Conventional wisdom holds that “Stakeholder Engagement” is important and organisations should be doing it.But there’s very little data available about what “it” is, or about the benefits and risks organisations see from engaging in new ways with groups they may not have dealt with in the past. The purpose of this survey was to explore what stakeholder engagement looks like with those who are closest to the front line: senior European communicators at large corporations, government bodies, NGOs, associations and other organisations.

1. The Future of Stakeholder
Engagement
Views of Senior European Communicators on
Current and Future Best Practice
February 2013

2. Table of contents
3 Introduction
4 Key findings
6 The current state of stakeholder engagement
11 Benefits and risks of stakeholder engagement
18 The future of stakeholder engagement
25 Blueprint for success: What does it take to build a successful programme?
28 Implications
29 About the study
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3. Introduction
Conventional wisdom holds that “Stakeholder Engagement” is important and organisations should be doing it.
But there’s very little data available about what “it” is, or about the benefits and risks organisations see from
engaging in new ways with groups they may not have dealt with in the past.
The purpose of this survey was to explore what stakeholder engagement looks like with those who are closest to
the front line: senior European communicators at large corporations, government bodies, NGOs, associations
and other organisations.
Several questions drive this research project:
• What exactly are organisations doing in terms of stakeholder engagement – and with whom?
• What are the risks and benefits they associate with engaging with “non-traditional” stakeholders?
(i.e., stakeholders other than employees, suppliers, business partners, or customers/members)
• And, perhaps most importantly, what does the future of stakeholder engagement look like from senior
communicators’ perspective?
We were able to include communicators across a variety of organisational types and sectors in the survey.
However, respondents were predominantly from the corporate world and half were based in the UK (nearly 4
in 10 of the UK respondents were from FTSE 100 companies). The remainder were distributed across Europe,
with sizeable proportions of respondents in Brussels/Belgium (15%) and Germany (11%). Where significant or
interesting, differences between the UK, Brussels/Belgium and Germany are highlighted in the report.
While the results of this survey offer a unique perspective and provide a blueprint for creating a successful
programme, they tell only part of the story. To provide a more global context, Brunswick Insight is currently
conducting similar research in the United States and China, and will issue the results as soon as they
are available.
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 3

4. Key findings
Senior communicators across Europe (82%) consider stakeholder engagement to be important to their
organisation’s success, with 55% saying it is “extremely important”. The scope and scale of stakeholder
engagement activities are expected to increase dramatically in the next five years, with a sizeable increase
in the percentage who say engagement will be important to their organisation’s success (90%) and nearly as
many saying their organisation will be doing more engagement in the future (82%).
Most (80%) believe senior management at their organisation understand and appreciate the value of stakeholder
engagement. However, while the team at the top appears to understand the value of engagement, more
work remains to create buy-in across and down the organisation, as respondents say lack of understanding,
particularly at these levels, is the biggest internal obstacle to creating engagement programmes.
One way to increase understanding and buy-in could be to have a more strategic approach, where success is
clearly demonstrated. Currently, at most organisations, stakeholder engagement tends to be ad hoc (79%)
rather than strategic and just three in ten (29%) use specific KPIs to measure the success of their organisation’s
engagement. Communicators appear ready to make this shift as more than eight in ten (85%) say it will be
important for their organisation to have an engagement strategy in five years’ time.
Currently, communicators are much more likely to engage with traditional (e.g., employees, suppliers, business
partners, customers/members) rather than non-traditional (e.g., NGOs, consumer groups, special interest
groups, activist groups) stakeholders. Communicators acknowledge that engagement with non-traditional
stakeholders carries sizeable risks, the biggest of which is the possibility of not meeting expectations (60%).
Four in ten or more are also concerned about possible damage to their organisation’s reputation (45%), wasting
time and money (42%), and loss of control (41%).
Nevertheless, most communications professionals have already seen compelling evidence of the benefits of
engagement for their organisation. The biggest benefits include improved reputation (89%) and increased
understanding of their organisation and its activities amongst stakeholders (89%).
Primary responsibility for engagement activities tends to reside with communications (32%) and corporate
affairs (23%). Currently, two in three communicators (68%) feel overwhelmed by the amount of time and
resources required to engage properly. This suggests that securing additional resources for engagement
will be important for communicators if they are to cope with the pressure, navigate expected risks and
deliver results.
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5. The blueprint for creating a successful stakeholder engagement programme now and in the future is
surprisingly consistent, requiring:
• Trust
• Mutual respect
• Commitment from the top of the organisation
• Alignment with the organisation’s long-term goals
At present, social media and online engagement activities tend to involve more monitoring than active
engagement – but that is expected to change in five years’ time. While 79% currently monitor social media
channels, just 30% blog, 28% map online influencers, and 19% create online panels at present. However, one
in three (34%) think social media and online tools will be the most effective ways to engage with stakeholders
in general in five years’ time.
In contrast, when it comes to engagement with non-traditional stakeholders, in-person meetings (75%)
are expected to remain the most effective way to build deep and lasting relationships. While there is no
substitute for in-person meetings, communications professionals recognise that they will need a combination
of engagement techniques to work effectively with both traditional and non-traditional stakeholders
in the future.
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 5

