Distinctive Dispatch #11: Better comms for people, places and work
Tackling businesses' five biggest headaches - download our guide; delivering complex messages clearly; supporting better business engagement.
Well done, firstly, on navigating January. We’re pleased to have it in our rear-view mirror, with an eventful, productive few months ahead of us. Thanks for supporting this newsletter. It’s been great to see subscriber numbers grow over the past year. We hope it’s useful. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, or feel free to get in touch.
Reputation remedies: how comms can ease corporate headaches
“Reputation really matters, more now than ever before.”
A contact working for a leading housebuilder shared this comment during a recent discussion about challenges facing businesses today.
As a comms person, it was refreshing and reassuring to hear. ‘Of course it matters!’ we say. But we also found it wasn’t just us saying this. This comment matched other participants’ feedback in our recent research into what these challenges are.
We surveyed and spoke with built environment professionals, to gain their insights into their biggest concerns and the extent to which that effective communications can address them.
We gleaned views from different professions – planners, architects, surveyors, leaders of diverse teams - working mostly at senior levels. Issues raised were strikingly similar, pointing perhaps to the scale of the big challenges facing us.
They included unpredictable economic, political, and social changes which place pressure on teams and make doing business harder. Fuzzy government policy and the upcoming general election can add to this uncertainty and create a sense of drift.
Lack of funding also poses a challenge, affecting everything from infrastructure projects to retaining staff in local authorities.
And reputation management remains a delicate but important aspect for businesses (and we didn’t prompt this). Issues like disputes, claims of ‘greenwash’, or quality concerns can be devastating if not managed correctly.
A rocky path to progress
We don’t want to be bleak in the face of these challenges. We know they’re real. But we also see up close some fantastic examples of successful businesses and projects progressing in the teeth of these headwinds.
They’re succeeding, in our view, because they are focused, determined and clear about what makes them stand them stand out. Their statements match their actions, which make them credible. They’re connected to their stakeholders and visible in their communities, which make them real. They hold their hands up when things don’t go as planned, which make them human. Ultimately, this helps them to get things done, which helps people trust them.
Reputation plays a vital role in supporting this success. And in challenging times, as our contact says, that’s probably more important than ever.
We’re committed to helping our clients navigate choppy waters.
Our research informed a guide called ‘How PR can address the built environment’s five biggest challenges’. You can download a copy below. We’d love to hear how you’re addressing them.
And if you fancy a chat, drop us a line.
Why clear, transparent communication matters
Delivering complex, unusual projects during a pandemic, with Brexit and inflation in the background, is challenging.
These challenges played out in recent media coverage about the nuclear power station under construciton at Hinkley Point C. The coverage concerned confirmed changes to its delivery programme. The Sunday Times asked: ‘Why can’t we build a nuclear power station?’ alongside an image of one of Europe’s biggest civil engiineering projects under construction.
Project delays create interest. Those who question investing in nuclear energy will feel their concerns are validated by this latest update.
Meanwhile, many talented, dedicated people are getting on with the task of delivering something spectacular and transformative, for our economy, energy capacity, and our region.
We strongly support this work, and were struck by the clarity of EDF’s statement which explains it.
And we are proud to support the South West’s efforts to decarbonise and stabilise our energy supply.
Things we’ve seen
BBC bias: does public perception make for reality? – Sky News: Kay Burley questions Culture Secretary, Lucy Frazer, about public perceptions of BBC bias. Last week saw headlines about an imminent clampdown on the BBC, with complaints to Ofcom about impartiality jumping to 39% of all concerns raised, up from 19% the previous year. Burley’s question about whether the perception of bias amounts to reality touches on a key point of a febrile debate. We can expect more of this in the media throughout the year.
Things we’ve read
One in five councils say they will be insolvent by next year – but Westminster doesn’t seem to want to talk about it – John Harris: This piece in The Guardian appeared just before I heard an update from Somerset Council to local businesses about the desperate state of its finances, which leave it with a £100m shortfall. Somerset resident Harris sets out the challenge facing councils across the country.
Why a 99 per cent mortgage means a high proportion of trouble – New Statesman: Repeat after us: you won’t solve the housing crisis by subsidising demand.
Things we’ve heard
The Post Office scandal: a failure of the press? – The Media Show: Despite regular reporting of the Post Office Scandal over the past 15 years, the issue only became mainstream after the ITV drama sparked public outrage. Journalists involved in covering the scandal and people caught up in it discuss the scandal’s recent media prominence.
Things we’ve said
Building success in 2024: Five ways PR can unlock your development’s value: This blog had plenty of views since our January newsletter, so we’re sharing it again here given the subjects covered above.
Building better business engagement through storytelling: Thanks to Business West for asking us to help them shape the story of their work to create a bold new plan for skills across three parts of the South West. This piece explains how we supported them. As a business that’s committed to learning, we look forward to continuing the conversation.
See you again in March. If you’d like to share or discuss anything before the next edition, please leave a comment or drop us a line.