Topic 1 Introduction
The right communication allows us to influence others to make them change their practices for the better. It is of course a way to inform people, but also to change and build relationship with them based on shared value. The journey to circularity involves changes and communication is crucial to ensure their implementation.
Communication is about you and the others.
Tourism is truly cross-sectoral, with a vast number of stakeholders operating at national and local level, eiher in public or private sectors, and who can be the growth drivers of your circular transition. Transitioning to circular economy will imply a change in the messages to be communicated, but also intensify the communication with previsouly less frequent stakeholders.
Three communication areas can be defined:
- Internal communication within the SME;
- External communication towards and with the customers/users (as they are experiencing your services they are specific stakeholders) and
- External communication with other external stakeholders.
Source: Albert, M. – Ecores (2021).
At the start of the project, you will focus on its launch inside of your organisation and you will be looking for external partners to help you develop circularity. Your communication will focus internally on your staff and externally with potential partners, but not with yours customers yet.
A good start is important and this is what this first part focuses on. In a later stage, once circularity principles have been integrated inside your organisation, your communication will rather focus on your customers. This type of communication will be explored in the second part regarding the do’s and don’ts of communicating about circularity.
At each step of your circularity project, remember to fill and use your communication plan, described in Module 3-Unit 6.
