The most digital chamber
network in the world
Senja Larsen, Head of Communications
Finland Chamber of Commerce
Doha World Chambers Competition 2013
Best unconventional project finalist

Modern communications landscape
Researchers
Scientists
Analysts
Government
Media
Stakeholders
Consumers
Potential
members
Lost members
Returning members
Politicians
Consultants
Suppliers
Officials
Local government
NGO’s
Trade unions
Staff Society
Members Influencers
Chamber
Businesses
CEO’s
Schools
Universities
Colleges

Requirements of success for a
network organisation
Success
Interaction
Openness
Inspiring
content
Using the
latest
technologies

• Cloud computing, smarter mobile devices and
tools change the consumer landscape and
organisations.
• The future is always synced, always accessible,
multi-device searchable contents.
• We must be able to deliver and receive
information anytime, anywhere, on any device.
Safely, securely, with fewer resources.
Opportunities and challenges

• Mission drives Chambers. We must deliver more
valuable services to our members, more
efficiently and at a lower cost.
• To succeed and flourish, every chamber must
look for digital solutions.
• Chambers must be as effective as our member
companies. Better yet, we should lead the way.
Lead the way!

Social
media
(offsite)
Wikipedia, LinkedIn,
Youtube
Slideshare,
Facebook, Twitter
Succesful communications are a
combination
Your
internet
pages
(onsite)
Search
SEO Search Engine
Optimisation
SEM Search Engine
Marketing
Internal
Collaborative tools:
Google Apps,
Sites, Hangouts,
Drive, Forms
Personal
Nothing beats face
to face!

DIGITALISATION IN ONE
YEAR

• Our aim was to renew the brand, reshape how
we think and retool how we work.
• Increase effectiveness, speed, collaboration and
thought leadership status.
• Campaign-oriented tone and active participation
in social conversations.
• Measuring success and effectiveness of key
message delivery and tone of communications.
Digitalisation of 19+1 Finnish Chambers

• Google Apps cloud tools are used for internal
collaboration.
• Externally we have a presence in all major Social
Media channels, which our Newsroom ties together.
• We actively use Search Engine Optimisation and
Marketing eg for finding new members.
• All logos, photos, corporate gifts are available online.
Most print layouts such as visit cards and simple
brochures can be edited online by browser layout
formatting.
Digital revolution changed everything

• Press releases are edited in real-time and
localised by chambers by adding locally relevant
quotes and figures.
• Regional CEO’s and working groups hold regular
video meetings between face-to-face meetings.
No travel, only laptop and headset.
• Social media postings are generated from news
and events and shared daily to all chamber staff
(“three topics everyone should know today”)
Examples of our new ways of working

• All channels and processes were renewed in 1 year, cost
of 30,000 euro and staff of 2, fully involved in normal
duties.
• Open source and free or reasonably priced solutions
were used.
• We saved 20,000 euro per year by producing media
monitoring inhouse.
• From the Finnish solution chambers can adopt any
combination that supports your strategy.
• These tools can be implemented with minimal use of
outsourced resources or consultants.
1 year, budget 30k€, team of 2 people

Use Application
Collaboration Google Drive & Docs
Dropbox
Information storaging Dropbox
Google Drive
Intranet Google Sites
Google Plus
Internet pages WordPress
Unified calendars Google Calendar
Questionnaires/Gallups Digium
Google Forms
Doodle
Communication Our own e-mail solutions
Google Chat
Google Plus
Video conferences Google Hangout
Webex
Social media Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Flickr, LinkedIn. Google+, Wikipedia,
Hootsuite, Slideshare
E-mail newsletter Emaileri
Event registration Lyyti
Doodle
Photobank
Marketing materials
Company contactinformation
Flickr
Digtator
Fonecta B2B
Internet analytics Snoobi
Press releases Cision
Media monitoring Digital search
Wordpress as database

EXAMPLES

Finnish chambers of
commerce 2011

Finnish Chambers of
Commerce 2012
(Design cost 10 k€)

Identity and logo use guide online
ACTION:
Identity guidelines are
published on the
internet only, for ease
of updating and
sharing.
RESULT:
Complete self-service,
all partners from
advertising agents to
the media use the
guidelines on internet.

