WHETHER it be raising awareness about government policies, marketing products for private sector corporations or small and medium enterprises, or simply getting the public critical messages during disasters or pandemics, communications is perhaps the most critical component of almost any industry and government.
While online communication platforms such as social media, websites, and the myriad of communication apps like Viber have been around for many years, it was not until about 2018 that these tools were effectively leveraged and utilised in a co-ordinated manner as effective communication tools for organisations across Fiji and the Pacific.
At that time, the government was looking for (and unable to find) an innovative solution to increasing its communications capabilities. Meanwhile, I was already consulting for multiple organisations.
Thus, when the challenge was placed in front of me, I took it up immediately through my company, which was called Vatis.
Little did I know at the time that this journey would forever change Fiji’s communications landscape, with most major corporations, governments, and even media organisations using the strategies I developed.
The importance of establishing your dissemination platforms
Now before I get into it, it is essential to remember that the mainstream media are extremely important, serve as partners to every organisation, and must be treated as such.
But in the day and age of mass communications technology, it is critical to any modern-day organisation or government, with the media being important partners. I would even say that it is inexcusable not to have your platforms.
I use the term “communications” to cover all the bases: public relations, reputation management, disaster mitigation, marketing, etc., because these streams have become so specialised globally that a unified approach is essential for effective strategy and implementation.
My major focus for clients is always to build their own communication capabilities and assets while also building a good relationship with the media.
Having your platforms is not only efficacious, but also cost-effective, and most online platforms can directly integrate with your organisation’s customer service team to further improve client and audience satisfaction, not to mention sell products.
While we made many campaigns and online platforms viral, the Fiji Government’s Facebook page is the perfect example of how to effectively leverage online platforms to directly
From a humble 80,000 followers and 200,000 reach a month before we took over to a now whopping 453,000 followers and millions of organic views when we handed it over to the communications team.
That’s another important aspect of communications that is critical: the ability to ensure continuity even if the team changes.
This meant more than just covering events; it meant providing important information on government policies and grants and assisting people in being able to access them.
This simple shift saw a huge rise in engagement with the government’s online assets and, of course, their popularity.
Disaster response
A proper communications team and infrastructure become even more critical during natural disasters, which, as we all know, Fiji is particularly susceptible to, being that we are an island nation during a global climate crisis.
The government must establish a robust communications platform to disseminate critical information to a large number of Fijians, ensuring that everyone stays informed and safe.
Communication saves lives, and this is exactly what our goal was when we set up government communications infrastructure.
From all the safety tips you saw during the COVID-19 lockdowns and the co-ordination of the delivery of groceries to people to the regular updates during cyclones and flooding, including the disaster response in the aftermath,.
We all remember how the Fiji Government’s Facebook page became a central source of all COVID-19-related information.
The live-streaming of press conferences and budget announcements was followed up with regular snapshots of information and the use of infographics.
Hundreds of thousands of Fijians engaged with the government’s social media assets daily, not including thousands more concerned family members living abroad who turned to the page for news.
The key was to be quick and accurate and reach a maximum number of people.
Customer service and complaints
I have built countless customer service and complaint mechanisms over the years and will continue to do so.
The days of needing to spend thousands of dollars to create effective platforms are long gone, and technology allows.
The key is to make your organisation available on as many platforms as possible. From websites and telephone calls to various social media platforms like Facebook and calling apps like Viber.
We not only started this trend, but developed it for many clients, and the method has taken off nationally, with most organisations now having mediums such as Viber communities mandated.
Legal Aid Fiji’s query mechanism (I am uncertain if this is still being used), for example, enabled people to seek basic legal advice, particularly those in rural areas or on the lower end of the socio-economic scale, from having to make the journey to a legal aid office unless they had to.
Co-ordinating water trucks during disruptions through multiple organisations was another.
Technology key to communications
The world is changing, and it is changing fast, primarily because of the accessibility of information.
Think about it. Hundred years ago, to learn about a topic, you would sometimes have to travel miles, maybe even to another city, to access archives in a library.
Today, information is a click away. This rate of technological advancement will only continue to rapidly increase.
Hundreds of thousands of Fijians are online daily, engaging with popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
As an organisation, it is almost self-defeating not to leverage these platforms to grow your business.
This also gives Fiji access to global markets, and young people, I am happy to see, are already leveraging this technology to earn a living in multiple ways, from streaming games to selling products and services to a global audience.
While the peak performance of those days is not quite there anymore, at least in government, many organisations are still excelling through the infrastructure and systems we set up, and hopefully, we have done our small part for the country and future generations to come.
Remember communication is paramount; even Steve Jobs, renowned for his innovation, was primarily a marketing genius who understood the power of effectively conveying ideas.
Until next week, take care and be safe!
- ARNOLD CHANEL is an investor and business executive with years of tech expertise. He can be contacted on ceo@vanguardtech.pro. The views
expressed in this article are his and not of this newspaper
