Small, smaller, smallest

198 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.

199

normal?
A healthy life is not self-evident.
That’s why TNO develops innovative
concepts for prevention and care.
TNO – Netherlands Organisation for
Applied Scientific Research
Eureka! – displacing an existing image
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 ‘nor-
mal’ people. Right? Well, while this may be true in cer-
tain cases, TNO is not satisfied even slightly with being
pigeonholed in this way. And rightly so. While certain-
ly involved in complex scientific research and testing,
it is also closely involved in making scientific knowl-
edge 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 organisa-
tion? 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. According-
ly, 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 our-
selves internationally in Europe, the US and Canada, as
well as in upcoming markets such as Russia and East-
ern Asia.
We generate, adopt and integrate knowledge in crea-
tive 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 mi-
nor ambitions there then…
To achieve this, as mentioned above, it felt it had to re-
define its positioning. Again: “By 2010, TNO will be an
important player in a growing, international network
of international top institutes; companies with an am-
bitious development profile, universities and other
knowledge partners. With and through these part-
ners, we will be challenged to make leaps forwards
through research. We will distinguish ourselves from
others through our development agenda and applica-
tion agenda. Both agendas represent the foundation
on which TNO organises itself, manifests itself, and by
which it is judged.”
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 com-
munications strategy.
All for one, one for all
The underlying objective of its communications strat-
egy is to create one TNO, both internally and exter-
nally. 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.
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 exist-
ing and new resources and channels, including a six-
monthly chat by the chairman of the board via web-
cam, parties for the whole of TNO (every two years), a
newsletter by the board of directors, and others.
Corporate communications
Over the coming period, image formation and repu-
tation 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 objec-
Coolbrands: Maarten & Anouk in discussion with Cocky van Heest
tives that will be achieved through a number of com-
munications 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 pic-
tures, 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 ex-
isting and new organisation-wide resources and chan-
nels. Greater focus is being devoted to involving the
general public with TNO, making more and better use
201
of digital resources, especially the internet, a proactive
press policy and the creation of a children’s book.
The result is that TNO has found itself and it has de-
fined its core values as mentioned above. The way to
achieve these is through a market focus, being pre-
pared to work together, and a focus on people, with-
out neglecting its core business of making scientific
knowledge applicable for society. Sounds like some-
one I’d like to meet…
CEO J.C. (Hans) Huis in ‘t Veld Msc. |
Number of employees 4500 | Company
turnover e570m | Brand values
integrity, independence,
professionalism, social responsibility |
200
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