Logos and pictures on Flickr
ACTION: All logos and
photos on Flick for easy
access.
RESULT: Cost-efficient
search engine friendly,
easy access, no
management needed,
has resulted in wide
photo use and giving
Chamber staff and our
issues a face.

Logo items available in digital shop
ACTION:
All standardised Chamber
logo items such as pens,
folders, gifts, rollups,
mousepads are handled
efficiently through a digital
store.
RESULT:
Lower prices through
bigger volumes and better
control over storage
situation and order
management.

Print-ready professional use
logos online
ACTION:
Professional use logos in
4 formats from web to
print, negative/ positive,
blue/white, black/white in
3 language versions =
1200 logos for 19
chambers.
RESULT:
Excellent efficiency of
delivery and use across all
projects, chambers and
partners. No emailing
attachments or wrong
versions in use.

Campaign materials in 20 sizes
and 4 formats
ACTION:
Campaign material in
20 sizes and 4
formats from posters
to banners available
through digital
content
management site
RESULT:
Use of materials has
increased
exponentially

Digital layouts for localised
print materials
ACTION:
Extensive identity renewal
saved costs through localisation
of logo materials with browser
based layout formatting of items
such as envelopes, business
cards, invitations, flyers, simple
brochures and invitations.
Layouts and addresses are
ready in the database.
RESULT:
DIY. Everyone can do anything.
Less use of advertising agencies
for simple layouts.

ACTION:
Browser based layout
formatting with
templates for flyers
and brochures
RESULT:
Anyone can produce
professional-looking
brochures with the
simple tools.

Interactive 5k€ Wordpress internet site
ACTION:
Concentration on Key
Messages. High
visibility of social media
channels. Search
engine optimised.
RESULT:
Interactive presence
conveys image of
active, modern and
communicative
Chamber group.

Weekly video on youtube
ACTION:
Weekly video blog
RESULT:
“The medium is the
message”. Modern
interactive
presence gains
wom, prestige and
visibility. Fabulous
for SEO!

Main events tweeted and archived in
newsroom
ACTION: Interactive
tweeting of all news and
at major events.
RESULT:
Amount of followers
increases continually.
Same content used on
Facebook, LinkedIn and
Google+.

Social media newsroom connects
channels
ACTION:
Regional and
national issues
raised daily and
weekly in social
media newsroom.
RESULT:
Search Engine
Optimised visibility
Ensures coverage
of important issues.

Campaign sites with stories
ACTION:
Campaign sites with
video story content
RESULT:
Video is an excellent
for visualising
challenging issues,
and has given
excellent visibility to
important campaigns.

Geolocated praise from members
ACTION:
Geolocating membership
campaign site. Search
Engine Marketing used to
support findability.
RESULT:
Excellent for locating
new leads. It is far more
convincing to have the
members praise us
instead of the chambers
praising themselves.

EFFICIENT INTERNAL
PROCESSES

1k€ Google sites -intranet works
on a wiki basis

Google Apps collaboration tools used
across 19 chambers:
• Drive for collaborative editing
of content
• Spread sheets for collecting data.
• Forms for internal questionnaires.
• Groups for exchanging ideas.
• Calendars for coordinating events
• Hangouts for small meetings
• Google Plus for internal buzz
Collaborative Google Apps tools
internally
ACTION:
Google Apps Corporate
tools used for internal
communication. All
material can be edited
by anyone before being
published.
RESULT
Increased efficiency
and collaborative
culture.