6. The current state of stakeholder engagement
“Reputation management” is the top priority for corporate
communicators, followed by stakeholder engagement Few believe that
stakeholder engagement
When asked to rate the importance of a variety of activities they encounter has no impact on
the success of their
in their jobs to the success of their organisation, senior communications
organisation. In
professionals are most likely to say that reputation management (93%), fact, only 18% of
stakeholder engagement (82%), internal/employee communications (82%), communicators say
crisis communications (79%), and media relations (79%) are “important” they have yet to see any
(rating of “4” or “5” on a scale of 1 to 5). compelling evidence that
stakeholder engagement
has a direct impact
on the success of
their organisation.
(% who rate each as…)
Reputation management 93% 6%1% Q. Here are several
activities that
Stakeholder engagement 82% 16%2%
communication
Internal/ employee communications 82% 17% 2% professionals may
Crisis communications 79% 16% 5% encounter in their
Media relations 79% 19% 2% jobs. For each, please
Issues management 78% 19% 3% indicate how important
you believe it is to
Corporate communications 77% 19% 4%
the success of your
Investor relations 74% 11% 15% organisation [1 to 5
Public affairs, lobbying 67% 19% 15% scale, where 1 = not
Marketing/brand and consumer communications 65% 25% 11% at all important; 5 =
extremely important]
Corporate social responsibility and sustainability 65% 22% 13%
(Base=130)
Social media engagement 49% 35% 17%
Top box (4-5) Middle box (3) Bottom box (1-2)
• Views on the importance of stakeholder engagement differ by market: while 91% of those in the UK rate
it as important, fewer in Brussels (65%) or Germany (50%) consider it as important
• Communicators in Brussels are especially likely to rate “public affairs/lobbying” (80%) as important, while
those in Germany are more likely than others to rate “marketing/brand and consumer communications”
(71%) as important
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7. Talking to the people who
matter to your business about
the things that matter to them.
Defining stakeholder engagement: a dialogue for understanding, mutual benefit and
business success
There is widespread consensus in how communicators define “stakeholder engagement”. When asked to
describe stakeholder engagement in a sentence or two, six in ten (61%) respondents define it as a two-way
dialogue with those who have an interest in, are affected by, or can influence your organisation.
(% who describe stakeholder engagement as . . .)
Two-way dialogue with key parties who have Q. How would you
an interest in your company or organisation / define “stakeholder
61%
who may be affected by your decisions / can engagement” in a
influence your organisation and its decisions sentence or two?
Ensuring key stakeholders are well informed
/ have access to information about your 13%
company
Identifying who your key stakeholders are
and understanding what their views / 5%
expectations are
Ensuring coordination with stakeholders on
4%
issues of mutual interest
Regular communication with relevant parties 4%
To ensure positive attitude of key parties /
3%
positively influence stakeholders
Involving stakeholders in / listening to
outside opinion in the decision making 2%
process
Demonstrate you are open to stakeholders /
2%
their concerns
Other 8%
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 7

