June 2020
Tuesday 23 June 2020.
Community Foundation Techies in Residence launches ‘Design Hops’ to support VCSE Sector online.
The Community Foundation has today, 30 June 2020, announced a new approach to its 5th round of Techies in Residence, an innovative programme which matches local charities and social enterprises with digital technology partners, which is set to launch later this week. The programme, which has enabled over 25 groups since its inception, is focused on creating powerful change within communities through digital technology. Based on its work so far, the Foundation believes that digital technology holds huge potential to help the VCSE sector develop new innovative solutions to address challenges and issues. This challenge has become even more evident in light of the outbreak of COVID 19 with many organisations grappling with the shift to digital working – and how best to respond to it.
This year’s Techies in Residence will have a two phased approach, with an initial set of rolling ‘Online Design Hop’ events planned for 23 July, 6 and 20 August, and then following participation in one of these online sessions, those who feel they have a project ready to take forward with a digital technology partner, can then apply for the Techies in Residence programme which will run from 4th August - 10th September.
The Design Hops will focus on the ‘co-design’ element of the programme and enable participants to explore some of the challenges they face as an organisation. From these, participants can then decide to take their worked-up idea forward to the delivery stage working with a digital technology partner.
Funded by Comic Relief six groups completed the programme last year and competed for a share of a £25,000 seed fund to progress their prototype to the next stage. PPR (Participation & the Practice of Rights) one of the successful groups was awarded £5,000 to develop their ‘Housing Rights Watch” app. The app allows members of the public to directly apply to the Housing Executive Chief Executive for official homeless status, utilising their formal complaints process and has been developed in response to an increasing volume of homeless people who are without official Full Duty Applicant Status.
Commenting on their experience within Techies in Residence, Marissa Mc Mahon, an organiser with human rights organisation PPR, said;
“We found the programme really beneficial, and it has really helped us improve the support we provide. Since launching the app we have been able to support more homeless people who were denied official homeless status until we intervened. They are the tip of the iceberg. Many more homeless people have no support at all and will spend weeks, months and years in hostels waiting for recognition. In the meantime Housing Rights Watch will be rolling out in hostels providing support to homeless people to claim their rights.”
Paul Braithwaite, Head of Innovation and Voice at the Community Foundation, added;
“COVID19 has really hit the VCSE sector hard. Everyone has had to rapidly adapt to new ways of working with digital technology central to that. As we come through the initial emergency phase Techies in Residence provides an excellent opportunity for VCSE organisations to drive forward their own digital transformation and work with the best tech talent here to create great new digital products and services benefiting individuals and communities. This year the Design Hops are the first step, or ‘hop’, into exploring the role of digital in charitable services. By demystifying technology and design, and placing the focus on people not tech, this free workshop and follow-up support will help those interested to start their digital journey on the right foot.”
Penny Yewers, Senior Adviser for Social Tech at Comic Relief added:
“We are all too aware of the challenges charities have faced in trying to ensure vital support continues to reach the most vulnerable people and communities throughout lockdown. For many, this has meant adopting digital-led solutions. As a programme which supports the development of exciting tech solutions to social challenges, while enabling charities to adapt to the everchanging needs they are facing; we are delighted to be investing in the Techies in Residence programme once again this year.”
Application for the scheme will are now open and will close on 15 July 2020. For further information on Techies In Residence visit www.communityfoundationni.org or contact the Community Foundation paul.braithwaite@communityfoundationni.org
Golden Thread Gallery commissioned Mackle Communications to manage the Communications and Marketing Strategy
Golden Thread Gallery commissioned Mackle Communications to manage the Communications and Marketing Strategy, including event organisation and coordination for Radio Relay.
Radio Relay was co-commissioned by Golden Thread Gallery and 14-18 NOW, as part of the series of WW1 Centenary Commissions during 2014-2018. Commenting on the project delivery from Mackle Communications, Peter Richards, Director, says.
“Golden Thread Gallery commissioned Mackle Communications to lead on the Communications and Marketing Strategy for Radio Relay, a project co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW as part of the series of WW1 Centenary Commissions. Working with Maurica Mackle, we were able to deliver a highly successful series of events across key locations in Belfast and Bangor, with Maurica bringing her expertise, and passion for arts to the project. Maurica not only delivered a strong Communications and Marketing plan, but she also engaged Radio Relay to new audiences and stakeholders, and created additional event opportunities, in the form of a guest speaker led launch event, involving the NI Radio Society.
