The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova has initiated a communication campaign “EU for Rural Moldova”, aimed at highlighting the results and changes achieved in rural areas, as well as the opportunities provided by the European Union for the development of rural communities in the Republic of Moldova.

Task:

The communication campaign was to address the information needs of the citizens of the country, especially in rural areas. The initiative included organizing a series of events to convey practical information to the general public and all interested groups.

Challenge:

Communication should be available to stakeholders and all residents of rural areas, most of whom are in a limited information environment. The task has become more difficult due to restrictions on offline communication introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Resolution:

The campaign was organized in 2020-2021 and covered all the key areas of EU assistance for the development of rural Moldova. Therefore, the creative solution for the graphic identity of the campaign was developed based on the driving force of the “wheel of time” or mill, a positive image for the villagers. The blades of the mill graphically represent 4 directions – Efficient Energy and Infrastructure, Modern Agriculture, Accessible Social Infrastructure, Successful Rural Entrepreneurship.

The communication campaign plan encompassed all of these areas and included a combination of offline and online activities, outdoor advertising, extensive media and social media coverage through success stories and promotional videos, as well as targeted invitations and mailings to specialized databases.

The communication campaign was based on the active beneficiaries most interested in the development of EU rural assistance. The employees of the Local Authorities in the rural municipalities, social institutions, schools and libraries and especially the members of the newly created Local Action Groups played an active role in the communication campaign. Thanks to them, the transmitted information was multiplied many times, relying on people they trust – their acquaintances, who have already become active beneficiaries of EU assistance to rural Moldova.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8m8SYWBaCqZf9GnTvS1BbuHgbKBqd-Tn

Result: 

In the course of 2 years, PARC Communications agency organized activities for different target groups in rural areas of Moldova: 10 Live tours of successful SMEs; 10 thematic events called LIVE din Casa Mare; 6 events that promoted Agribusiness; 16 informational visits to the largest villages of the country. More than 50 success stories were produced – in video, text and print format, which is a good basis for subsequent communication.

The results of the focus groups conducted at the start and at the end of the campaign showed that people in rural areas, believe that EU aid contributes to the development of regions and improves the living conditions of the local population, and noted associations with the phrase “EU rural support” – welfare, projects, aid, change, development, support, trust, cooperation, hope, decent conditions, investments. The knowledge of specific EU aid projects increased – focus group respondents mentioned projects supported by the European Union in key sectors.

The campaign was implemented by the PARC Communications team in consortium with Media Consulta (Germany).