8. Communicators more likely to engage in traditional stakeholder engagement activities at
present; online activities lag behind
When asked to say which of a number of stakeholder relations or engagement activities their organisation
is currently doing, communicators are much more likely to mention traditional rather than non-traditional
activities. The top five activities are: monitoring traditional media (94%), membership in industry groups
(87%), creating lasting relationships with stakeholders (86%), attending networking events (85%), and hosting
events (80%). In terms of social media, while most (79%) say they are monitoring social media channels,
respondents are much less likely to be blogging (30%), mapping online influencers (28%), or creating online
panels to share information (19%).
(% who say their organisation is doing each of the following…)
Q. Currently, which of
Monitor traditional media 94%
the following types of
Membership in a trade association or industry stakeholder relations or
87%
group
engagement activities
Long term engagement to create lasting
86% does your organisation
relationships
do? Please select all
Attend networking events 85% that apply. Base=130)
(
Host events 80%
Monitor social media channels 79%
Ad-hoc engagement on specific issues of concern
79%
to your organisation
Survey stakeholder’s views and concerns 72%
Map stakeholders 69%
Host roundtables or panels 68%
Map issues 62%
Have a stakeholder engagement strategy 61%
Use social media for purposes other than
56%
marketing
Undertake consultation exercises as you develop
52%
policies and programmes
Publish and share thought leadership work 52%
Blog 30%
Map online influencers 28%
Create online panels to share information 19%
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9. • Communicators in the UK are particularly likely to say they survey stakeholders’ views and concerns (80%),
use social media for non-marketing purposes (67%), and undertake consultation exercises as they develop
policies and programmes (61%)
• Communicators in Brussels are particularly likely to say they map stakeholders (85%), host roundtables or
panels (85%) and have a stakeholder engagement strategy (80%)
• Communicators in Germany are particularly likely to say they are members of a trade association or
industry group (93%) or they host events (86%). They tend to be less likely than others to say they attend
networking events (57%), map stakeholders (57%) or issues (36%)
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 9

10. Traditional rather than non-traditional stakeholders top the list of important stakeholders
Most communicators rate their company’s business partners (84%), national government (83%), employees
(83%), and traditional media (76%) as important stakeholders. Fewer say EU institutions (64%; 95% for
Brussels/Belgium) and local government (60%) are as important.
“Non-traditional” stakeholder groups, such as activist groups (30%), online communities of interest (28%) and
charitable organisations (23%), are much less likely to be rated as important.
(% who rate each stakeholder as “important”)
Business partners 84% Top Box
rating of 4 or 5
National government 83%
Q. Likewise, how
Employees 83%
important to your
Traditional media 76% organisation would
EU institutions 64% you say engagement
is with each of the
Local government 60%
following stakeholder
Consumers 52% groups currently? [1-5
Local communities 50% scale, where 1 = not
at all important; 5 =
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) 45%
extremely important]
Consumer groups 44% (Base=130)
Special interest groups 40%
Universities/academics 40%
Activist groups 30%
Online communities of interest 28%
Charitable organisations 23%
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11. Benefits and risks of stakeholder engagement
Prompted biggest benefits: improved reputation, increased understanding of the company, long-
term relationships and better understanding of stakeholder concerns and expectations
When asked to rate a list of possible benefits of stakeholder engagement in terms of their importance,
communicators are most likely to say improved reputation (89%), increased understanding of the organisation
(89%), developing long-term relationships (88%) and better understanding of stakeholder concerns and
expectations (84%) are “important”.
The benefits they are least likely to rate as important are demonstrating to others that you’re engaging (53%),
product innovation (44%), and facilitating social change (35%).
(% who rate each as “important”)
Improving your organisation’s reputation or Q. How important
89%
image to you or your
Increasing understanding of your organisation are each
89%
organisation and its activities of the following as
Developing long-term relationships 88% possible benefits of
Better understanding stakeholders’ views, doing stakeholder
84% engagement? [1-5
concerns and expectations
Better understanding of views of those on scale, where 1 = not
78%
the other side of an issue at all important; 5 =
Influencing the views or actions of other extremely important]
78%
stakeholders (Base=130)
Building a network of advocates 77%
Avoiding conflict before it emerges 74%
Resolving or reducing conflict 68%
Identifying and mitigating the risk of crises 65%
Creating better public policy 63%
Attracting and retaining high calibre
62%
employees
Sharing expertise 60%
Collaborating to develop programmes and
59%
policies for the organisation
Finding a solution to a complex problem 57%
Demonstrating to others that you’re
53%
engaging
Product innovation 44%
Facilitating social change 35%
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 11

