Programme | Engaging Digital Comms Conference

Impact & Inspire In Times Of Growing Uncertainty With Cost-Effective, Results-Driven & Engaging Digital Communications & Marketing

26 Charities, Public Sector, Not-For-Profit & Lower Budget Organisations Share Practical Digital & Social Engagement Strategies To Cost-Effectively Maximise Your Online Reach, Impact, Digital Experiences & Conversions

08.30 Registration, Informal Networking & GIC Opening Remarks

09.00 Morning Co-Chairs’ Opening Remarks

Sean Ryan, Director of Media & Corporate Communications, Save the Children

Mark Potter, Director of Communications & Engagement, Coin Street Community Builders

Engagement Showcase Inspirations

CASE STUDY

09.10 Be Inspired By A Practical & Scalable Session On How To Best Captivate Users & Supporters To Achieve True ROI

Learn tangible tips to attract prolonged attention to your organisation’s message, optimising results and inspiring lengthened relationships with charity supporters
Deconstruct and evaluate the content you are marketing; is this in line with your brand’s tone and aims and compelling enough to catch and hold customers’ interest before converting engagement to financial success?
Create sustained engagement that demonstrates the continued importance of comms as a central and valued function to non-profit and public sector success in raising awareness and funds

Chris Morris, Digital Lead, Christian Aid

Winning Social Media

PANEL

Q&A

GO VIRAL

09.30 Future-Proof Your Online Presence In A Crowed Digital Era By Choosing Which Social Channels Work Best For Your Organisation To Receive Higher Engagement & Consistent Brand Reputation

Record-breaking fundraising on social media: what are the numbers behind the success stories and how can brands tackle algorithms to make social media work better?
Are paid-for-posts or collaborations with stakeholders and influencers the future to achieve a larger reach and higher revenue?
Combat digital backlash and misinformation with clearer social messaging in order to promote safer, inclusive communities with your target audience and establish your charity as a digital front-runner for long-term social engagement
Increase visibility and inspire colleagues to create organic and compelling material that truly reflects the creativity and personality of your brand
Assess the value of streamlining your social strategies to better engage the audiences you need to target

Geoff Cowart, Head of Communications, Hammersmith & Fulham Council

Catherine Peerless, Joint Head of Media, RSPCA

Jesse Alter, Head of College Communications, Imperial College London

Nicci Close, Global Digital Communications Unit Lead, Save the Children International

Dr. David Schley, Deputy Director, Sense about Science

Jennifer Medcraff, Head of Communications & Customer Experience, Spelthorne Borough Council

Authentic Video & TikTok

FRESH INSIGHTS

10.00 Maximise Engagement With The Rise of TikTok & Harness Its Multi-Generational Power To Increase Brand Visibility, Awareness, & Ultimately Stir Support

TikTok continues to rise and is here to stay…but, is this an appropriate space for charities, non-profits and the public sector? What does success look like and demand from your team?
With the increase of influencers and the use of external creators, explore the value of a videographer vs. the collaboration of co-workers, volunteers and supporters in building quality organic marketing content on a more manageable budget
What makes a video go viral? Strive for creativity that remains in line with your organisation’s tone and can equally take on an energetic approach and appeal to Gen Z audiences

Tom Wright, Director of Digital Student Experience, University of Lincoln

10.20 Bonus Session; Reserved For Strawberry Social

Conference Partner, Strawberry Social

10.35 Morning Refreshment Break With Informal Networking

Measuring Impact

ACTIONABLE RESULTS & ROI

11.05 Meaningfully Determine & Prove Results Of Your Digital Campaign Through Innovative Ways That Successfully Solidify The Value Of Comms

Ensure ROI by demonstrating what this abundance of collected data means; present it in a way that is impactful and resonates with stakeholders and use it for strategic internal buy-in
Unearth new and updated ways to truly measure and prove online engagement with tangible results that can assess and determine the success of your current campaigns
Assess the value of your digital activity in order to optimise engagement and fundraising by streamlining what works and is most cost-effective for your organisation

Carl Holloway, Director of Communications, Great Places Housing Group

Claire Whitelaw, Deputy Director and Head of Communications & Engagement, University of Durham

Win On A Budget

COST OF LIVING CRISIS

11.45 Combat Stretching Budgets With Scale-Down Strategies & Ensure You Can Operate In A Leaner Way That Equips Your Charity Or Public Sector Brand For Uncertainty In The Future

Focus on a clear, watertight approach to tackle the potentially shrinking market and use digital marketing to tap into the public consciousness at a smaller cost that maximises your compelling message
Cost-effective, practical tips to get true ROI through digital engagement and subsequent action
Refreshed approaches to digital comms that balance creativity and protecting your budget while still communicating effective integrated campaigns, encouraging and reassuring donors with consistent, inspiring content to secure loyalty in the current financial climate

Speaker To Be Announced!

