ECHOES Communication and Dissemination Plan for Months 6-24 (Deliverable D2.2)

European Cloud for Heritage Open Science Deliverable D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01 Horizon Innovation action Responsible authors: ARIADNE RI, PRISMA © 2025 by the authors, the ECHOES consortium. This work is licensed under a “CC BY 4.0” license. Project start 1 June 2024 Project duration 60 months Document Identifier 10.5281/zenodo.17513820 ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 1 Deliverable Information Project Number 101157364 Acronym ECHOES Full title European Cloud for Heritage OpEn Science Project URL https://www.echoes-eccch.eu/ EU Project Officer Christian WILK Change log Date Version Author Change 09/10/2024 v0.1 S. Bassett First draft Deliverable D2.2 Title Communication, dissemination, and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 Work Package WP2 Title Communication, Dissemination and Engagement Submission date 29/11/2024 Pages 60 Keywords Community strategy, Community engagement Lead Partner ARIADNE RI Responsible Author ARIADNE RI, PRISMA Authors (Partner) Sheena Bassett, Claudio Prandoni, Franco Niccolucci (ARIADNE RI), Francesco Capaccioli, Miriam Bua, Ginevra Niccolucci, Brayan Antonio Padilla (PRISMA) Contributors Lorena Aldana (EF), Yuna Mathan (ICOMOS), Xavier Rodier, Mailane Messias Sampaio, Léna Czech (CNRS), Dimitris Kotzinos (CNRS-CYU), Carlos Andujar, Imanol Munoz (UPC), Elodie Cazenave, Charlotte Gallini, Rémi Peticol (FSP), Gianna Lia Cogliandro (ENCATC), Maud Ntonga, Corinne Szteinsznaider (MCA), Sam Minelli, Martina Quagliano (ETT/META/TALIA), Grazia Tucci (ICOMOS), Francesca Frontini (CLARIN) ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 2 18/10/2024 v0.2 Claudio Prandoni Revision 01/11/2024 v0.3 S. Bassett Revision and updates 05/11/2024 v0.4 Claudio Prandoni Final revision 25/11/2024 v.05 S. Bassett Updates from partners’ review 29/11/2024 v.06 Claudio Prandoni, S. Bassett Final version integrating feedback from the WP2 meeting 29/11/2024 v.07 Mailane Sampaio Editing 29/11/2024 V1 Xavier Rodier Proofreading ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 3 Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 4 Abstract This deliverable, D2.2 Communication, dissemination, and exploitation plan for Months 6-24, presents the communication and dissemination strategy for the ECHOES Project and how this is applied to all ECCCH-funded projects. This strategy takes into account the stated objectives of the ECHOES Project and identifies the activities and outputs from the Work Packages that feed into the strategy. A key requirement for the Cultural Heritage Cloud is to build a community consisting of organisations and professionals who work in Cultural Heritage (CH) and will use / benefit from the services of the Cloud. Communication and engagement of this primary audience is a key part of this strategy as well as liaising and coordinating with the ECCCH-funded projects (internal stakeholders) who will develop the Cloud and provide the tools, services and data. The main stakeholders are divided into eight target groups, listed in order of priority: ● Cultural Heritage professionals, ● Cultural and Creative Industries, ● Software development and service companies, ● Open Science digital communities, ● Decision makers, ● Other EU projects and initiatives, ● Educators and students, ● Non-professional participants (e.g. enthusiasts, general public, media). An analysis of each of these target groups provides examples of the roles involved, the ECHOES-related interests and their importance to the development and uptake of the Cultural Heritage Cloud and the types of media channels they are most likely to be reached by. There will also be a focus on reaching smaller and more remote communities, working with WP4 to identify and reach out to these. The ECHOES communication activities consist of five main phases, of which the first three are covered by the time period addressed in this report: Preliminary phase (M1-M6) Context (M7-M12) Development (M13-M24) Attracting the audience; launch of the website and social media Presentation of the project goals, the partners and expected impact Development of communication materials ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 5 Integral to these are the Project Milestones which define specific project activities and outputs that contribute to the timeline of this plan, i.e. a schedule of activities and outputs to be communicated and disseminated. Branding is a major consideration, especially as many ECCCH-funded projects need to be recognised as part of the ECCCH family, with the ECHOES website providing both an overview of all the contributing projects to the Cultural Heritage Cloud and also a gateway to it (through tools developed within ECHOES). The logo is a key component along with the colour scheme and typography, as explained in a set of Guidelines produced for the benefit of the ECCCH-funded projects. The channels employed by ECHOES are described in detail, these being core to the execution of the dissemination and communication strategy. In addition to direct oneto-one channels like the newsletter and the website, multiple communication channels have been selected to reach diverse communities. The chosen one-to-many channels include LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. The website will serve also as a repository for news and events. For interviews and video-reports of events, YouTube and Canal-U channels have been opened. ECHOES will also use promotional materials such as project leaflets, the first one providing a general introduction to ECHOES already being completed, and branded items such as ballpoint pens and notepads, banners, lanyards and badges. An Editorial Plan will be created to ensure that the various channels are always active and updated and additional content will be added to the plan as opportunities (that are part of the day-to-day editorial planning) arise. Events are essential to promoting the Cultural Heritage Cloud, raising awareness and creating engagement. The strategy includes the participation in and organisation of different types of events by ECHOES partners as well as by the other ECCCH-funded projects, aimed at the different audiences. For example, conferences and seminars are aimed at academics and professionals whereas public and ‘cafe’ events are more tailored towards the general public and the media. A calendar of events will be maintained in order to bring stakeholders attention to these and encourage the internal stakeholders to organise sessions and workshops and to submit papers. ECHOES will organise and host its own events, tailoring each one to specific target audiences. For example, the first day of the Brussels event in December 2024 is aimed at Policy makers. A Social Media strategy has been developed separately which presents the fundamental principles and guidelines that underpin the ECHOES communication strategy through its social media channels. These guidelines are also being made available to the ECCCHfunded projects. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 6 Coordination of the activities outlines the strategy and tools that will be used to manage the communication activities of the ECHOES partners and all other ECCCH-funded projects. Asana is being used to organise the WP2 tasks with one representative from each ECCCH-funded project providing input about key events, outputs and activities related to their specific project for promotion by ECHOES. Finally, Monitoring, Evaluation and Exploitation explains how the project's progress and impact will be assessed using specific tools and indicators with targets set for M6, M12 and M24. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 7 Table of Contents List of figures and tables 9 1. Introduction 11 1.1 Purpose and Scope of the Document 11 1.2 Structure of the Document 12 2. Target groups 13 2.1 ECHOES Target Groups 13 2.2 Planning for engagement and collaboration of external stakeholders 15 2.2.1 Engaging Cultural Heritage professionals (institutions, researchers, etc.) 16 2.2.2 Engaging Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) 17 2.2.3 Engaging Software Development and Service Companies 19 2.2.4 Engaging Open Science Digital Communities 20 2.2.5 Engaging Decision Makers 21 2.2.6 Engaging other projects and initiatives at European and national level 22 2.2.7 Engaging Educators and Students 23 2.2.8 Engaging Non-Professional Participants 24 2.3 Stakeholder analysis overview 25 2.4 Reaching new communities 29 3. Timeline 30 4. Visual identity 32 4.1 Logo construction 32 4.2 Colours 33 4.3 Typography 34 4.4 Design elements 34 5. Communication Strategy 36 5.1 Project website 36 5.2 Social media 39 5.3 Newsletter 40 5.4 Press releases 42 ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 8 5.5 Communication materials 42 5.6 Publications 45 5.7 Videos 46 6. Events 47 7. Social Media Strategy 50 7.1 Key messages and tone of voice 50 7.2 Post structure and content 51 7.3 Formats 51 7.4 Hashtags 52 7.5 Workflow 53 8. Coordination of the activities 55 9. Monitoring, Evaluation and Exploitation 57 9.1 Monitoring tools 57 9.2 Key Performance Indicators 58 9.3 Exploitation indicators 59 ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 15 Figure 1: ECHOES Stakeholders Map 2.2 Planning for engagement and collaboration of external stakeholders The success of the ECHOES project and its Cultural Heritage Cloud depends on effectively engaging a diverse range of stakeholders. These groups, each with unique needs, roles, and contributions, form the backbone of the project’s ecosystem. By addressing their specific requirements and setting up meaningful interactions, ECHOES can build a robust, collaborative platform that supports cultural heritage preservation, research, and innovation. The internal stakeholders (ECHOES consortium members, ECCCH-funded project members and researchers) can be mostly categorised as academics whose main interest is research with the aim of publishing papers and articles, which are then presented at conferences. Other roles cover technical development, project management etc. Many are engaged with social media such as X (Twitter) and Facebook and will follow feeds relevant to their areas of interest. Internal stakeholders are vital in supporting the ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 16 ECHOES dissemination and communication strategy through their own networks and contacts and by collaborating in the events organised by the project. The following paragraphs present tailored strategies to engage with the different external stakeholder groups, focusing on communication, capacity building, and collaboration for the period M6-M18. Recognizing that each group operates within its unique context, the approach emphasizes inclusivity, accessibility, and adaptability to meet their diverse expectations and their missions. The proposed actions include the development of targeted resources to be made available on the project on-line website, participatory events, feedback mechanisms, and innovative technologies that align with the interests of each stakeholder group. A preliminary roadmap and a list of possible KPIs are also presented and will be further investigated and updated in the coming months. 2.2.1 Engaging Cultural Heritage professionals (institutions, researchers, etc.) Target group 1, cultural heritage professionals, is diverse but with a common interest with varying requirements according to their roles and specialisation. The GLAMs are both the public-facing custodians of cultural heritage and sources of research and knowledge. Each type of institution has its own networks and membership organisations which support the protocols and requirements of their specific roles and are valuable channels for disseminating information. Cultural heritage researchers may come from academic institutions, think tanks, and independent organizations. They provide the scientific foundation and innovative methodologies needed for the development of the Cultural Heritage Cloud. Engaging this group effectively will ensure that the ‘Collaborative’ Cloud becomes a precious resource for interdisciplinary research and collaboration with other stakeholders. They have their own networks, for example the European Research Infrastructures and social media groups based on their specialisms. In this context, the ECHOES objectives are to: • Inform the target groups about the Cultural Heritage Cloud and encourage them to use the services and tools provided, • Promote interdisciplinary and international collaboration, • Encourage the development of new tools to be integrated into the Cultural Heritage Cloud, • Encourage clustering activities to avoid duplication of effort. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 17 Members of these two groups can be reached through a wide range of channels including the website, social media, scientific publications and conferences, ECHOES events and outputs such as good practice guides and success stories. Proposed actions • Raise the profile of ECHOES through social media and the website, presence at events, presentations and publications, • Organise round tables and workshops, focussing on major conferences, to engage stakeholders, • Promote the Cascading grants programme as widely as possible, • Organise training events and webinars to explain how to use the ECCCH platform, • Outreach to Smaller Institutions: partner with regional networks to identify smaller GLAMs. As well as bringing ECHOES to their attention, the project should encourage them to apply for the Cascading grants, possibly in partnership with other institutions. Preliminary Roadmap • Identify (list, describe) key GLAM stakeholders in each partner's region in cooperation with WP4, • Develop a programme of ECHOES events and co-hosted events, • Creation of a series of “Guides to good practice” for self-training and upskilling of heritage professionals and institutions, • Preparation of a Charter for ECCCH about common principles and best practices, focused on the Digital Commons in cooperation with WP4, • Collaborate with WP3 on the Cascading Grants programme to maximise the effectiveness of the dissemination to encourage organisations to apply. Possible Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Number of GLAMs attending webinars or workshops, • Satisfaction scores from GLAM participants in outreach events, • Number of GLAMs who accessed to Cascading Grants, • Number of interdisciplinary projects facilitated by the Cloud, • Volume of published research utilising ECHOES tools and datasets. 