ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the body for professional accountants.
Internationally it has 154,000 members and 432,000 students with 20,000 students and members throughout the island of Ireland. Its globally transferable qualifications are recognised as providing core accountancy skills, which help to build successful careers in finance.
Whilst there was awareness of ACCA amongst the accountancy profession, it had been operating under the radar in Northern Ireland (NI) and there was little understanding or appreciation of the global influence of the professional body. ACCA wanted to raise its profile in NI by communicating its expertise, knowledge and the opportunities it could provide the corporate community in Northern Ireland.
To re–position ACCA, create cut through and deliver core messaging with corporate audiences APR developed and agreed the following communication objectives with ACCA.
The strategy was based around a consistent and targeted campaign and implemented activity that allowed ACCA to exploit the opportunity for experts to articulate issues, opportunities,
threats and opinion to, as well as on behalf of, the broad business family. The campaign involved a range of tactics including:
Positioning of spokespeople
Utilised GB stories
Co–opted Tax Column
Corporate Profiling
Driving Out Stories
Maximising existing ACCA events
Outputs
The intensive media relations campaign significantly increased the profile of ACCA and resulted in 85 pieces of media coverage and strong positive commentary via social media channels including:
Outcomes
Media now approaches ACCA across its three targeted strands of expertise
Positioned ACCA as economic expert across various issues impacting upon finances
Positioned ACCA with key stakeholders in the business arena i.e. Brian McGuire ACCA Ulster Network stated “All the hard work by the Aiken professionals is really starting to show; I represented ACCA at a select private dinner at Parliament Building with ArleneFoster MLA in the company of IoD NI Chairman, CBI NI Chairman, Ulster ICAI vice chairman, Federation of Small Business NI Chairman, Stephen Kingon and Mark Ennis.
I can’t ever recollect ACCA getting the opportunity to contribute locally at this level before.”
Objectives
To provide a platform for Northern Ireland students to enter their ideas into a competition that has the potential to change their lives
To raise awareness of the opportunities that careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics can bring
To highlight BT’s investment in fostering home–grown talent in Northern Ireland
To encourage the public to experience one of the world’s leading school science and technology events and recognise the talented youth from NI
Research and Planning
In the context of the ongoing debate about theatre’s relevance beyond the middle–classes our challenge was to engage with audiences who have previously felt intimidated by theatre while not losing ground with core theatre audiences.
Our insights, which included the knowledge that involving credible third parties increases consumer trust and our understanding that amongst the general populace here Northern Ireland humour is regarded to be ‘unique’, inspired our creative campaign.