12. • Communicators in the UK are more likely than others to say increasing understanding of their organisation
(95%), avoiding conflicts before they emerge (81%), and attracting and retaining high calibre employees
(73%) are important benefits of engagement
• Those in Brussels are more likely than others to say building a network of advocates (90%), creating better
public policy (90%), and finding solutions to complex problems (70%) are important benefits
• Communicators in Germany are more likely than others to say product innovation (57%) is an important
benefit of engagement
If done well to the right people, they
will tell your story for you much more
powerfully than you can. Customers
will want, not just need, to buy from
you, investors will increase their
holdings as trust and confidence grows
- and in a crisis, you will be given the
benefit of the doubt.
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13. Volunteered biggest internal obstacles to stakeholder engagement
are lack of understanding and buy-in, and lack of resources Two thirds (68%)
of communicators
(people, budget and time)
agree that stakeholder
engagement is
Several factors emerge as internal obstacles to conducting stakeholder
important but they feel
engagement programmes, most importantly lack of understanding and buy- overwhelmed sometimes
in (29%), lack of people and budget (18%), lack of time (15%), and the lack by the amount of time
of a joined-up approach (13%). and resources required
to do it.
Lack of understanding
about the importance
of engaging in a timely,
consistent and credible
way with stakeholders.
To many colleagues,
stakeholder engagement
looks like a PR exercise,
which does not deserve
time and effort.
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 13

14. Volunteered biggest external challenges or risks are identifying and prioritising stakeholders, loss
of control, and expectation management
When asked to volunteer what they consider to be the biggest external challenges or risks to stakeholder
engagement, one in ten or more communicators mention: being able to identify who to engage with (12%),
loss of control (12%) and expectation management (11%).
Dialogue carries risks - people may not
always ‘get’ the message or love it… but
people will talk about you anyway, so we
need to be in there shaping the debate
about ourselves and our industry.
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15. Prompted biggest potential risks of engagement for their organisations
Respondents were also asked to rate a list of possible risks to their organisation from engagement with
non-traditional stakeholders (i.e., stakeholders other than employees, suppliers, business partners, or
customers/members). Expectation management emerges as the number one potential risk (cited by 60% of
communicators), followed by concerns about reputation damage (45%), waste of time and money (42%), and
loss of control (41%).
(% who rate each as “significant”)
Top Box
Not meeting expectations 60%
rating of 4 or 5
Reputation damage 45% Q. How significant
a potential risk do
Waste of time and money 42% you think each of the
following is for your
Loss of control 41%
organisation when
Compromised principles or goals 39% conducting stakeholder
engagement with
Internal tension within your
39% non-traditional
organisation
stakeholders? [1-5
Criticism or attack 37% scale, where 1 = not at
all a risk; 5= extremely
Exploitation of your organisation 35% significant risk]
(Base=130)
Loss of credibility 30%
Creates conflicts of interest 30%
Dilutes the message your
28%
organisation is trying to communicate
Slows down the organisation 27%
Loss of intellectual property 24%
Harm to sales 18%
• Communicators in Brussels are more likely than others to see loss of control (65%) and reputation damage
(60%) as significant risks
• Those in Germany are more likely than others to think criticism or attack (57%) is a significant risk
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 15

16. Primary responsibility for engagement rests with communications and corporate
affairs organisation’s
More than half of all respondents (55%) say that primary responsibility for coordinating their organisations’
stakeholder engagement activities rests with the communications (32%) or corporate affairs (23%) department.
A quarter (25%) say that no single department has responsibility.
(% who say…)
Q. Which department
Communications 32%
within your
Corporate affairs 23% organisation has
primary responsibility
CEO, Chairman or Organisation Board 9% for coordinating
stakeholder
CSR/foundation 3% engagement activities?
(Base=130)
Operational or business unit level head 3%
Strategic planning and risk 1%
All the above departments/ No single
25%
department has responsibility
Other 4%
Just four in ten (39%) say there is one person in their organisation that has ultimate responsibility for managing
their organisation’s stakeholder engagement.
(% who say…)
7%
Q. Is there one person
39% who has ultimate
responsibility for
Yes managing stakeholder
No
engagement in your
organisation?
Don't know/ no answer
55%
• Among those that have one person with ultimate responsibility, this person either reports to the most
senior person in their organisation (42%) or reports to the most senior person and also sits on the board
themselves (40%)
• Among those organisations that do not have one person with responsibility, engagement is most often
managed by a department or business unit (32%) or the comms/corporate affairs team coordinates
engagement (21%)
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17. Half measure the effectiveness of their engagement
Half of all communicators (52%) say their organisation measures the effectiveness of their engagement efforts.
Only three in ten (29%) measure the effectiveness of their stakeholder engagement with specific KPIs.
(% who say…)
Don't know, Q. Do you measure
12% the effectiveness
of your stakeholder
engagement efforts?
(Base=130)
Yes, 52%
No, 37%
Among those who measure the effectiveness of their stakeholder engagement efforts formally with KPIs,
market and opinion leader research is the most common method of doing so (50%).
Nearly half (44%) of
communicators agree
that they feel pressured
by their organisations’
senior leadership
to quantify their
stakeholder engagement
efforts.
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 17