Maurica proactively created opportunities for wider engagement with Mid Ulster Amateur Radio, and The National Trust. Maurica delivered a very successful multimedia campaign, working with 14-18 NOW and ensuring strong links with their PR agency, ensuring all messaging and PR planning was aligned and delivered with a very sleek style. Maurica really immersed herself in the project and became a key member of the delivery team for Radio Relay and was an important contributor to its overall success and awareness, with thousands participating in workshops, at events or online.”
Background
Radio Relay was the first Northern Ireland co commission by Golden Thread Gallery and 14-18 NOW, as part of the series of WW1 Centenary Commissions taking place during 2014-2018. Golden Thread Gallery secured funding for a series of brand-new commissions by a range of artists exploring the role of radio and communications in the war, and its impact on today. Six artists, led by Scottish Grahame Fagan were commissioned, to deliver a series of pieces heavily focused on audio, and with a strong visual presence. From the world's first radio broadcast during the Easter Rising in 1916 to the first trench-radio experiments in the Battle of the Somme in July 1916 - radio technology has played a key role. A centenary of Radio Relay was devised to use radio to explore past narratives and communicate through channels that still have resonance today. The culmination of the works was to be a weekend of events (Saturday and Sunday), with a series of workshops and stakeholder engagement opportunities during the project’s delivery.
Project objectives:
· To deliver a series of artist led events over 17-20 June weekend with support from Mackle Communications
· To raise awareness of events and drive footfall, and public engagement to events
· To create discussions and awareness around the role and importance of radio and communications during the war
· To create opportunities for reminiscence of the role of radio and war
· To engage new audiences around arts through Radio Relay
· To ensure that 1418 NOW as a co commission were given appropriate voice and coverage through media.
What we did?
From appointment Mackle Communications worked closely with Golden Thread Gallery and 1418 NOW to agree communications and make sure all messages and delivery were aligned (as there were many UK based events taking place too). The events, led by artists were to be presented as for everyone, not just for art lovers, but for older people who remembered the War, and for families and children interested in war, and communications on a broad scale. It was agreed that all communications, led by Macke Communications would be fresh, relevant, and where possibly quirky, to secure attention and achieve access to new audiences. Mackle Communications working with the Radio Society for NI, proposed an additional event based on the history of radio as a good way to engage radio enthusiasts, and the media (many of whom are active members), so this was combined with a launch event extending the weekend of activities to three days. Once agreed, Mackle Communications managed and successfully delivered all above and below the line campaigns and media profiling, providing spokespersons, and working with U105 Frank Mitchell, successfully creating a debate on radio in days gone by.
The delivery of the events over the three days, and all supporting communications and marketing was agreed with Golden Thread Gallery, and supported with regular, weekly calls or meetings, to ensure all deliverables and deadlines were being met. As the event evolved, Mackle Communications, secured access to National Trust property, engaged Mid Ulster Amateur Radio club, and engaged and secured a guest speaker talk from the NI Radio Society adding additional event value to the client. For Radio Relay, a launch video was commissioned, and used to launch the event, and photos were undertaken to launch and announce the event to media, carried in regional press.
http://www.goldenthreadgallery.co.uk/events/the-garden/?v=79cba1185463
Mackle Communications sold in the events to radio media, as this was a radio focused series of events, and this wagered with the client. Radio coverage was secured across BBC, U105 and Belfast 89FM, (Cool FM was not the agreed target audience). Print media was secured with Irish News, and online media through Culture NI, as well as a number of key social media opportunities with U015 and Golden Thread Gallery posts during the event securing a combined reach of over 110,000 plus over 4000 views for videos uploaded.
A weekly teleconference took place with the project team, and fortnight meetings with the team, and where required the artists. Mackle Communications provided weekly email reports to the client and kept both 1418NOW and Golden Thread Gallery fully updated on progress, issues, and mitigation. A delivery action plan, led by Mackle Communications, was reviewed weekly for RAG status. Mackle Communications was on hand throughout the weekend.
Extern, first all-Ireland conference for 330 stakeholders
Extern, first all-Ireland conference for 330 stakeholders - all Ireland social justice charity
Mackle Communications has worked with Extern since 2015. We were asked to deliver the first Extern all-Ireland conference to over 330 members of staff and Board Members. A huge success, then Chair, Derek McCabe, said the following of working with Mackle Communications on the project.