2.2.2 Engaging Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) Target group 2, the Cultural and Creative Industries sector, works in fields related to cultural heritage where the outputs of the academic research may be packaged for use by the general public. Their engagement with the ECHOES Cultural Heritage Cloud can stimulate economic growth (see also WP10 and WP11) while fostering new ways to ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 18 experience and interpret cultural assets. However, their needs differ significantly from research-focused stakeholders, requiring a more practical and business-oriented approach (e.g. access to resources, copyright clearance, tools etc.). Tourism is one such example, which can involve people who create exhibitions and technical applications (phone apps, visual and audio guides). These stakeholders may have industry associations of their own (e.g. the European Tourism Association - ETOA) or also belong to organisations such as the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) since this covers their area of interest as practitioners rather than researchers. This group may be reached via social media, the press and media. The objective with this sector is to demonstrate the added value of the Cultural Heritage Cloud, to promote future services and to ensure its sustainability. Proposed Actions • Strengthen collaboration with GLAMs: o Encourage co-creation projects between CCIs and GLAMs, supported by partners, o Organise joint workshops to explore creative uses of heritage assets, such as interactive museum installations or immersive tourism experiences. • Engage through industry networks: o Partner with associations and networks to disseminate information and recruit participants, o Leverage trade fairs (such as CLiC-it, international book fairs, learning fairs and other design/tourism events), to reach a broader audience. • Facilitate access to resources for creative innovation: o Offer CCIs access to open resources and tools for creative applications such as Digital Heritage Twin, AR/VR, media productions, and exhibitions, o Create an API toolkit tailored for CCIs to integrate Cloud data into their workflows. Preliminary Roadmap • Identify and categorise CCIs in partner regions by sector (e.g., tourism, media, AR/VR development), • Organise introductory workshops led by partners focusing on practical applications of ECHOES tools, • Collaborate with WP3 on the Cascading Grants programme to maximise the effectiveness of the dissemination to encourage organisations to apply. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 19 Possible Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Attendance at workshops and CCI-focused events, • Number of co-creation projects between CCIs and GLAMs, • Number of CCIs who accessed to Cascading Grants, • Number of CCIs accessing Cloud datasets or tools. 2.2.3 Engaging Software Development and Service Companies Target group 3, Software development and service companies, are an important part of the supporting infrastructure for Cultural Heritage. These are a key target for encouraging participation in the ECCCH Calls and as contributors of technical expertise to the Cultural Heritage Cloud. Many of these organisations will specialise in areas where there are dedicated journals and trade magazines, associations and events so ECHOES should make the opportunities available as visible as possible to this sector. Proposed Actions • Provide incentives for collaboration: o Promote the cascading grants for developing specific software solutions, such as AI-driven tools for data curation or visualisation. o Recognise partner contributions through co-branding and visibility in ECHOES events and publications. • Facilitate knowledge sharing: o Organise technical workshops and hackathons to bring together developers, researchers, and end-users to co-create solutions. • Foster collaboration in the development of Cloud services and applications: o Create detailed documentation and guidelines for developers to integrate their solutions with the Cloud seamlessly, o Provide channels for project updates, direct communication and integration with development tools (e.g. Slack/Discord), o Use developer-centric platforms (GitHub, GitLab), o Make available an alpha/beta access program to grant early access to developments. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 20 Preliminary Roadmap • Identify relevant industry networks and publications, • Contribute articles on the opportunities offered by involvement in the Cultural Heritage Cloud, • Promote the Cascading Grants Programme, • Host an online “Developer’s Summit” to introduce software companies to the technical requirements and opportunities of the Cloud. Possible Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Number of software companies participating in workshops, hackathons, and grants, • Volume of APIs, tools, or services developed and integrated into the Cloud. 2.2.4 Engaging Open Science Digital Communities Target group 4, Open Science digital communities, are becoming more involved in the Humanities as science and technology is increasingly integrated into Cultural Heritage. For example, Heritage Science is recognised as a domain (E-RIHS is the European Research Infrastructure) in its own right. Many traditional ‘hard’ science areas such as chemistry, physics and biology contribute to preservation and conservation, testing and research etc. As professionals, the media strategy is like that for Target groupECHOES needs to raise their awareness of the Cloud for Cultural Heritage and what they can contribute to it. Proposed Actions • Collaborate with recognised research infrastructures (e.g. DARIAH, ARIADNE, OPERAS, CLARIN, E-RIHS) to reach professionals engaged in heritage science, • Engage with other science-based RIs and organisations, • Develop open access resources (guidelines, datasets, software) to support open science practices in cultural heritage, • Enable secure and ethical sharing of cultural datasets aligned with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. Preliminary Roadmap • Work with WP4 to map relevant networks and projects and identify key open science communities, • Provide access to tools, datasets, and research outputs via the Cultural Heritage Cloud. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 21 Possible Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Number of participants in open science events, • Volume of open-access publications and resources generated, • Engagement metrics on collaborative platforms (e.g., GitHub). 2.2.5 Engaging Decision Makers Target group 5, i.e. decision makers, including policymakers, funding bodies, and governmental organizations, PAs, play a visible role in shaping the landscape of cultural heritage preservation and innovation (e.g. by providing funding and regulatory frameworks). Their support is highly relevant for ensuring the long-term sustainability and scalability of the ECHOES Cultural Heritage Cloud. However, engaging this group effectively requires translating technical and research outcomes into actionable insights and demonstrating socio-economic impacts aligned with broader policy priorities. This is not an easy task in general. The usual channels of social media and the website, ECHOES policy events and more formal means of communication such as press releases and media coverage as well as direct contacts are the most suitable forms of disseminating this information. Proposed Actions • Develop policy briefs and reports: o Create concise, visually engaging policy briefs summarising the ECHOES project’s objectives, progress, and societal impact (i.e. simplify the project complexity in bite sized information), o Tailor content to align with EU-level priorities, such as the European Green Deal, digital transformation, and cultural sustainability. • Facilitate high-level events and meetings: o Organise roundtable discussions or panels involving policymakers and cultural heritage leaders, o Collaborate with partners to host events emphasising ECHOES' alignment with European cultural policies. • Promote cross-sector collaboration: o Connect decision makers with other stakeholder groups, such as CCIs and GLAMs, to illustrate the collaborative potential of the Cloud, o Leverage technical partners to demonstrate the Cloud’s technological scalability. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 22 Preliminary Roadmap • Develop an initial policy brief outlining ECHOES' contributions to digital heritage preservation and European cultural priorities, • Organise targeted events for policymakers. Possible Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Number of policy briefs and reports disseminated, • Attendance and feedback from policymakers at ECHOES events. 2.2.6 Engaging other projects and initiatives at European and national level Finally, it is important to relate to other projects and initiatives at European and national level in the fields of cultural heritage and digital infrastructures beyond the already mentioned ECCCH projects (Target group 6), which represent potential partners able to help us disseminate the project results to their user communities. Examples include the common data space for cultural heritage, EOSC, the KIK initiative, other EU funded projects in the sector, etc. Proposed Actions • Present ECHOES at conferences and workshops organised by related projects and initiatives (e.g., EOSC, the common data space for cultural heritage, etc.), • Identify cooperation opportunities with initiatives like KIK and other EU-funded projects to amplify dissemination efforts, • Collaborate on creating shared tools and guidelines that benefit the broader cultural heritage community. Preliminary Roadmap • Create a stakeholder map to document ongoing projects and initiatives for potential collaboration, • Schedule joint events and co-hosted webinars focusing on digital heritage, • Develop cross-project communication channels and establish working groups to coordinate activities and share updates. Possible Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Number of collaborative events and joint publications, • Partnerships formalised through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), • Increased visibility of ECHOES through partner networks. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 23 2.2.7 Engaging Educators and Students Target group 7, i.e. educators, represents primary providers such as universities and similar academic institutions along with research infrastructures and professional membership organisations and some private providers who run courses and workshops etc. to enable practitioners to learn new skills and competences. Educators serve as multipliers, integrating digital heritage tools and resources into learning environments, while students represent the next generation of cultural heritage professionals, researchers, and advocates. Engaging this group effectively will reach awareness, skills, and innovation in the field of digital cultural heritage. The key to effectively reaching these stakeholders is through their membership organisations and possibly some key international conferences and journals as well as social media and ECHOES events. As the Cultural Heritage Cloud becomes established, this group will provide training for the entities and professionals who will use the tools and services. Proposed Actions • Develop educational resources: o Create digital modules, lesson plans, and virtual tours using ECHOES tools that educators can integrate into curricula. o Collaborate with academic partners to ensure alignment with educational standards. • Offer training and capacity-building workshops: o Organise workshops or webinars for educators on using the Cloud’s resources in physical or virtual learning environments (e.g. DARIAH Campus). o Provide hands-on sessions for students to explore datasets, digital tools, and AI applications in cultural heritage. Preliminary Roadmap • Develop a starter kit for educators, including tutorials, sample lesson plans, and access to datasets, • Host webinars introducing the Cloud’s educational potential. Possible Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Number of educators trained through workshops and webinars, • Volume of educational materials developed and distributed. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 24 2.2.8 Engaging Non-Professional Participants Target group 8, i.e. non-professional participants, including citizen scientists, cultural heritage enthusiasts, and the general public, are vital to the success of the ECHOES project. Their involvement democratises cultural heritage preservation and ensures broader societal engagement. ECHOES can empower these individuals to interact with the Cultural Heritage Cloud, to foster better public awareness, build trust, and encourage active participation in heritage-related initiatives. A proactive approach with regards to the press, radio and TV works well, whilst younger audiences prefer to use social media, and the channels selected by ECHOES are the most widely used and accessible to this group as well as to a wider audience. The website is another source of information so it is important to use language and terminology that can be understood by everyone. Proposed Actions • Develop community programmes: o Partner with local communities to organise participative events and community engagement campaigns, o Use partners to implement these initiatives at a regional level. • Leverage social media and digital outreach: o Create engaging content, such as videos, infographics, and stories, to showcase the Cloud and its impact. o Use social media platforms to reach a broader audience, tailoring campaigns to highlight the societal value of heritage preservation. Preliminary Roadmap • Develop an effective multi-channel communication campaign to raise awareness about the project and the Cultural Heritage Cloud, • Organise community-based events in collaboration with local institutions, such as museums or libraries, • Create a series of tutorial videos explaining how non-professionals can use and contribute to the Cloud. Possible Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Attendance at community-based events and workshops, • Growth in social media followers and engagement metrics. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 31 Milestone Due date (month) Kick Off Meeting 2 Launch of the website and presence on social networks 2 Validation of the ECHOES governance structure and composition of project boards 4 Deployment infrastructure configured 9 Cascading Grants Call 1 9 First list of proposals for pilot projects and additional Vertical Applications 12 Publication of the Cultural Heritage Cloud founding principles 12 Inventory of existing datasets, tools, and workflows with potential for reuse 12 CH knowledge base initial deployment 12 Cascading Grants Call 2 16 Collaborative Research Scenarios Defined 18 HDT ontology defined 18 Final version of the application Layer architecture 18 Initial ingestion of data into the CH knowledge base 24 Evaluation framework defined 24 Table 3: Project milestones M1-M24 The first two Cascading Grants Calls fall within the first 18 months – dissemination of these Calls to the wider cultural heritage community are a priority where the current partners and the three ECCCH-funded projects that have already started will be involved through their own channels. These milestones will be part of the Editorial Plan, included in the Calendar of key events in the ECHOES Communication Platform, the tool being used to coordinate all the dissemination and communication tasks (c.f. Section 8). ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 32 4. Visual identity The visual identity of the ECHOES project plays a fundamental role in shaping how the project is perceived both internally and externally. A cohesive and well-defined visual identity enhances recognition, promotes trust, and conveys the core values of the project. The visual identity has been designed to represent the concept of a cloud. A colour palette has been selected to ensure consistency across all media formats, including digital and print, while the chosen fonts align with accessibility standards to ensure inclusivity and readability. 4.1 Logo construction The ECHOES logo is a symbolic representation of collaboration and innovation within the cultural heritage and digital commons sectors. It embodies unity, partnership, and the interconnectedness of cultural heritage professionals and researchers through its interlocking shapes. These shapes form the design of a cloud, highlighting the digital and collaborative nature of the ECHOES project, which aims to create a shared cloud platform. The curved lines within the design elements further symbolise fluidity, movement, and the dynamic exchange of knowledge and resources within the digital commons. Figure 2: Symbolic representation of the ECHOES logo The second part of the logo consists of the wordmark, which is an acronym for European Cloud for Heritage Open Science. This wordmark reinforces the project's identity and must always be used alongside the symbol, never as a standalone design element. Additionally, the letter "E" is integrated into the design, further strengthening the identity of both the ECHOES initiative and the Cultural Heritage Cloud initiative. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 33 Figure 3: Horizontal version of the logo with text The logo comes in variations that include a horizontal view of the acronym and logo with the full breakdown of the acronym. This full version of the logo maintains the visual identity of ECHOES while clearly communicating the project's full title. The vertical logo is the alternate logo and should only be used in instances when the primary logo doesn’t fit well within the available space. There are some special cases where the symbol on its own can be applied: when the application requires a logo that is smaller than the minimum size for the primary and alternate logo, and in certain applications such as Social Media and as a favicon. 4.2 Colours The ECHOES logo uses a carefully selected colour palette that conveys professionalism, innovation, and creativity. The primary colours are blue and sky blue, with grey providing balance. These colours work together to create a brand image that is both modern and trustworthy. Figure 4: The ECHOES colour scheme ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 34 The primary logo colours are Blue, Sky Blue and Grey. ● Blue is a colour that conveys trust and professionalism. ● Sky blue, with its refreshing and youthful characteristics, evokes feelings of freshness and creativity, adding a vibrant and innovative touch to the logo. ● Yellow represents joy and energy. Note: Yellow is used exclusively for the web. 4.3 Typography The ECHOES project uses two primary fonts to create a clean, professional, and modern visual identity. The primary font is Noto Sans which is available free of charge. Noto Sans is a sans-serif typeface designed for high readability and to support a wide range of languages and scripts. It is part of the Noto family of fonts developed by Google, aiming to cover all Unicode characters. The secondary font is Noto Serif. Using serif (Noto Serif) for titles and sans serif (Noto Sans Serif) for body text creates visual contrast and improves readability. This combination distinguishes sections, emphasises key points, and balances tradition with modernity in design. Figure 5: Noto Sans and Noto Serif fonts This combination of fonts creates a clear hierarchy of information, distinguishing between titles, subtitles, and body text while maintaining consistency across different materials. 4.4 Design elements In addition to the primary logo, the symbol may also be used as a design element for backgrounds or accents. For example, a reversed version of the symbol may be used in promotional materials, ensuring the brand remains recognisable even in creative applications. