1. Census Communication Thomas Riede
Head of Press and Public Relations, Publications, Information Management
Federal Statistical Office of Germany

2. Outline Census history in Germany Methodology of the Census 2011
Communication of the Census 2011
Discussion
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

3. 1981 1987 . . . 2011 Census history East- Germany West- Germany
Germany hasn`t had a Census in a quarter of a century
1981
1987
. . .
2011
East- Germany
West- Germany
European Union
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

4. Census history In West-Germany originally planned for 1980
Delayed to 1983 due to disagreements on financial responsibility between federal and state government
1983 Census was stopped only months before Census day by a Federal Constitutional Court ruling
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

5. Census history
PR material for the 1983 Census had already been produced
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

6. Census history
Several parts of the census law would severely and unjustifiably interfere with basic rights of the individual
informational self-determination was created  a personal right granted by the constitution
Individuals have the right to determine which of their private data to share and what it can be used for
State has to justify invasions such as a Census
In statistics: Early anonymization necessary (no geo-coordinates for Census 2011 results)
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

7. Census history Several socio-political movements coincided during
this time and culminated in an anti-Census protest
Fear of a surveillance state aided by computer
technology (“1984”)
Machine readable government issued ID card
NATO dual track decision
New social movements
Environmentalism / Anti-nuclear movement
Peace movement / Squatter movement
Feminism
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

8. Census history Census questionnaires glued on the Berlin Wall in 1987
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

9. Methodology 1987
The traditional way
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

10. Methodology 2011
The use of population registers of every municipality for every inhabitant
A household sample (10% of the population)
statistically correcting errors in the registers
adding information on subjects that the registers do not cover
namely education
but also employment
religious belief (voluntary question)
Finally the housing Census will be conducted among every house or dwelling owner (est million)
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

11. Census communication
Organisation of the press and public relations work
for the Census
Project group on “press and public relations work for the Census”
Federal Statistical Office
14 statistical offices of the Länder
Supervisory authorities of the statistical offices of the Länder
The Federal Ministry of the Interior
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

12. Census communication Why a new communication strategy for the
Major importance for official statistics in general
Much more external effect than any other statistics
Many mouths – but one voice in the public:
Different institutions are involved
Specific German experience made with the population Census in the 1980s
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

13. Census communication Communication Strategy for the Census 2011
Strategy  answer to the question of HOW the census should be communicated
Strategy’s central idea: “dialogue campaign”  communication on equal footing with the entire population and with specific groups
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

14. Census communication
Core elements of the communication strategy for the Census 2011
Do not communicate the census as a government action
Primarily communicate it as a specific statistical issue
Purpose of the census is explained in a comprehensible way
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

15. Census communication Five central maxims of the communication
Tactical intelligence in all political and communicative decisions!
Serious tonality for all communication measures!
Communication on equal footing in each target group!
Innovative ways of addressing the target groups!
No relevant information is denied to the public
Use and securing of positive image of “official” statistics as a serious, credible and trustworthy information provider
Transparent dialogue at any time!
Talk to each target group on the basis of the legal requirements and to take seriously their needs and proposals
It must be checked when, and how, which target group should be addressed by which actor
Innovative character to attract attention for the subject-related topic
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

16. Census communication Three phases of the communication
Positivisation/ information
Activation/ co-operation
Attention/ awareness
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

17. Census communication 1. Communication strategy
(Optional) implementation of measures
1. Communication strategy
2. Communication concept for the specialised actors
Logo and corporate design
3. Communication concept for the political actors
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

18. Census communication Corporate Design
KNOWING WHAT WILL COUNT TOMORROW (claim of the German 2011 census campaign)
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

19. Census communication
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

20. Census communication Planned measures Press conferences
Flyer and booklets
Advertisements
Posters
TV and radio advertising
Online Ad`s
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

21. Census communication
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

22. Census communication
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

23. Census communication Workshop for journalists
In August 2010 in the most important media cities
Hamburg
Leipzig
Frankfurt
Köln
München
Berlin
Thomas Riede
Mai 19

24. Discussion Federal Statistical Office of Germany
Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 11
65189 Wiesbaden
Germany
Thomas Riede
Thomas Riede
Mai 19