18. The future of stakeholder engagement
Importance of stakeholder engagement expected to increase in the next five years
When asked to rate the importance of stakeholder engagement to the success of their organisation,
communicators believe stakeholder engagement is set to become even more important in five years’ time -
going from 82% today to 90% in the future.
(% who rate each as “important” to organisation success)
Q. Please indicate
90% how important you
82% believe stakeholder
engagement is to
the success of your
organisation [1 to 5
scale, where 1 = not
at all important; 5 =
extremely important]
(Base=130)
Q. Now looking ahead
to the future. How
important do you
think stakeholder
engagement will be
in five years’ time to
the success of your
organisation? [1-5
scale, where 1 = not
Now In five years’ time
at all important; 5 =
Now In five years' time extremely important]
(Base=130)
• There is little change in perceptions for UK and Brussels communicators, around nine in ten respondents
in each market rate stakeholder engagement as important both at present and in five years’ time (UK 91%
now, 89% future)
• However, communicators in Brussels and Germany believe the importance of stakeholder engagement
will increase (Brussels 65% now, 90% future; Germany 50% now, 79% future)
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19. Quantity of stakeholder engagement expected to increase in the next five years
Not only will stakeholder engagement be more important, but communicators expect to be doing more of it.
Four in five (82%) communicators believe their organisation will be doing more stakeholder engagement in
five years’ time.
(% who say…)
Q. In five years, do
you expect your
organisation will
Less, 1%
be doing more, the
same amount or
less stakeholder
More, 82%
engagement?
Same, 18%
(Base=130)
• Communicators in Germany (86%) and Brussels (85%) are slightly more likely than those in the UK (77%)
to say their organisation will be doing more stakeholder engagement in five years’ time
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 19

20. Communicators believe traditional stakeholder engagement
activities will remain important but view online activities as Most communicators
increasingly influential (87%) agree that social
technologies offer new
When asked to say how important various types of stakeholder relations opportunities to build
relationships.
or engagement activities will be to their organisation in five years’ time,
communicators are increasingly focused on developing a more strategic
approach, mapping and considering their online options within their
stakeholder engagement strategy.
There is a sizeable difference between the proportion of respondents who
have a stakeholder engagement strategy now (61%) and those who believe Clearly, developing a
that having one will be “important” in five years’ time (85%). Communicators stakeholder engagement
also expect to see substantial increases in the importance of mapping strategy will be a
stakeholders (79%) and issues (78%). key focus for many
organisations in the
next five years, as
Similarly, in terms of social media, majorities (73%) think monitoring social
three in five (58%)
media channels and mapping online influencers (60%) will be important in agree that currently
five years’ time. However, while creating online panels to share information their organisation
(46%) or blogging (36%) is predicted by some to be important in the future, has a wide variety of
these percentages are still below half. stakeholder engagement
programmes, but no
overarching engagement
strategy.
20 | 2013 | © BRUNSWICK INSIGHT

21. Activity Q. Currently, which
rated as of the following
Organisation
important Net types of stakeholder
is currently
in five Difference relations or
doing
years'
engagement
(Base=130) time
Mapping online activities does your
28% 60% +32% organisation do?
influencers
Creating online panels Please select all that
Hot 19% 46% +27%
to share information apply. (Base=130)
topics
Having a stakeholder Q. How important
61% 85% +24%
engagement strategy
do you expect each
Mapping of issues 62% 78% +16%
Publishing and sharing of the following
thought leadership 52% 65% +13% types of stakeholder
work relations or
Mapping of engagement
69% 79% +10%
stakeholders activities to be to
Blogging 30% 36% +6%
your organisation
Using social media for
purposes other than 56% 62% +6% in five years’ time?
marketing [1-5 scale, where 1 =
Undertaking not at all important;
consultation exercises 5 = extremely
as you develop 52% 58% +6% important]
policies and
(Base=130)
programmes
Long term
engagement to create 86% 88% +2%
lasting relationships
Conducting surveys of
stakeholders views 72% 71% -1%
and concerns
Monitoring social
79% 73% -6%
media channels
Hosting roundtables
68% 59% -9%
or panels
Hosting events 80% 62% -18%
Monitoring traditional
94% 69% -25%
media
Cooling Attending networking
85% 56% -29%
topics events
Becoming a member
of a trade association 87% 56% -31%
or industry group
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 21

