EIT Manufacturing brings together key stakeholders across the manufacturing sector in Europe, acting as a trusted network for collaboration and opportunities for startups, corporates, researchers and educators. As a unique ecosystem, and part of the EU-funded EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community, they are leading the sustainable industrial transformation across Europe.

However, due to its unique structure and vast number of regional teams and initiatives, EIT Manufacturing’s social media storytelling had become fractured and lacked a comprehensive pan-organisational strategy. The channel mix was based on a perceived need to be present across all channels, rather than a strategic decision, and content was posted based on urgency and regional needs.

This led to inconsistencies in brand and messaging across channels, as well as mismatched content formats and missed opportunities to optimise.

Whilst having a consistent output on social media, EIT Manufacturing struggled with repeating content across channels without optimisation or platform-specific features. This made the purpose of each channel unclear to their audience, and EIT Manufacturing was missing out on opportunities to strengthen their community and show various sides of the organisation and its offering. 

Whilst they had a good understanding of the general target audience for their content, EIT Manufacturing struggled to effectively speak to their various audiences and adapting their channels to the most appropriate audiences per platform. 

Existing in a technically complex industry, it was important to get the messaging right and ensure that the strategy successfully encapsulated their service areas and impact without looking or sounding too technical and corporate in their communications. 

We collaborated closely with the EIT Manufacturing team to create a well-rounded digital communications strategy, not only focusing on specific channels but content processes, messaging hierarchies and detailed audience insights.

Our team combined quantitative audience data, including location, industry and seniority, with in-depth audience research, weaving this into a cross-functional channel strategy.

With a deep understanding of the existing audience, we mapped out the current use of each channel, contrasting this with each channel’s intended use and specifics, devising an interlaced process of content adaptation whilst ensuring that each channel served a specific purpose for EIT Manufacturing’s audience.

With a deep analysis and a clear path for each channel, our team created a set of overarching key messages that weave digital channels into the wider marketing strategy, positioning EIT Manufacturing as a service provider. This approach utilises service-oriented language to facilitate a transition towards a clearer commercial offering. Combining social-first expertise with a strong understanding of audience dynamics and pain points, we pinpointed specific topics and phrasings that effectively communicate EIT Manufacturing’s purpose and offering, without deterring their audience. 

With the complexity of EIT Manufacturing’s operations, and the diversity of their offering, the key to this strategy lay in finding overlaps, both across channels, messages and funnel stages, and identifying ways to engage specific audience segments without alienating others. 

Finally, we complemented this in-depth strategy with several practical, low-effort, high-impact actions for the team to implement, enabling them to optimise their digital channels for a larger strategic shift. 

With a team of experts in all areas, including audience research, social media, copywriting and asset creation, we delivered a comprehensive yet clear audit and strategy that helped the team not only confirm their theories of good and bad practice, but also put in place processes and measurable goals to improve their online storytelling and align with a bigger organisational shift. 

Through a comprehensive audit and complete social media strategy, our team was able to not only help EIT Manufacturing understand how they could improve their online storytelling but also give them a detailed plan forward, addressing every aspect of building a strong online presence. 

By helping unify regional approaches, closing gaps in messaging, and refining activity for each channel, we created a system that strengthened their digital presence without adding extra pressure to the team, but rather optimising their work for impact.

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The result: a more cohesive, effective online voice that the organisation could sustain with confidence.