European Year of Citizens' social
campaign in Latvia
"Proud to be …"
Why campaign ?
Problem - 10 years after EU Membership many Latvians
see Europe as a threat and do not have feeling of
belonging to Europe
Objective - to strengthen the European identity of Latvians by
reminding them that they are part of Europe and there are many
unique things for which they can be proud
Key question: Who are we (Latvians)
in Europe?
The Campaign
First step
- outdoor advertisement
- campaign in social network draugiem.lv
- TV clips
- openining event in May 2013 (around Europe Day)
Second Step
- participation in outdoor Events in summer 2013
Third Step
- culmination with Citizens Dialogue in October 18, 2013
- TV series and Latvian Television broadcast during the week of
celebration of Latvia's Independence Day (around November 18,
2013)
First Step - Social media
Campaign in Latvia's most popular social network draugiem.lv (650 000 daily
users)
• Online voting on "Who are we in Europe?"
• Online forum – discussion on EU topics moderated by community manager
Outreach
• number of followers more than 28,000
• more than 53,000 votes and about 1000 comments submitted
First Step – voting in social media
"Who are we in Europe?"
12 options
singing nation, green corner, party people, kingdom of
women, bright heads, sceptics, digital nation, beer producers,
temple of theatre, frost and ice country, sportists, mushroom
pickers
First Step - TV clips
Well known people of Latvia having made a career abroad, foreigners working
and living in Latvia answering the question ”who are we in Europe?”
Participants of the campaign: Two times Olympic champion in BMX Maris
Strombergs, Composer Raimonds Tiguls, popular chef in TV shows Martins
Sirmais, one of leading Quantum Computing Scientists in the world Andris
Ambainis
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fADYiSfZaUg ( to see video)
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zVQTBaYm5w (to see video)
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JYVKtxCEHA (to see video)
Second Step: Direct communication/regional events
5 events in regions of Latvia almost 6000 participants
•Joint event with "Youth in Move" campaign during one of most
popular music festivals in the Baltics ''Positivus'' (25 000
spectators)
•Campaigns during town
festivals in Regions
Second Step: interaction with citizens in regional
events
• What is your benefit from Latvia being a part of EU?
Most common answers - Erasmus, free movement (no border)
• What decision EU should take to make your life
better?
Most common answers – better education, medical services, and
social guaranties
Third Step – Citizens Dialogue in Riga
PP
Every voice counts
Results of the social network vote
Results of the campaign
• Identifying citizens' concerns about Latvia's role in the EU
• Based on comments in the social media platform, tailor-made
content will be created to target EU-sceptic audience
• The impressive number of EPS profile followers created an
audience who is interested in the subject of Latvia in the EU
• The results of voting shape and highlight Latvia's identity in
Europe