Online editing
ACTION:
Information across
chambers is collected
by use of collaborative
spreadsheets and forms.
Texts are edited together.
RESULT
No emailing, version-
juggling or copy-
pasting of information.
Collective intelligence in
full use.

Monthly stakeholder email newsletter
and daily staff newsletter
Information has to
come to you!

Continual support and
training for use of new tools
ACTION:
Internally produced
Training for using new
tools offered on a monthly
basis: everyone is
encouraged to attend.
RESULT
Tools have been taken
widely into use in many
areas where collaboration
adds value.

Documented processes
ACTION
All communications
processes are
documented to
ensure quality and
efficiency, and can be
referred to
when necessary
RESULT
Efficiency, openness
and collaborative
culture

• Media monitoring was highest yearly communications
expense. We saved 20k year by producing it inhouse.
• Referats are saved into our own database.
• Following criteria is used to evaluate each news item:
– Visibility of the news item in the media and the role of the
chamber in the item.
– Importance: how the article relates to our key messages.
– Tone of voice: neutral, negative or positive with regard to
our agenda.
– Coverage: local, provincial or national media.
Turning media monitoring into a
strategic tool

Virtual awards motivate and showcase
• Results are analysed
monthly. Best
chambers and
persons, in proportion
to the chamber size,
with most strategic
media visibility are
awarded.
• Aim is to motivate and
showcase
achievements of
using key messages.
1
11
3
30
2
53
4
2
4
4
4
3
12
18
8
7
11
14
6
7
11
14
17
24
35
46
49
52
63
68
84
89
89
92
95
106
142
144
171
175
0 50 100 150 200
Satakunnan kauppakamari
Helsingin seudun kauppakamari
Turun kauppakamari
Kaikki kauppakamarit
Länsi-Uudenmaan kauppakamari
Keskuskauppakamari
Kymenlaakson kauppakamari
Etelä-Karjalan kauppakamari
Kuopion kauppakamari
Keski-Suomen kauppakamari
Etelä-Pohjanmaan kauppakamari
Etelä-Savon kauppakamari
Oulun kauppakamari
Tampereen kauppakamari
Pohjois-Karjalan kauppakamari
Riihimäen-Hyvinkään kauppakamari
Pohjanmaan kauppakamari
Hämeen kauppakamari
Lapin kauppakamari
Rauman kauppakamari
Yhteispisteet
Osumia

Winning news items are shared monthly
29.4.201338

Media person of the month!
29.4.2013 Esityksen nimi / Tekijä39

WRAP-UP

• Keeping happy 19+1 demanding chamber
CEO’s
• Overcoming change resistance 2.0
• Giving up content ownership, going from ”mine”
to ”ours”.
• But we just renewed our web
pages, intranet, magazine, flyers, stickers etc etc!
• Could the world remain same and change at the
same time?
Biggest challenges

1. Definition of the strategic core processes
2. Selection of tools and creation of channels
3. Creation of processes to support a culture of
openness, sharing and innovation
4. Training and support offered personally and
online, one-on-one and in groups
5. Making sure that all chamber staff had access to
the tools and were empowered to participate
6. Publishing guidelines to support the use of tools
7. Making it easy to reach, share, comment and
modify materials
8. Making key performance measurable.
Digitalisation: how we did it in 8 steps

• 19 chambers were able to collaborate to
reach a common goal.
• Change takes a huge bulk of work but it
becomes a tiny chunk when everyone
participates.
• We did it together, thanks to our fantastic
staff!
• If we can do it, you can do it and we will be
honoured to help!
Change is about people,
not technology

Thank you!
senja.larsen@chamber.fi
fi.linkedin.com/in/senjalarsen
twitter.com/senjalarsen
www.kauppakamari.fi
Uutishuone.kauppakamari.fi
Facebook.com/K3FIN
Twitter.com/K3FIN
Flickr.com/K3FIN
Youtube.com/kauppakamari
Slideshare/K3FIN
linkedin.com/company/finland-chamber-of-commerce