Modern organisation meets people online

The Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention EHYT publishes a lot of material on prevention of substance abuse on the eDocker Publishing platform. The role of digital communications is growing and getting more and more emphasis among NGOs.

The Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention EHYT communicates actively through many different channels. Employees of the association encounter people online in discussions and events, giving out information, marketing, and distributing materials. The internet and mobile team of 10 employees also plans mobile games and different kinds of applications.

"This field requires monitoring and listening to the outside world. For instance, we need to delve into groups and communities", says Mikko Vainio, expert at EHYT in encountering and communications.

Solid collaborative partner

EHYT began its collaboration with eDocker in late 2013. The association uses the eDocker CREATE! and eDocker PUBLISH! services. EHYT uses eDocker solutions to publish many different kinds of materials on substance abuse prevention, such as research and publications, in one application. The ease of use of the eDocker publishing platform is why eDocker was selected as a partner.

"It is important that office personnel can publish material independently. We have many units and projects, and many employees need to be capable of using the system", Mikko Vainio says.

Collaboration with eDocker has proceeded very well.

"The collaboration has been unusually smooth; eDocker has been a staunch and easy collaborative partner. They clearly have their systems and processes in place. If we have had tough questions, answers have always been delivered quickly", Mikko Vainio says.

The publishing platform used by EHYT is a version of the eDocker PUBLISH!  platform that is specifically customised for associations. In the future the aim will be also to publish material produced by associations that collaborate with EHYT.

Future is digital

Mikko Vainio feels that the role of digital communications is growing and standing out in the organisational world all the time.

"Digital communications have an important role in various campaigns. As an organisation we are moving forward in developing digital communications", Mikko Vainio ponders.

Good examples of successful digital communications include, in his opinion, the Ottomitta application, which can be download by anyone onto a smartphone. People are able to monitor their personal alcohol consumption, as well as online discussions with young people in the social media and the gaming world with Ottomitta.

"The eDocker platform has great significance in putting our work forward also in various social media platforms", Vainio adds.

About half of all communications of the association are now in digital form. Print communications account for the other half.

In Mikko Vainio's view, a problem that the organisational field has in the digital world is that the organisations are not sufficiently marketing the content they produce. Employees do not show their skills digitally in the arenas of the social media.

"Communications cannot be produced exclusively by communications workers. The entire organisation needs to communicate. The challenge for the future is to communicate in the correct way and with the correct media. This is also the basis for the shared publishing platform", Mikko Vainio points out.

"The biggest advantages of digital communications are cost-effectiveness and a greater number of encounters compared to the print. - People need to be encountered where they already are - online," Mikko says.

The Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention EHYT

• The association does substance abuse prevention work among children and young people, young adults and grown ups. Online communications and activities are an important part of this work.

• Founded on 1 June 2011 when three NGOs joined forces: Finnish Association for Healthy Lifestyles, Finnish Health Association NGO, and EOPH signed an agreement to merge their activities from 1 January 2012.

• The central office is in Helsinki, and activities cover all of Finland.

• There are more than 60 employees, 15 of whom work in different parts of Finland.

• The annual budget is EUR 5 million. The main source of funding is the Finnish Slot Machine Association.

• Values: dialogue, being a forerunner, reliability, equality, and participation.