Presentation from the 2014 EDINA Projects Day: "Trading Consequences and Planning Project Communications/Launches", delivered by Nicola Osborne on the EDINA premises 15 May 2014.

1. Trading Consequences &
Planning Project
Communications/Launches
Nicola Osborne
EDINA Social Media Officer
nicola.osborne@ed.ac.uk

2. Trading Consequences
http://tradingconsequences.blogs.edina.ac.uk/
• Two Year (Jan 2012 – March 2014)
“Digging Into Data” project on economic
and environmental history through
nineteenth century trading records.
• Project partners: University of Edinburgh
School of Informatics, York University
Canada, St Andrews University, EDINA
and, latterly, University of Saskatchewan.
• Significant responsibility to communicate
and raise awareness of the project in
order to:
• Justify substantial investment
• Ensure academic partners saw real
impact for their work
• Build interest in the project before
launching deliverables: search,
visualisation tools and white paper.
• Ensure sustained interest as historic
academic work continues into
Summer 2014, publications beyond
that.

3. Communications Channels During Project
Twitter
@digtrade / #digtrade
Project Blog
http://tradingconsequences.blogs.edina.ac.uk/
http://tradingconsequences.blogs.edina.ac.uk/2012/08/14/gin-
and-tonic-a-short-history-of-a-stiff-drink-from-activehistory-ca/
https://twitter.com/digtrade/

4. Additional Presences…
SlideShare
Individual accounts used, gathered via Storify as were
other materials: videos, guest posts elsewhere etc.
Storify
https://storify.com/digtrade/trading-consequences

5. Tracking Tools
TAGS Explorer
Google Analytics
Tools used throughout project to
tailor blog content, gauge interest,
identify key interested parties

6. Requirements for Launch
• Project outputs to be launched:
– White Paper on Trading Consequences
– Online visualisation tools (x 2)
– Online database search tools (x 2)
– Additional deliverable: GitHub resources for the
project including the TC Lexicon.
• Communications plan required by Jisc, submitted for
approval with draft White Paper
• Additional need to track post-launch conferences,
activity, blog posts for managing interest and
maintaining momentum.
• Maximum impact and press coverage desired by funders
and team.

7. Launch Planning…
• Website updated with support information, visualisation and search tools updated
to ensure correct partner organisations, help information and links consistent
across presences.
• Branding checked across presences, URLs checked, all partners asked to check own
details, organisation names & branding, project publications etc. via checklist.
• Researchers, all project partners, engaged in press release drafting and approval
process, including identification of key stories/possible top lines.
• Press release drafted by Press Office with EDINA, final version agreed by partners
and press offices at all partner organisations.
• All data providers and funders contacted to inform them of launch date, kept
posted on press release, sent preview of tools and sent approved release with
permissions to reshare.
• Final press release pushed out through UoE/Press Association
• Press releases launched in parallel through each partner, and some data providers.
• Launch blog post drafted for launch. Additional blog posts and activities planned as
follow up to launch.
• Hashtag publicised, all partners encouraged to tweet. Jisc prepped to retweeted
project.
• The Conversation approached, researchers co-authored piece for just after launch.

8. Coverage
• Press: The Times; Metro*; Evening
News*.
• Blogs/reviews: Chronicle of Higher
Education.
• Arranged pieces: The Conversation;
EDINA News; Yfile; St Andrews HCI
blog; Informatics News.
• Approaches from: BBC Reporting
Scotland (feature); Edinburgh
Evening News (feature)
• Presentation invited by data provider
following launch.
• Extensive twitter activity, particularly
from academic historians and
researchers.
*Not as helpful as could have been – project name not included!

9. How to take this forward for other projects…
• Build awareness and momentum ahead of launch.
• Launch plans help focus activity, create clear timelines, specify
responsibilities – TC plan can be shared as example if useful.
• Ask for help. Andrew Bevan, Nicola Osborne and UoE Press Office
can all help with planning press releases and social media.
• Be proactive identifying and approaching key channels: specialist
press, The Conversation, blogs that have covered the project
already, opinion leaders on Twitter.
• Keep branding and hashtags clear and consistent.
• Stash images, key stories, successes, etc. for use in
launch/publicity. Have a clear idea of what you want to
communicate about your project and to whom.
• Ensure project partners, funders, data providers, collaborators all
involved and engaged in launch – they are your best cheer leaders.
• Ensure some follow up activity planned to capitalise on interest.
• Track and monitor impact of activities – for you and your funders.