DISCURSOS - Rotary International
DISCURSOS - Rotary International
DISCURSOS - Rotary International
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
This recognition stems from the trust our friends place in us, and it is those friends who support<br />
many of our projects through donations and other means. Further, our volunteers contribute<br />
countless hours to our projects and need to receive some form of recognition as a token of appreciation.<br />
People are the assets of our movement. And since our purpose is to create and maintain social<br />
relations, internal communication becomes vital.<br />
But we do not operate in a vacuum. Around us, we have many important stakeholders. We need<br />
to identify our audiences and develop a communication policy for each one. We need to reflect<br />
on the ways we communicate with each group and the tools we use to reach each audience. For<br />
several years, <strong>Rotary</strong> has been offering grants to help districts develop communication strategies<br />
and improve the name recognition of our organization. This financial support helps develop an<br />
awareness campaign. You will learn more about these grants during the breakout session following<br />
this plenary session.<br />
In order to ensure the future of our movement, we need a development strategy that includes a<br />
vital piece, a communication strategy.<br />
Our development relies on how well we communicate with youth, so we need to adapt our communication<br />
to this audience. Social media are part of it. They have enjoyed a formidable expansion<br />
since 2005, and they are in constant evolution. Corporations understand the importance of<br />
social media; in 2011, 84 of the top 100 corporations in the world had a presence on at least one<br />
social network, and 25 were on four of them. But having a presence on social media is not a goal<br />
in itself. We need to know what we are going to say and then decide what impact we are going<br />
to have through each network.<br />
We have websites. We also have blogs that we can control. This control becomes more difficult<br />
with Facebook and is impossible with Twitter.<br />
At first, corporations used these networks as a loudspeaker, but today they understand that it<br />
is necessary to actively engage in a dialogue. These networks now constitute a large marketing<br />
outlet that has the advantages of being free and being immediate. But how can an organization<br />
like ours use these tools? How do we decide whether we should take part or not? Which one<br />
to choose? According to a recent study conducted by Havas Media, we are witnessing a digital<br />
transformation of our society. The mode of communication between a brand and its audience has<br />
changed. Today, interaction prevails; the public wants to share and exchange rather than to simply<br />
get information. Mass media, including social media, are playing an increasingly significant role.<br />
Ignoring social media can be costly. Today, the goal is to increase visibility and manage one’s<br />
e-reputation.<br />
Steering clear of social media is not a viable strategy.<br />
Internet users are on the lookout for news. They like to participate, to express their opinions, to<br />
follow, and to be involved. They hold the power as far as communication is concerned. It is a<br />
revolution, and it presents an opportunity for us, because exchanging, sharing, and community<br />
building are part of our DNA. In fact, <strong>Rotary</strong> operates like a social network.<br />
With social media, we can increase our visibility and be better known among the public, organizations,<br />
and partners. We can create and organize events, and find partners.<br />
Partners and sponsors are key to our projects.<br />
Please allow me to illustrate this topic with a story — a beautiful and true story.<br />
In France, since 2005, we have established a partnership with movie theater operators. Those<br />
past four years, we have reinforced this partnership with the Walt Disney Company.<br />
34 <strong>International</strong> Assembly Speeches 2013