198-201 Tno Bc Spread Def

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From the radar system of the most advanced frigate to lab-on-a-chip biomedical diagnostics, the applications are many and varied for the Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) specified, designed and tested by TNO.

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normal? A healthy life is not self-evident. That’s why TNO develops innovative concepts for prevention and care.

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TNO – Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research

What’s up doc? Applied scientific research is the domain of scientists locked in their labs for years on end, trying to discover things us laypeople will never understand anyway. Long, lonely nights, no family, no friends, totally inept at communicating with the ‘normal’ world and ‘normal’ people. Right? Well, while this may be true in certain cases, TNO is not satisfied even slightly with being pigeonholed in this way. And rightly so. While certainly involved in complex scientific research and testing, it is also closely involved in making scientific knowledge available and applicable for exactly us laypeople. Making it understandable. It’s just that nobody really knows about it. Although the organisation enjoys good renown throughout the Netherlands and beyond as a reliable, highly advanced organisation in scientific terms, the organisation has focused mainly on business in recent years and there was a feeling of discontent as to how the public perceived it. One of the main reasons for this discontent lies in the fact that its target groups did not see a coherent TNO, but rather one that was fragmented, with too little internal communication and insufficient synergy or effective cooperation. And accordingly, no single voice. No TNO entity. So, how do you change the public’s image of the organisation? How do you ensure that the organisation uses the huge resources and knowledge that it has to the utmost? How do you improve the positioning of an organisation that has been around for 75 years? Who doth ambition shun? Ambitions by their very nature drive people to seek change. The same is true for organisations. But for change to be effective, especially for an organisation as diverse as TNO, there has to be a plan. Accordingly, in 2007 the company introduced its Strategic Plan 2007-2010, which following an improvement plan in 2004, sets down its strategic objectives. First steps included defining exactly what TNO wants to become. As follows: “In 2010, TNO will be a power­ ful, professional knowledge organisation with a strong home base in the Netherlands. We will manifest ourselves internationally in Europe, the US and Canada, as well as in upcoming markets such as Russia and Eastern Asia.

We generate, adopt and integrate knowledge in creative and effective ways. We want to be assessed for the impact of our efforts in welfare and wellbeing. We are an excellent knowledge partner that creates genuine added value and we are pleasant to work with. Our stakeholders benefit from our synergy…” Well, no minor ambitions there then…

According to its policy plan, personal communications is the most effective strategy for achieving these goals. As such, it has made available a broad mix of existing and new resources and channels, including a sixmonthly chat by the chairman of the board via webcam, parties for the whole of TNO (every two years), a newsletter by the board of directors, and others.

To achieve this, as mentioned above, it felt it had to redefine its positioning. Again: “By 2010, TNO will be an important player in a growing, international network of international top institutes; companies with an ambitious development profile, universities and other knowledge partners. With and through these partners, we will be challenged to make leaps forwards through research. We will distinguish ourselves from others through our development agenda and application agenda. Both agendas represent the foundation on which TNO organises itself, manifests itself, and by which it is judged.”

Corporate communications Over the coming period, image formation and reputation management are the main objectives of TNO’s corporate communications policy. The main objective is to create a single ‘face’ for the organisation. The policy plan sketches a number of operational objectives that will be achieved through a number of communications tools that are consistent, unequivocal and that are to be used integrally. An important change is the change from technocracy to more a humane form of communication, avoiding technical stories and pictures, but rather presenting stories that reflect the impact of TNO’s work on societal wellbeing. A major part of this external strategy is, like the internal one, personal communications, including a number of existing and new organisation-wide resources and channels. Greater focus is being devoted to involving the general public with TNO, making more and better use of digital resources, especially the internet, a proactive press policy and the creation of a children’s book.

So. Ambition done. Positioning done. In short, TNO knows who it is and where it wants to go. But the problem remains that nobody knows about it and there is still no true coherence within the organisation or towards the outside world. Answer: a unified communications strategy. All for one, one for all The underlying objective of its communications strategy is to create one TNO, both internally and externally. This is achieved through updated strategies for internal and external communications. Internal communications TNO’s internal communications objective is to ensure that staff work and feel part of a single TNO. This has to be based on the same core values: integrity, independence, professionalism, social responsibility, a market and client focus, the willingness to work together as well as a people focus. The organisation feels that, once this is achieved, staff will act and communicate as ambassadors for the whole of TNO, which in turn will strengthen TNO’s image, internal pride and the mutual bond with the organisation. Cultural and identity aspects are therefore important focus areas for strengthening policy and motivational information.

The result is that TNO has found itself and it has defined its core values as mentioned above. The way to achieve these is through a market focus, being prepared to work together, and a focus on people, without neglecting its core business of making scientific knowledge applicable for society. Sounds like someone I’d like to meet…

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Coolbrands: Maarten & Anouk in discussion with Cocky van Heest

Eureka! – displacing an existing image

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CEO J.C. (Hans) Huis in ‘t Veld Msc. | Number of employees 4500 | Company turnover e570m | Brand values integrity, independence, professionalism, social responsibility | Brand promise To apply scientific knowledge with the aim of strengthening the innovative power of industry and government | Target group all | Primary advertising media internet, ads, press, public affairs, ambassadors, (children’s) books