Director of Communications, International Co-operative Alliance
Having won a six-month secondment to prepare the communications plan for the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives (IYC) for the International Co-operative Alliance based in Geneva, Nicola was offered the position to deliver the communications strategy during the International Year 2012. Established in 1895, the Alliance is the apex organisation for the co-operative movement, it has c280 members in around 100 countries representing one billion people. I was part of a global head office team located across Brussels, Geneva and Washington DC.
Achievements and highlights
- Brand Guardian for the global cooperative identity
- Produced the brief for the Cooperative Marque, appointed designers from two continents; worker cooperative Calverts created the Marque with research support from Buenos Aires based Guerrini Design Island and signature images prepared by BrandOutLoud from The Hague. The Marque was the first change to the cooperative identity in almost 100 years.
- Communications lead for the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives
- Produced online publications using a common identity and framework
- Introduced monthly e-newsletters in English, French and Spanish
- Launched a new Drupal based website for the International Year of Co-operatives which became www.ica.coop at the end of 2012
- Created and executed social media campaigns and developed tool-kits for member use
- Represented the Alliance at the planning meetings for Co-operatives United held in Manchester in November 2012. As the global culmination event for the IYC the event attracted over 12,000 visitors during the three-day festival from 80 countries
- Managed the global launch of the Co-operative Marque in Cape Town in November 2013 at the International Co-operative Alliance’s global conference and general assembly – there were 1200 delegates from 86 countries.
- Working with governments and host organisations I have brought together teams of people from different cultures and engaged them in the successful execution and delivery of events in the UK, South America and South Africa.