22. • Communicators in the UK are particularly likely to say that in five years’ time the following activities will be
important: long term engagement to create lasting relationships (91%), conducting surveys of stakeholder’s
views and concerns (77%), monitoring social media channels (77%), using social media for non-marketing
purposes (70%) and undertaking consultation exercises as they develop policies and programmes (67%)
• Communicators in Brussels are particularly likely to say attending networking events (70%), and becoming
a member of a trade association or industry group (75%) will be important in five years’ time
• Communicators in Germany are particularly likely to say that publishing and sharing thought leadership
work (79%) will be important in five years’ time. While two in three (64%) say having a stakeholder
engagement strategy will be important
22 | 2013 | © BRUNSWICK INSIGHT

23. If an organisation does it in a structured way with a consistent strategy, and relationship-
management, then not much will fundamentally change. The channels to reach key constituencies
will change, with a growing focus on social media, but even here this should never usurp strong
face-to-face engagement where trust and mutual respect are best fostered.
Volunteered: Future engagement expected to use more social media and online, to complement
on-going face-to face interaction
Communicators volunteer a range of suggestions as to how stakeholder engagement will look in the future,
with social media and online (34%) and face-to-face engagement (15%) considered to be the most effective
ways to engage with stakeholders in the future.
(% who describe it as…)
Q. In a sentence or two,
Social media / online 34%
what do you think the
Face-to-face will remain key / become future of stakeholder
15%
increasingly important
engagement will look
More transparency / honesty 8% like? What will be
the most effective
Building personal relationships will remain key 7% ways to engage with
Similar to present / current principles will stakeholders in the
7%
remain future? (Base=130)
Coordinated / aligned across organisation 6%
Broader engagement across organisation -
6%
beyond CEO / comms team
More monitoring / measurement /
4%
assessment
More engagement with non-traditional
4%
stakeholders
Joining focus to solve problems for mutual
4%
benefits
More central to companies' activities 3%
More long term engagement 2%
More time / resources invested in stakeholder
2%
engagement
More direct contact 2%
More regular / active communications 2%
Dedicated departments / specialists / skilled
2%
individuals
Other 14%
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 23

24. The best way to engage with stakeholders is to build long-
term relationships and be open and honest, even in the
difficult times.
Prompted: In-person meetings the most effective way to communicate with non-traditional
stakeholders in five years’ time
When asked to rate several channels of communication in terms of how effective they would be with non-
traditional stakeholders in five years’ time, respondents rate in-person meetings (75%), web-based collaboration
tools / applications (43%) and working groups (36%) as most likely to be effective. This suggests that a mix of
communication channels will be necessary, but that face-to-face communications will remain the best way to
build trust and mutual respect with non-traditional stakeholders.
(% who rate each as “most effective”)
Q. Which of the
In-person meetings 75% following do you
Web-based collaboration think will be the
43%
tools / applications most effective ways
Working groups 36% to communicate
with non-traditional
Website 26% stakeholders in five
Trade or industry years’ time? Please
25% select up to three.
association
(Base=130, multiple
Blogs 22%
responses allowed)
Conference speaker
20%
opportunities
E-mail 12%
Panels 9%
Videoconferencing 6%
Conference calls (voice
3%
only)
Mobile text messaging 3%
Two thirds (68%) say
developing alliances
with non-traditional
stakeholders will
be key to successful
programmes and
policies in the future.
24 | 2013 | © BRUNSWICK INSIGHT

