Hitting performance-based targets on pan-European EU funded enterprise support programmes

The European Union has awarded significant levels of funding to UK business support practitioners in recent years. One such organisation is National Enterprise Network; working alongside specialist partners across Europe to deliver pan-European business support programmes.

Upon funding go ahead, each programme needed to hit the ground running. With growth forecast in this area, National Enterprise Network asked Keystone to help them develop a clear launch and marketing framework that could be put in place for the full suite of emerging programmes; each designed to tackle a range of enterprise support issues:

Enabling Young Refugee Entrepreneurs
Improving access to quality entrepreneurship education for young refugee entrepreneurs

Smart Up
Equipping SMEs and entrepreneurs to identify the early warning signs of business failure

Lean Innovation for Micro Enterprises
Introduce the lean innovation skillset to our education systems

Ambition to Employ
Helping sole-traders transition to hiring a first employee

Digital Crossroads
Helping SME managers improve the digital wellbeing of their employees

Digital Change Makers
Ensuring SMEs and entrepreneurs harness the potential of the digital revolution

BEGIN Blockchain
Enabling entrepreneurship education providers to teach blockchain technology to their SME and entrepreneur learners

Based on our long-established work in the enterprise support sector, Keystone was a natural partner to help deliver marketing communication for the programmes. Across the seven programmes, we developed a finely tuned process ultimately focused on helping the programme partners achieve the performance-based reach and engagement targets set out by the EU.

Activity designed to quickly and effectively raise awareness and engagement for brand-new enterprise support programmes

The process for launching each programme was the same; working from a carefully curated framework that we know delivered the results required.

– Development of a unique visual identity for each programme, building on the supplied programme assets (which were usually just a logo and colour palette).

– Newly enhanced brand look and feel applied to a bespoke MailChimp template and template social media graphics.

– Creation and launch of associated social media platforms and newsletter distribution to grow awareness of the programme with target audiences.

– Programme partners provided with access to editable MailChimp template, enabling them to create a version for use with their own contacts in other countries, with Keystone responsible for contact with UK audiences.

– Ongoing social media content curated and published, to further grow follower numbers – a key performance indicator for the contract.

– Highly targeted social media advertising to increase reach and engagement as programme milestones were reached (such as newly available resources or an event)

– Key marketing performance statistics regularly report to programme partners, giving full visibility of how each programme was tracking against the performance targets.

Keystone has done a fantastic job in supporting NEN in our responsibilities for delivering dissemination for all of the EU programmes that we are involved in. They have developed engaging newsletters, set up the social media accounts and curated all the content to a really high standard.

Carol Daniels, National Enterprise Network Operations Director