ECB showcases global central bank visual communication strategies
Central banks worldwide are increasingly using visuals to explain complex monetary policy to the public. The ECB Blog showcases creative examples from five continents, aiming to boost understanding and credibility.
Bridging the attention gap with visual stories
Central banks face a 'poverty of attention' in today's information-rich world, making effective communication with the general public challenging.
To influence economic behavior and maintain stability, central banks must engage a broader audience, despite the complexity of monetary policy.
Research shows consumer inflation expectations significantly impact policy transmission, and clear communication enhances credibility.
Globally, central banks are adopting visual communication and plain language, leveraging the brain's rapid processing of images to capture attention, tell stories, and foster understanding across diverse audiences.
A global canvas of communication innovation
Central banks globally are adopting diverse visual strategies.
From Africa, Uganda uses local language summaries.
Asia sees Japan's creative metaphors and the Philippines' multi-language 'MPR Snapshots'.
Oceania's New Zealand offers interactive 'Monetary Policy Snapshots'.
In the Americas, Chile and Paraguay use illustrations, while Jamaica produces 'Inflation Watch' videos.
Europe's Bank of England leads with 'intelligible icons'.
The ECB, post-2021 strategy review, now offers 'Monetary policy statement at a glance' in 24 EU languages, significantly expanding its social media reach to 15,000 Instagram users.