and makes

value-added recommendations

Pre-empts the request and plans

for success

Stra

tegi

c va

lue

deliv

ered

High

Low

Stakeholder: We need a press releasePRD: Here is a press release

Stakeholder: We need a press releasePRD: Let’s do a 1-1 interview as well

PRD: This initiative requires a press releaseStakeholder: That’s a good idea

PRD: Lets approach partner x to join us to create news value outside our home marketStakeholder: Wow, that’s great!

Association engagement is an essential component of your career development

Proactively identifies related opportunities and proposes feasible

projects

Responds to stakeholder

requests

Understands the request and makes

value-added recommendations

Pre-empts the request and plans

for success

Stra

tegi

c va

lue

deliv

ered

High

Low

Stakeholder: Please check the registration and hotel details for DavosPRD: Erm.. OK don’t you have a PA?

Stakeholder: Please check the registration...PRD: You’re in the wrong hotel and will miss VIP dinner with ‘x’

PRD: We need you to attend this dinner which is attended by ‘x’ and deliver this messageStakeholder: That’s a good idea

PRD: We’ve set up a cross-industry working group to tackle ‘y’Stakeholder: Wow, that’s great!

Introducing Trade Associations

• A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry.

• An industry trade association participates in public relations activities such as publicity, advertising, education, political donations, lobbying and publishing, but its main focus is collaboration between companies, or standardization.

• Associations may offer other services, such as producing conferences, networking or charitable events or offering classes or educational materials.

• Many associations are non-profit organizations governed by bylaws and directed by officers who are also members.

Source: Wikipedia

What associations are active in the UAE / Middle East?

• Embassy trade attaches e.g. British Business Council• Chamber of Commerce e.g. DCCI• NGOs e.g. Arabia CSR Network and Emirates Wildlife

Society-WWF• Trade associations e.g. MEPRA, IAAA• Cross industry associations e.g. World Economic Forum

What good are associations?

• GSM Association– Provides data and helps build business case for industry-

wide issues– Engages with NGOS and Donors to create incentives for

industry investment– Creates research and forums to engage with government

and policy makers– A neutral ground for cross-industry collaboration

mHealth Regulation

Africa Champion & ICT Governor

Capacity Building

GRI reporting recommends transparency on trade group engagement

Etisalat and MEPRA

• Regular training and workshops• Recruitment, job postings• Potential vendor partners (Pitch List)

– PR– Public Affairs

• New Business Development– PR Agency Vertical encouraging multimedia

communications– Green & Environmental

GSMA mHealth Grand Tour

• Cross industry challenge• Build data• Prove technology• Creates a case for change

Theory of Change…

• A Theory of Change defines all building blocks required to bring about a given long-term goal.

• This set of connected building blocks–interchangeably referred to as outcomes, results, accomplishments, or preconditions is depicted on a map known as a pathway of change/change framework, which is a graphic representation of the change process.

• It differs from any other method of describing initiatives in a few ways:– it shows a causal pathway from here to there by specifying what is needed

for goals to be achieved – it requires you to articulate underlying assumptions which can be tested

and measured.– it changes the way of thinking about initiatives from what you are doing

to what you want to achieve and starts there.

An example…

Decision Maker

Media

Governing Body

Grass Roots

AnalystAssociation BoardCompany A

Potential Partners

Competitive Programs

Competitive Programs

Competitive Programs

Desired Outcome

Exercise

• Draw a theory of change

1. To eradicate unethical PR practice in UAE e.g. gift giving / bribery for press coverage

2. To encourage hiring of qualified practitioners with respect to PR education

3. To increase the popularity of PR as a career for students

4. Promoting quality vs price in PR pitches

Highlight your actions

Clock is ticking…

Decision Maker

Media

Governing Body

Grass Roots

AnalystAssociation BoardCompany A

Potential Partners

Competitive Programs

Competitive Programs

Competitive Programs

Desired Outcome

1. To eradicate unethical PR practice in UAE e.g. gift giving / bribery for press coverage

2. To encourage hiring of qualified practitioners with respect to PR education

3. To increase the popularity of PR as a career for students

4. Promoting quality vs price in PR pitches

Evaluating an association

• Your Corporate Strategy & what you want to achieve

• Size of Membership • Potential Partners• Board Strength• Geographical Reach • Influence & Access• Projects & Programs

Credibility / Wasta

Why MEPRA?

• 300 Individual Members• 20 Corporate Members• 43 Registered Agencies• UAE and Qatar Chapters• Programs

– Professional Development – Standards & Ethics– MEPRA Awards– Education Sector– Media outreach

WHAT BENEFITS COULD YOU OBTAIN FROM YOUR MEPRA MEMBERSHIP?

1. As an Individual

2. As a Corporate

publicity advertising

educationlobbying

publishing

standardization

What are we doing – and how can you get involved?

• Standards & Ethics– Panel– Sustainability Reporting, GRI etc

• Education– Speaker at universities, offer scholarships

• Training– Speaker at one of our seminars

• Awards– Judge, sponsor, enter & WIN!

• Media Relations– Content

Board Elections in 2014

Two Year Postings

Vice Chair inherits ‘Chair’

What else?

• Collaborative working group….– Joint negotiations?– Economies of Scale?– Recommended supplier lists?– Raise standards?

How to evaluate your Membership outcomes

• AVE doesn’t apply!

Barcelona Principles

1. Importance of Goal Setting and Measurement

2. Measuring the Effect on Outcomes is Preferred to Measuring Outputs

3. The Effect on Business Results Can and Should Be Measured Where Possible

4. Media Measurement Requires Quantity and Quality

5. AVEs are not the Value of Public Relations

6. Social Media Can and Should be Measured

7. Transparency and Replicability are Paramount to Sound Measurement

Principle 2: Measuring the Effect on Outcomes is Preferred to Measuring Outputs

• Outcomes include shifts in awareness, comprehension, attitude and behavior related to purchase, donations, brand equity, corporate reputation, employee engagement, public policy, investment decisions, and other shifts in stakeholders regarding a company, NGO, government or entity, as well as the stakeholder’s own beliefs and behaviors

• Practices for measuring the effect on outcomes should be tailored to the business objectives of the PR activities. Quantitative measures such as benchmark and tracking surveys, are often preferable. However, qualitative methods can be well suited or used to supplement quantitative measures

• Standard best practices in survey research including sample design, question wording and order, and statistical analysis should be applied in total transparency

Evaluating your TOC

Input Output Outcomes Impact

Investment of resources

Direct product of investment

What happens due to the product

Tangible progress you towards your desired end goal

MEPRA MembershipTime to attend training

Number staff trained Improvement in productivity, reduction in mistakes

Measureable improvement in brand reputation

Exercise…

• Based on your project, identify a tactic and define your Input, Output, Outcomes and Impact.

1. To eradicate unethical PR practice in UAE e.g. gift giving / bribery for press coverage

2. To encourage hiring of qualified practitioners with respect to PR education

3. To increase the popularity of PR as a career for students

4. Promoting quality vs price in PR pitches

Input Output Outcomes Impact

Investment of resources

Direct product of investment

What happens due to the product

Tangible progress you towards your desired end goal

Slide dividerNow let’s take a break!