In October 2022, as part of a communication campaign and international conference, FIA member companies shared their sustainable development experience and advocated for consolidation of Moldova’s sustainable development efforts. PARC Communications, a PR agency, has been working with FIA since 2005.

Task:

Foreign investors have been developing their business in Moldova for several decades. Statistics show a much higher performance of systemic foreign investment in Moldova compared to any other investment. Foreign investors come with established corporate values and an international approach to sustainability, providing not only long-term returns to shareholders but also the development of the communities around them. It was necessary to present this company experience in a complex way and to outline the priorities of FIA as an organisation whose member companies believe that the sustainable development of the country can only be achieved in the joint coordination of foreign investors and the authorities in the Republic of Moldova.

Challenge:

The population of Moldova, stakeholders, including the country’s authorities, still perceive business as a means for its shareholders to generate income. In this context, even company support of various social initiatives is also perceived as a goodwill gesture rather than as a systematic investment in the sustainable development of the company and the communities.

Solution:

A communication campaign was developed and implemented to position FIA and foreign investors as leaders in Moldova’s sustainable development:

• As part of the preliminary work, a workshop was held with FIA companies, which set the format for presenting sustainability information to each company in three sections – Friendly Environment, Social Responsibility and Business Infrastructure.
• In individual work with each company an infographic was prepared with facts and figures reflecting sustainable development.
• An international conference was organized with the participation of the Government leadership, representatives of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, expert community, international organizations and others.
• The conference was followed by a PR campaign in social networks promoting the infographics for 17 companies

Result: 

Foreign investors’ proposals for Moldova’s sustainable development were summarised and sent to the Parliament. The conference and proposals of foreign investors were actively covered in the national media – more than 25 publications. The companies’ infographics gathered more than 700,593 views on social media. FIA member companies further consolidated and communicated their development in the context of the SDG agenda.