12.05 Bonus Session; Reserved For Exclusive Conference Partner

12.20 Lunch & Informal Networking For Speakers, Delegates & Partners

12.50 Informal Breakout Discussions

A) Digital Workforce & Skills
B) Google Analytics 4
C) Fundraising
D) Metaverse
E) Email Marketing

13.20 Afternoon Co-Chairs’ Opening Remarks

Conrad Bird, Director, Campaigns & Marketing, Cabinet Office

Engaging Multichannel Communications

LATEST UPDATES

13.30 Adapt & Strengthen Your Tone & Message For Consistency Across Omnichannel Journeys To Guarantee Optimum Engagement That Will Translate Into Tangible & Efficient Results

Establish clear, powerful digital strategies that optimise your organisation’s purpose and ultimately drive conversion
Dynamically adapt your communications with the most relevant emerging channels to your brand that will showcase your stories, captivate your audience and deliver commercial results
Flexibly revamp your multichannel strategies with purpose-led content to cut through the noise and impact your audience for increased brand awareness, donations and sign-ups
With the continuing rise and prevalence of social media, is email still an important and successful channel for charity and public sector comms? Should brands also be investing in apps and podcasts too? Evaluate which channel is the most profitable for your brand to achieve omnichannel success

Keith Beech, Director of Communications, Marketing & Brand, Walsall Council

Inspiring Content

13.50 Craft Content That Moves Audiences To Action With Fresh, Exciting Approaches To Digital Marketing & Campaigns

Outshine competitors through original, imaginative, compelling material which motivates current audiences and draws in new ones, increasing revenue with unmatched engagement
Be purposeful with the channels you communicate your content on and understand the needs and nuances of platform users to drive higher and more sustained engagement
Transform the inspiration you ignite into action – donations, sign-ups, and volunteering all tangible results from the strength of the content you produce

Rob Mansfield, Head of Digital, World Cancer Research Fund

The Future Of Digital Communications

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS

14.10 In An Age Of Rapid Digital Change, What Next? How Can Digital Teams Remain Flexible & Resilient With Digital Comms Which Reflect The Latest Trends On The Horizon?

With increasing ways to connect with customers; what digital skills and knowledge are now required of a marketing and communications professional?
In a convoluted space, reassess your online presence and discover if it is necessary to be on all platforms all of the time. Should your digital teams do less, but do it well?
The ability to respond to trends and adapt your comms and marketing accordingly often depends on budget, team size and capability. How can the non-profit and public sector remain agile and responsive to the market without stretching resources to the brink?
The digital environment can be loud and controversial…demonstrate your brand’s ability to remain authentic and trustworthy while still allowing for creativity and learning, and attract loyal participation and support as a result

Romain Raoux, Head of Communications & Marketing for Africa, U.K Department For International Trade

Cliona Keane, Head of Digital, SOS Children’s Villages UK

Craig Woodhouse, Director of Communications, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

Nicola Smedley, Director, Marketing & Supporter Engagement, Cancer Research UK

Scott Williams, Executive Director for Strategic Communications & Public Affairs (Deputy CMO), University of East London

Quarina Sultana, Senior Digital Engagement Manager, RNIB

Claire Whitelaw, Deputy Director and Head of Communications & Engagement, University of Durham

Kerry Martin, Digital Marketing & Content, British Red Cross

14.40 Bonus Session; Reserved For Exclusive Conference Partner

14.55 Afternoon Refreshment With Informal Networking

15.25 Bonus Session; Reserved For Exclusive Conference Partner

Audience Insights, Data & Personalisation

15.40 Get To Grips With Translating Customer Insight & Data Into Personalised Digital Comms For Commercial Success While Remaining Respectful To Customer Privacy

As the depth of insight increases, how can charities and the public sector understand and evaluate what users want from their activity and effectively translate this data into powerful strategies that inform the direction of comms and campaign decisions?
The ethics of personalisation and privacy: keep your valued customers and supporters in mind while obtaining both their browsing and private information through analytic technology that will guarantee digital success
Prepare for the onset of Google Analytics 4 and a shift in the insights you can access, for an even more personalised comms experience and opportunity for non-profits to engage audiences and drive fundraising

Belvin M. Tawuya, Chief Digital, Marketing & Communications Officer, The Africa Centre

Technology, Tools & Innovations

16.00 Discover The Latest Revolutionary Tech That Will Invigorate Your Digital Comms & Marketing By Increasing Engagement, Insight & Fundraising Capabilities

The new reality of the hybrid working world – innovations to best equip your workforce with the digital tools that will protect employee’s productivity and wellbeing
Refresh your digital campaigns with new technologies that will boost your digital impact and drive revenue while providing a more seamless experience for co-workers and customers
Discover which budget-friendly analytic tools will aid the charity and public sector in measuring customer journeys for an affordable comms strategy that can effectively assess campaigns and maximise reach
Keep pace with the frequent and often confusing digital and social media changes in order to support staff around iOS updates and significant shifts in Facebook and the Metaverse

Speaker To Be Announced!

Accessibility & Diversity

NEW FOR 2023

16.20 Encourage Inclusivity Across Your Brand By Understanding The Processes Required To Make Your Digital Content More Accessible & The Importance Of EDIB In Campaigns So Colleagues & Audiences Are Represented & Supported

Understand the way content is received and perceived by those with sensory impairments; embed inclusive content from the beginning of your digital strategies to secure EDIB in the engagement base
Commit time to understanding the complexity of diversity and inclusion issues to achieve digital campaigns which resonate with a larger and happier audience
Consider those who might be digitally excluded and cannot adapt to entirely digital comms for digital engagement that is inclusive to all!
Continue to encourage intersectionality and diversity within the charity and public sector comms and marketing space, to encourage an internal mindfulness around those you are reaching and advocating for