25. Blueprint for success: What does it take to
build a successful programme?
Developing a successful stakeholder engagement programme and achieving your organisation’s objectives
involves putting in place several elements, some of which will likely require collaboration with internal
stakeholders, as they may be outside the control of the communications team.
Factors that are considered most important to success for programmes
Communicators say the most important factors for creating a successful stakeholder engagement programme
are trust (95%), commitment from the top of the organisation (93%) and mutual respect (92%). Nearly as
important are alignment with organisation’s long-term goals (88%), transparency (86%), and long-term
focus (84%).
(% who rate each as “important” to success)
Trust 95% Q. Thinking now
about creating
Commitment from most senior
93% successful stakeholder
people in the organisation
engagement programs.
Mutual respect 92% How important are
Ensuring the program aligns with each of the following
88% for a stakeholder
your organisation’s long-term goals
engagement program
Transparency 86%
to be successful? [1-5
Long term focus 84% scale, where 1 = not
at all important; 5 =
Identifying areas of mutual interest 80% extremely important]
Being clear about what success looks (Base=130)
79%
like
Personal relationships 71%
Identifying and avoiding possible
65%
conflicts of interest
Shared values 60%
Increased credibility from working
58%
with others
Building alliances with non-traditional
44%
stakeholders
Focus on social purpose 37%
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 25

26. • Communicators in Brussels are more likely than others to say
transparency (95%) and shared values (80%) are important Almost all
communicators
• Interestingly, while communicators in Germany are more likely than agree companies
others to say identifying and avoiding possible conflicts of interest is that acknowledge the
important (79%), they are less likely than others to say identifying areas link between their
stakeholder engagement
of mutual interest is important (57%)
and core business goals
are more likely to be
seen as honest and
credible (99%) and
that success requires
long-term commitment
(98%).
Four in five (80%)
communicators agree
that senior management
at their organisation
understand and
appreciate the value of
stakeholder engagement.
26 | 2013 | © BRUNSWICK INSIGHT

27. Factors considered most important to success for programmes now will be equally important in
the future.
Communicators tend to rate the factors for creating a successful stakeholder engagement programme at
present as similarly important in five years’ time. While there are slight differences in the order of importance,
the top six factors remain unchanged: commitment from the top of the organisation (97%), trust (95%),
alignment with the organisation’s long-term goals (92%), long-term focus (91%), transparency (90%) and mutual
respect (87%).
(% who rate each as “important” to success)
95% Q. Thinking now
Trust
95% about creating
Commitment from most senior people in the 93% successful stakeholder
organisation 97% engagement programs.
92% How important are
Mutual respect
87%
each of the following
Ensuring the program aligns with your 88%
organisation’s long-term goals 92% for a stakeholder
86% engagement program
Transparency to be successful? [1-5
90%
84% scale, where 1 = not
Long term focus
91% at all important; 5 =
Identifying areas of mutual interest 80% extremely important]
74% (Base=130)
Being clear about what success looks like 79%
85% Q. How important will
71% each of the following
Personal relationships
75% be for a stakeholder
Identifying and avoiding possible conflicts of 65% engagement
interest 59%
programme to be
Shared values 60%
successful in the future,
65%
say in five years’ time?
Increased credibility from working with others 58%
79% [1-5 scale, where 1 =
Building alliances with non-traditional 44% not at all important; 5
stakeholders 55% = extremely important]
Focus on social purpose 37% (Base=130)
57%
Now In five years
• Communicators in Brussels are more likely than others to say mutual respect (100%), identifying areas of
mutual interest (80%), identifying and avoiding possible conflicts of interest (70%) and building alliances
with non-traditional stakeholders (65%) will be important in five years’ time
• Communicators in Germany are less likely than others to say transparency (79%), mutual respect (71%),
shared values (50%) and a focus on social purpose (36%) will be important in five years’ time
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 27

