St Christopher’s has been around since 1870, providing services, homes, foster care and supported housing for children, young people and vulnerable adults. It is working in a volatile and competitive market, bidding for significant public sector contracts to provide vital services. The charity was missing significant opportunities through poor communications. It had no clear communications strategy resulting in inconsistent messages and communications collateral. St Christopher’s needed to start again from scratch but could not do so without the full picture of its current communications. I helped them establish a starting point by conducting a full communications audit:-

• Explored organisational operations, values and future strategy – through interviews with internal and external stakeholders
• Assessed front line communications through staff focus groups
• Researched  and evaluated competitor communications
• Analysed all external communications  and internal communications systems
• Provided an extensive report containing collateral and competitor analyses – with clear recommendations for the future.

St Christopher’s is moving ahead slowly within the constraints of their budget. They’ve made an excellent start by improving their overview materials (top of page) and exhibition collateral (above). They’re also reviewing and improving staff engagement policy.

I could help you do the same……

The Royal Society for the encouragement of arts, manufactures and commerce (RSA) was founded in the 18^th century coffee houses by an entrepreneurial drawing master, William Shipley, who wanted to encourage innovation for the good of society. It gave birth to initiatives as crucial as the penny post, improved education for women, the discovery and import of vital food stuffs and even the public lavatory.

The organisation felt its history was its story and it took some persuading to convince them that whilst this was its licence to operate, it was just one part of its narrative. People also wanted to know what the RSA is and what it does in today’s world.

By interviewing staff, RSA fellows and key stakeholders I identified what it had to sell from its current portfolio and how this related back to its history. As a focus I used the Coffee House Challenge – an RSA debating programme in Starbucks coffee shops which results in innovative community projects. This brought history and current work together and created a platform for showcasing the RSA’s bigger projects. I brought a story telling approach to the organisations communications based on 4 key components:-

• The ‘RSA story’ – explaining who we are
• Shop window – showing what we do through our work
• Showcase – key campaigns
• Plan, review and measure impact

And clear outcomes:-

• one cohesive story with associated tools, targeted media and public affairs
• a programme of targeted proactive/reactive day to day media/parliamentary contact, an expert spokesperson base to establish credibility
• highlights which generate quality coverage and profile and sustain them with story spin-offs and follow-ups
• a joined up, planned approach to RSA communications across the organisation

The RSA still uses this approach to communications. Its story as a key influencer is much clearer and agencies are brought in to promote key projects while the inhouse team run an ongoing programme of pr and promotion. Giving the past its rightful place in an organisation’s story doesn’t happen over night but, by focusing on the present and future more clearly the RSA now has a much better chance of survival in today’s world. You only have to see Matthew Taylor’s video introduction to the organisation to see how it works in practice.

I could do that for you……

pfeg was a successful but tiny charity before funding from the Financial Services Authority enabled it to grow to a staff of 60 – in 5 regional offices throughout England.

It had no designated communications staff and had been doing its best to market its services with reactive media relations, an unwieldy website and basic corporate literature.

My initial communications audit and stakeholder research revealed that pfeg’s communications were not doing it justice and were holding it back in terms of marketing valuable and much-needed services.

After talking to pfeg’s key audiences I devised both national and regional communications strategies.

It now has everything in place to maintain an ongoing communications programme:-

• I devised key messages and a media strategy which enable pfeg to feel confident about talking to the right regional journalists and use pr agencies for national launches.
• I helped the charity audit and exploit the whole wealth of exhibitions and conferences in the market place to make its presence felt.
• I refreshed the charity’s brand, look and feel and tone of voice revising its collateral to give pfeg a modern, business-like image whilst maintaining its charitable ethos.

All pfeg’s materials now look and sound as if they belong to the same family, including pfeg’s website, where I’ve tamed the vast array of text to create a fresh, new site which works intuitively for its users.

To ensure consistency I’ve provided brand guidelines and house style to keep pfeg on track.

To help pfeg raise its game I’ve introduced new communications channels like corporate video and podcasts and the charity now has a fresh, modern and professional approach to communicating with its audiences.

I could do that for you……