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 35 Figure 6: Use of the ECHOES logo as a design element Further details are available in the ECHOES Logo Guidelines. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 36 5. Communication Strategy In the initial two years, the communication activities will primarily aim to generate leads, extend the existing audience and expand to new audience. The audience will be kept informed about all progress related to ECHOES and all ECCCH-funded projects. Feedback from stakeholders will be collected to enhance the cloud services and tailor them to meet real needs. The short-term communication strategy will emphasise messages encouraging newsletter subscriptions and participation in events where ECHOES will be promoted. This will help increase interest in the project and foster a community around it. In the long-term strategy, the communication will move towards providing informative content, such as platform specifications, offered services, and various features. To execute this strategy, in addition to direct one-to-one channels like the newsletter and the website, multiple communication channels have been selected to reach diverse communities. The chosen one-to-many channels include LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. The website will serve also as a repository for news and events. For interviews and video-reports of events, both a YouTube and a Canal-U channel have been opened. An Editorial Plan will be created to ensure that the various channels are always active and updated and additional content will be added to the plan as opportunities arise that are part of the day-to-day editorial planning. The following sections describe the channels that will be used for the communication of ECHOES activities and the dissemination of the results of ECHOES and all the ECCCHfunded projects. 5.1 Project website The project website (https://www.echoes-eccch.eu/) was launched in July 2024 once the initial design aspects such as the colour scheme, fonts and logo had been agreed on. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 37 Figure 7: The header and top section of the ECHOES Home page The Home page provides an overview of the project. Below this section, there are links to separate pages on the Objectives, Activities, Partners, Resources and Services. Figure 8. The Home page mid-section ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 38 The final section features the six most recent news items: Figure 9. The News and Events section The website will be updated regularly with news stories and information about newly launched ECCCH-funded projects. Each project will have its own dedicated page on the ECHOES website for which a template has been designed. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 39 Figure 10. AUTOMATA webpage on the ECHOES website Further information about the website can be found in D2.1. “Report on the website”. 5.2 Social media Social media is an important aspect of reaching a wide and varied audience. After establishing dedicated project pages on both LinkedIn and X (Twitter), ECHOES is expanding its online community across social media through Facebook and Instagram with a systematic social media campaign, inviting connections to follow the page and engage with the content. The project website features social media logos in its header to encourage website visitors to engage with and follow the accounts. A dedicated ECHOES YouTube channel will be established to publish informational videos about ECHOES that are produced over the duration of the project. In addition, a Canal-U account, https://www.canal-u.tv/chaines/echoes, has been established by the Coordinator. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 40 The following social media channels that have been set up so far: • LinkedIn: Echoes EU • X (Twitter): @echoes_eu • Facebook: @Echoes.eu • Instagram: @echoes_eu The Social Media strategy is presented in detail in Section 7 and an excerpt is included in the ECHOES Communication Guidelines for the ECCCH-funded Projects, which provides advice on how communications should be presented, in order to be consistent and aligned with the Cultural Heritage Cloud. 5.3 Newsletter A dedicated newsletter will be sent out to the mailing list every two months to highlight the latest project activities, upcoming events and reports, etc. The first Newsletter was sent out at the end of September and the second one at the end of November. The partners on the mailing list are encouraged to forward it to colleagues and associates to build up the circulation. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 47 6. Events ECHOES and the network of ECCCH-funded projects will both organise events and participate in international and national conferences, workshops and seminars, both inperson and online, to promote the use and the interaction with the Cultural Heritage Cloud. It is anticipated that these events will cover a wide range of subjects and audiences due to the broad nature of cultural heritage and the specific area of interest of each of the projects. For example, Artificial Intelligence and robotics are features of the first two ECCCH-funded projects, AUTOMATA and TEXTaiLES which are technical disciplines being used in the context of cultural heritage. In particular, the type of events that ECHOES and the ECCCH-funded projects will organise are: • hands-on events to demonstrate how to use the tools and services developed in ECHOES (local and regional events will be targeted), • workshops, cafés and participative events (incl. hybrid and online) providing tailored support for professionals and dissemination of/engagement, • community events organised by heritage community associations, • annual partner events such as the Europeana Conference or NEMO Conference, • Open Days (open to heritage professionals, institutions and stakeholders) as sessions in concomitance with project meetings, i.e., at the project kick-off, the interim and final events. The first event organised by ECHOES took place on Monday 9th September at the Castle of Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France and online (via Zoom). It was organised as a public launch followed by an ECHOES project meeting (partners only) on the following days. See https://www.echoes-eccch.eu/very-successful-echoes-public-launch/. The following table lists the events the project has organised/participated in up to month 5 and those it plans to organise/participate in the following months. This list of events will be maintained in the shared Asana calendar, updated and added to on a regular basis. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 48 Date Event title and location Website ECHOES presence 09/09/2024 ECHOES Public launch, Castle of Chambord (France) / Online https://www.echoeseccch.eu/very-successfulechoes-public-launch/ Public launch 10-11/09/2024 ECHOES First Annual Meeting, Castle of Blois (France) https://www.echoeseccch.eu/very-successfulechoes-public-launch/ Annual meeting 24/09/2024 E-RIHS Public Event, Florence (Italy) https://www.e-rihs.it/en/the-erihs-public-event-celebrating20-years-of-access-florenceseptember-24-2024/ Presentation by CNRS 26/09/2024 ArtLab, Novara (Italy) https://artlab.fitzcarraldo.it/artl ab-2024/ Presentation by ETT/META 27/09/2024 Shaping the Future of Cultural Heritage / Online https://www.echoeseccch.eu/shaping-the-future-ofcultural-heritage-on-youtube/ Webinar organised by EC in cooperation with ECHOES, common European data space for cultural heritage and EOSC 16-20/10/2024 Frankfurt Book Fair (Germany) https://www.buchmesse.de/en Booth and presentation by ETT/META 21-23/10/2024 EOSC Symposium, Berlin (Germany) https://eosc.eu/symposium202 4/ Programme: https://eosc.eu/wpcontent/uploads/20 24/10/EOSCSymposium2024_Programme.p df 22/10/2024 AUTOMATA kick-off meeting, Pisa (Italy) https://www.echoeseccch.eu/automata-kicks-offon-the-22nd-october/ Launch of AUTOMATA-ECCCH project and presentation by CNRS ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 49 30-31/10/2024 SWODCH (4th International Workshop on Semantic Web and Ontology Design for Cultural Heritage), Tours (France) https://swodch2024.sciencesco nf.org/ ECHOES, Béatrice Markhoff https://swodch2024. sciencesconf.org/res ource/page/id/6 20/11/2024 ArtLab, Bari (Italy) https://artlab.fitzcarraldo.it/tap pa/bari-matera/ Booth and presentation by ETT/META 26-28/11/2024 Les journées du Consortium 3D pour les Humanités Numériques, Nancy (France) https://www.map.cnrs.fr/lesjournees-du-consortium-3dpour-les-humanitesnumeriques-jc3dhn2024-du-26au-28-novembre-2024/ ECHOES presentation by CNRS 29/11/ 2024 Heritage Horizons Europeana Project week / Online https://pro.europeana.eu/files/ Europeana_Professional/Event_ documentation/Events/Projects /Heritage-Horizons-EuropeanaProject-week-programme.pdf ECHOES presentation by FSP 12-13/12/2024 ECHOES Policy Event and Workshop, Brussels (Belgium) https://www.echoeseccch.eu/save-the-date-echoespolicy-event-and-workshop/ Event organised by ECHOES 3-5/03/2025 ARCHE Member States Workshop and Stakeholder Forum, Vienna (Austria) Event will be published at the beginning of December 2024 on the TMO website 05-09/05/2025 CAA Annual Conference, Athens (Greece) https://caainternational.org/conference/fu ture-conferences/caa2025/ 20/06/2025 DARIAH Annual Event, Göttingen (Germany) https://dhd-blog.org/?p=21227 05-07/03/2025 DH Nordic and Baltic 2025, Tartu (Estonia) https://dhnb.eu/conferences/d hnb2025/ 15-18/07/2025 DH2025, Alliance of Digital Humanities Organisations, Lisbon (Portugal) https://dh2025.adho.org/ ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 50 3-6/09/2025 EAA 2025, Belgrade (Serbia) https://www.e-aa.org/EAA/Navigation_conferen ces/Future_conferences_webs/E AA_2025_Annual_Meeting.aspx 15-17/09/2025 ENCATC Research Congress 2025, Barcelona (Spain) https://encatc.org/en/events/en catc-congress-2025/ 30/0902/10/2025 CLARIN Conference 2025, Vienna (Austria) https://www.clarin.eu/news/clar in2025-vienna Table 4: List of Events to be targeted by the Internal Stakeholders 7. Social Media Strategy The social media strategy is aimed at developing the target audience across social media platforms, the newsletter and website, and to facilitate direct lead generation, while engaging with the audience. The editorial plan aims to inform stakeholders about the existence of the ECHOES project, its current status, growth trajectory, and achievements in establishing the Cultural Heritage Cloud. It will outline the project's general organisation and partners, objectives, and milestones achieved. All topics will be addressed through various formats. 7.1 Key messages and tone of voice Communication must be consistent, inclusive, and aligned with the Cultural Heritage Cloud values, focusing on innovation, collaboration, and the preservation of cultural heritage. In order to achieve public engagement, it is important to promote active public participation by fostering sharing of personal experiences related to cultural heritage. At the same time, it is crucial to demonstrate how the project supports professionals, museums, and other cultural institutions in digitisation and collaboration. ECHOES will be presented as a network of partners working together to create a unified European platform for cultural heritage. In particular, ECHOES communication will highlight the following key message: “The Cultural Heritage Cloud brings state-of-the-art technological advancements into heritage methodology and practice, ultimately enhancing its understanding, knowledge, enjoyment and participation across Europe. It fosters collaboration among professionals and institutions. It improves citizens’ participation, understanding and access by overcoming cultural, social, and physical barriers.” ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 51 The tone of voice and style should always be professional while remaining clear and accessible for a broad audience, remembering that not all members of the public are heritage experts. All content should inform the audience while sparking curiosity and encouraging active participation, fostering teamwork among partners by using a tone that inspires trust, positivity, and inclusivity. 7.2 Post structure and content Each post must follow a defined structure to ensure consistency and impact: • Introduction/Hook: a compelling sentence that grabs attention (e.g., "Did you know that the future of cultural heritage is digital?"). • Body: provides the main information (e.g., a key outcome, a new project, or an event). • Call to action (CTA): encourages the audience to interact, comment, share or participate (e.g., "Share your story with us!" or "Learn more on our website"). • Hashtags and tags: includes the official hashtags and tags relevant partners. Captions should be concise, clear, and directly convey the core message while ensuring that content is always relevant to cultural heritage, innovation, and partner collaboration. Questions and prompts will be used to encourage comments and shares. To maintain high public attention on the project's social channels, all content such as images and videos must be of high quality. It is essential to ensure that the project logo is visible in every visual content and correctly shared by partners. 7.3 Formats About ECHOES aims to briefly explain what ECHOES and the Cultural Heritage Cloud are now, at the beginning of the project and what will be in the future. The topics to be covered may include: the organisation, partners, stakeholders, objectives, milestones, pillars, and people. This includes providing the audience with tips and insights on specific aspects, eg. “How to develop a service compliant with the ECHOES infrastructure” or “How to join the Cultural Heritage Cloud community”. The audience will be kept informed about upcoming events, where it is possible to engage with ECHOES partners directly, obtain materials, and ask questions. With the format #TodayatEchoes, the audience will be able to follow ECHOES live during the events. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 52 Figure 16: Examples of LinkedIn posts ECHOES will update about upcoming grants, including both Cascading Grants and ECCCH calls. In particular, the #CascadingGrants format will detail the criteria for receiving funding, the opening and closing deadlines, and will provide updates when new calls are available. The goal is to inform a broader audience that may not be familiar with the grants process. Projects funded through the ECCCH calls or the Cascading Grants programme will have a dedicated format where each funded project is described in detail. Finally, the strategy involves engaging the "general public" as well. Therefore, various Short formats will be created, such as: #HistoryIn60Seconds, #CulturalStorytime, #TheInventionOfTheMonth, #TheHiddenWonders, #DidYouKnowThat? and #HistoricalCuriosities. 7.4 Hashtags The project has identified a primary hashtag that has been in use since the initial activities on social networks: #EchoesEccch. This hashtag maintains a connection with the project's domain. Using a single, clearly defined hashtag will help centralise all ECHOES/ECCCH-related posts around one cohesive identifier, ensuring exclusivity of the content flow. #CulturalHeritageCloud has been created as the main hashtag used to collect information from all ECCCH-related projects. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 53 Each project within the ECCCH network will have its own hashtag in the format #ProjectNameEccch. We recommend improving readability by using appropriate capitalization. Additionally, we will use a second hashtag related to the broader context of European projects in which ECHOES operates: #HorizonEU. This is the institutional hashtag used by the EU Commission in their graphic and social communications. This approach helps create an organised structure where each entity has its own official hashtag along with the one identifying the overarching initiative of ECCCH calls. #EUproject will be also used to inform the general public who may not be familiar with using institutional hashtags, but might opt for a more general search regarding European projects. Finally, dedicated hashtags could be used to indicate specific formats, helping users understand the nature of the post (e.g., #TodayatEchoes or #CascadingGrants). 7.5 Workflow The first step is what we call ‘General Editorial Planning’, which involves mapping out expected posts for the upcoming period in a calendar view. The period is flexible, depending on how far ahead we can plan and how much capacity we have to produce assets. Typically, this is done every 1 to 3 months. The second step is usually ‘Information Gathering’, which involves collecting all the necessary information to produce the posts mapped out in the previous step. Once all the information is ready and has been passed on to the content creators, we move on to the next step. Content Creation and Preview File: at this stage, those involved in content creation (e.g., copywriting, graphic design, etc.) can prepare the assets and upload them to the preview file. This process should be completed within a reasonable timeframe to allow supervisors to review all posts and request any necessary adjustments before publication. Revision: once the preview file is complete, the supervisor can review the content, approving it or requesting modifications. After revisions are finalised, those responsible for posting can proceed with scheduling the content for publication. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 54 Figure 17: Workflow diagram for the planning, creation & publication of social media posts Figure 18: Workflow diagram for the planning, creation & publication of social media posts ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 55 8. Coordination of the activities To boost ECHOES’ online presence and help grow the audience, all project’s partners will be actively involved in the communication and dissemination activities in several ways: ● They will be asked to share the ECHOES newsletter with their entire database and reshare posts on their channels to facilitate word-of-mouth promotion. ● They will be asked to create specific posts at key moments with the goal of driving followers or leads through blog articles or dedicated direct email marketing, encouraging their audience to subscribe to the ECHOES newsletter and/or follow the social channels (audience building). ● They will be invited to create content for the project's official channels to enrich the editorial plan. In addition to its own project communication and dissemination task force, ECHOES will be sourcing information from the other ECCCH-funded projects, promoting their activities and outputs across the ECHOES channels. To ensure a uniformly branded approach, ECHOES is providing each of the projects with guidelines on aspects such as the design of the website (e.g. structure and navigation) and how to integrate the ECHOES symbol with their individual logos, use of social media. Concerning the management of the dissemination activities, the ECHOES project provides a collaborative platform based on Asana (https://app.asana.com/) to facilitate collaboration and information exchange. The ECHOES Communication Team along with the designated Communication Manager for each ECCCH-funded project are using Asana to document items which require news items and promotion through social media. The collaborative platform includes: ● The ECHOES Editorial Plan section: This is a read-only section through which it is possible to preview the content that will be disseminated through the ECHOES web and social channels in the coming weeks. ● The ECHOES Public section: this is where partners can share their ideas, insights and suggestions to be included in the Editorial Plan. Through this section you can create both News content (to report interesting news to be disseminated online through the project channels) and Event content (to report relevant events where ECHOES will be featured). The platform also includes a calendar view that acts as a shared calendar where all the upcoming events organised and/or attended by ECHOES partners and other ECCCH-funded projects can be viewed. ECHOES Project 101157364 – D2.2 Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan for Months 6-24 56 The calendar view ensures that upcoming events organised and/or attended by ECHOES partners and by the other ECCC-funded projects are disseminated in advance across the network. Figure 19: ECHOES Editorial Plan section - calendar view Figure 20: ECHOES Public section - list view The ECHOES social media strategy and editorial plan is available on Asana for everyone to consult and provide comments and suggestions. Whenever a partner or a project