28. Implications
The results of this survey demonstrate that communicators believe stakeholder engagement is important to
the success of their organisation, and will only grow in importance in the future.
As organisations contemplate engagement with non-traditional stakeholders, several important implications
emerge from the research that should guide thinking and behaviour:
1. Internal understanding and buy-in are a prerequisite to success. They exist but, as we see, even greater
understanding and buy-in across and down the organisation are needed if programmes are to be as
effective as possible
2. Alignment with the organisation’s long-term goals is an important element of this buy-in process, and
requires greater integration with the overall business strategy. Senior communicators will need to ensure
they are part of the process of setting their organisation’s strategic compass
3. Short-term, ad hoc engagement is likely to be less effective than a long-term, strategic approach. A
strategic, joined-up approach will enable organisations to engage in the most effective ways, both in terms
of time and budget. Such an approach will involve a clear engagement plan for each stakeholder group,
and the ability and flexibility to use traditional and new modes of engagement as required
4. The sheer amount of time and effort needed for engagement activities is likely to increase significantly.
Communicators will need to lobby for additional resources to cope with the growing internal pressure for
results and external expectations for sustained engagement
5. Managing the expectations of non-traditional stakeholders will be key to creating programmes that deliver
on objectives. As we see, establishing trust and respect, as well as being transparent about where the
organisation’s and stakeholders’ interests converge and diverge, will be critical to keeping expectations
in check
6. Measurement is a useful way to demonstrate effectiveness and justify increased focus and budget.
Communicators need to establish realistic, outcome-focussed KPIs for their programmes and track them
over time
7. As part of future best practice, we are likely to see a blending of traditional and new approaches. We can
expect greater integration between online and traditional activities, and a combination of channels being
used to engage successfully with stakeholders. While online activities will increase in importance, face
to face interaction will remain vital to forging the close relationships based on trust and respect required
for success
What will successful engagement look like in the future? As we have seen, on the surface, in many respects
it will be similar to what it is today. But digging deeper, we uncover a number of implications related to
engaging with non-traditional stakeholders that will require significant changes from communicators in
approach, tools and techniques. Communicators who factor these implications into the development of their
engagement blueprint, and then follow through with sustained programmes, can expect to be more successful
at achieving their organisation’s objectives, as well as to grow the influence of their function within their
respective organisations.
28 | 2013 | © BRUNSWICK INSIGHT

29. About the study
Methodology
The research was conducted by Brunswick Insight, the opinion research practice of Brunswick Group, a
corporate communications consultancy. Brunswick Insight conducted an online survey of 130 European senior
communications professionals between 30th August and 23rd October 2012 to understand their views and
practices in the area of stakeholder engagement. Interviews were conducted online in English and respondents
work in a wide range of industries and sectors in Europe.
Survey participants were drawn from several sources, including our own and publicly available databases, as
well as members of the European Association of Communications Directors. Most respondents were from
companies, but a sizeable number of associations, government organisations, NGOs and other organisations
also took part. Qualitative research in the form of 8 in-depth interviews with senior corporate, association and
NGO communicators preceded the quantitative phase and was used to design the survey instrument.
Note: Percentages may not total 100%, due to rounding or multiple responses.
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 29

30. Demographics
Type of company Job title
Listed company Head of
69% 18%
Communications
Private company 14% Director of
17%
Industry association or Communications
6%
trade body
Public Affairs Director 12%
Governmental organisation 5%
Communications
Non-profit organisation 3% 11%
Manager
Other 3% Global Communications
8%
Director
Years in role
Head/ Director/
6%
Manager of IR
Less than 1 15%
Communications
1 – 3 years 5%
39% Director
4 – 5 years Head of Public
22% 3%
Relations
6 – 10 years 19%
Other 20%
11 – 15 years 4%
Participant sector
16 – 20 years 2%
Gender Finance 12%
Male 55% Healthcare 10%
Female 45%
Industrial Goods 10%
Country
Professional Support
United Kingdom 9%
49% Services
Brussels/Belgium 15% Telecoms Technology 9%
Germany 11%
Food and Beverage 8%
France 3%
Energy Resources 8%
Italy 2%
Austria 2% Consumer Goods 5%
Luxembourg 2% Transport Logistics 4%
Netherlands 2% Construction Building
3%
Materials
Sweden 2%
Other 22%
Other 13%
30 | 2013 | © BRUNSWICK INSIGHT

31. About Brunswick Insight
Brunswick Insight operates globally with colleagues located in the Americas, Asia and Europe. We specialise
in assessing global business issues and corporate reputation. Brunswick Insight uses a range of qualitative
and quantitative research techniques to help companies and organisations inform and measure their
communications and policy strategies. We work across a broad spectrum of sectors, geographies, languages
and mandates and offer a wide range of services, from stakeholder and issue mapping through to opinion
polling and focus groups.
If you have questions or would like more information about the research please contact Phil Riggins at
Brunswick Insight on 0207 396 3564 or at priggins@brunswickgroup.com.
© BRUNSWICK INSIGHT | 2013 | 31