How can communication help to build support for controversial projects and strengthen public acceptance? Is it possible to get people excited about innovations and projects? What measures are needed to gain public support and get people on board with infrastructure projects?

These and other questions were the focus of this year’s DPRG TakeOff event on 26 January in Berlin. For one day, around 300 representatives from corporate communications, agencies, associations, media houses and academia came together to explore the theme of ‘Acceptance through Communication’. For our public engagement team, too, the exchange of experiences and ideas was a key focus.

Do infrastructure projects have no chance of gaining acceptance today?

There were plenty of opportunities for discussion: during various panels, round-table discussions and panel sessions organised by the DPRG working groups, the communicators debated the different facets and areas of action within “acceptance communication”. Dr Felix Krebber, a consultant at Lautenbach Sass, a Frankfurt-based communications consultancy, posed a provocative question in his opening keynote: Can acceptance for controversial projects even be achieved these days, given that angry citizens, haters and fake news often successfully stir up controversy both online and offline when shaping public opinion?

Citizens demand participation as a matter of course

Our conviction: striking a fair balance between loudly articulated particular interests and the views of an often silent majority is also a political task that requires not only tact but also skilful communication. We communicators see ourselves as bearing a great responsibility here. We answer Dr Krebber’s question as to whether acceptance can be achieved through communication at all with a resounding “yes”. On closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that communication can achieve more than just acceptance.

The key to a fair balance of interests lies in the transparent involvement of affected stakeholders in important decisions regarding infrastructure projects. Unlike a few years ago, public participation is now demanded by citizens and increasingly regarded as a matter of course. This is also confirmed by the heads of corporate communications at Deutsche Bahn AG and Munich Airport in their contributions to the discussion.

Many minds, many ideas: using public dialogue as a think tank!

That is why it is important that companies and public authorities do not allow haters and angry citizens to take control, but instead actively provide information, engage in dialogue and involve people. However, information and participation are by no means merely a tiresome formality. 

We advise companies and public authorities to keep the benefits of participatory processes in mind: those who inform and involve people at an early stage not only are more likely to gain approval, but also harness the collective intelligence of the citizens involved. For where many interested parties contribute their thoughts and have a say, new ideas and fresh impetus emerge that may well resonate more strongly with the general public than plans and projects drafted by companies or public authorities. When project managers are open to ideas from the stakeholders involved, they reap more than just “acceptance through communication”.

Our public communication experts are getting involved

The DPRG will not stop at merely addressing this topic at the 2018 TakeOff event. Over the course of the year, a working group is set to institutionalise the discourse and the development of ideas in the field of acceptance communication. The lively exchange at TakeOff 2018 and the diverse challenges discussed there suggest that this working group will produce forward-looking results. It is certainly set to be interesting, as the public communication team from Kaltwasser Kommunikation will be sitting at the table.

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Service: Public Communication