This guide to project promotion is for use throughout the project – and even before you start it. Although it is mainly targeted at language projects at the European level, it can be useful for the promotion of any other education project.

Every project proposal must have a promotion plan.

The sections in the guide are not necessarily consecutive stages in the project. Most aspects covered need to be built into the plan at the start of the project, though there may be different points in time when they have to be actioned. The target users are the focus of what the project aims to achieve, both in terms of deliverables and promotion. There is a wide range of deliverables that could be part of a language project.

	Project Deliverables Teaching or training materials Books, CD-Roms, DVDs, video, audio Websites, online forum, blogs and chat rooms Publicity materials such as leaflets, posters, newsletters, bookmarks, postcards Research, surveys, analyses, studies, statistics Exchanges, visits, mobility, Fairs, exhibitions, conferences, workshops, seminars Networks, associations

Whatever they are, the deliverables must be what end users (and potential distributors such as publishers) want and in a format that is useful to them. Once this is decided, the aim of promotion is to make sure that the target users know about them – and use them! That means selecting communication media which will reach them and tell them about the products in a style and language which is appropriate to them. This sounds very obvious, but it is surprising how many projects use forms of communication or styles of address which are more suited to the project partners than to the end users. So, put yourself in the position of the users, think about what they want, what the project is offering them and how to give it to them in the way they will find most useful and easy to access.

Once the deliverables and the target users have been defined, the project can be given a title, a slogan or strap-line and a logo. These are three of the most important promotional tools. The title is the most visible part of the whole project: it must give an idea of what the project offers in a short, memorable and positive way. Particularly if a project is targeted at the general public, the title should not sound like impenetrable European Commission jargon. It must be appealing and easy to say and write down.