“We are thrilled to work with Mackle Communications as our Communications Consultants for Extern. When we asked Maurica to organise our first ever all-Ireland conference, bringing staff together from as far away as Limerick, Dublin, Belfast, Fermanagh, and Londonderry, over two days, she more than exceeded our expectations. Not content with a conference, we also challenged Mackle Communications, to refresh and deliver in time for the conference our new Extern brand – and it was all delivered perfectly, and to our very high standards.
“The conference, venue, arrangements, catering, briefings for speakers, team workshops and entire running and logistics was smooth and very enjoyable. She even created a video for the conference, shared with staff on the day, which created a huge positive buzz from the outset, and was then issued to regional stakeholders, and media. Maurica was on hand throughout the two-day conference delivering all support plus media profile online and press to raise awareness of our event. We are already planning our next bigger, and better event with Mackle Communications.’
Background
Extern has 450 staff across 40 locations in Ireland and has suffered historically from a lack of senior engagement and therefor a lot of ‘silo’ working among projects. The purpose of the conference, and all communications delivery was to bring staff into one place, to engage, mix with other projects, learn about works being undertaken within the wider charity, and raise awareness internally, and externally of the huge successes Extern is achieving.
Project objectives:
· To deliver Externs first ever all-Ireland conference to staff and Board members.
· To bring all Extern staff together to unify the team, after a significant period of transition and expansion.
· To position new Extern strategy and ‘One Extern’ mission and ambition moving towards delivery of 2016-2020 strategy.
· To clearly communicate the Extern strategy and engage staff on future vision and delivery to 2020.
What we did?
From the outset Mackle Communications agreed that the tone of the conference would be positive, engaging, celebrating, and somewhat stretching – encouraging and in places affirming the new strategy and the focus of ‘One Extern’ all staff working to the key charity values of leading, enterprising, ambitious, collaborating, and forward thinking. This in itself requiring a change in mind set from the outset. As this was an all-Ireland conference, and Extern is public sector funded, Mackle Communications proposed that the Minister for Communities (NI) and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, (RoI) both funding Departments to Extern, be approached to attend as keynote speakers. This was agreed, and we led on communications with both departments.
An internal communications plan was created to raise awareness of the conference, encourage attendance (from an initially sceptical low base), and ensure staff were aware that this was a significant investment and focus for the charity so that there was a strong requirement for attendance, an opportunity to engage colleagues, and importantly, active participation. A weekly email to all staff updated on progress, logistics, and encouraged staff to participate by sharing successes on projects.
The conference lay out was agreed with the CEO and Senior Team. Hosted by a Board Member each day, the conference would mix information, forward planning, fun and engagement, and allow staff plenty of time to chat and mix through each other as a large ’One Extern’ team.4 slots were set aside for each day for staff to share examples of how their projects were acting as exemplars of the ‘One Extern’ approach’ and the challenge within this was to get a good all Ireland, project spread.
The delivery of the conference, running order and speakers were agreed with Extern at the outset, with a wish list for two Ministers, one NI, and one RoI over the two days. As the event evolved, Mackle Communications, managed the entire event and delivery working with Extern, ensuring buy in at all times. A video was commissioned, and used to launch the conference on both days, it was also shared to key stakeholders, Board Members and through social media channels to Externs followers.
The key ‘One Extern’ strategy document launched at the conference was then issued to all MLA’s, TD’s, local Councils CEO’s, and Chairs/Mayors x 32 counties, with requests to meet and discuss Extern’s strategy delivery for 2020. This resulted in 4 MLA meetings, 3 TD requests for meetings, a meeting with the Minister for Health (NI), a launch event with the Minister for Children and Young People, and letters of support from a number of Councils.
Mackle Communications sold in the conference and the ‘One Extern’ focus and vision to media, with success across regional media especially, as the charity is located across 40 sites. An offer for radio media on Radio Ulster, BBC Nolan show, came as a result of the sell in, featuring the Director of Supporting Communities.
A key delivery team, led by Mackle Communications worked with the venue, design agency, admin support and Directorates to ensure all planning and logistics were in place. A delivery action plan, led by Mackle Communications, was reviewed weekly for RAG status, and any major decisions, or amendments (e.g., when Ministers were unable to speak, sourcing alternative high profile speakers) were agreed by Mackle Communications.
Outcomes
A follow up survey to all staff highlighted that over 78% of staff thought the conference was either excellent or very good, with 82% feeling they ‘knew more about what Extern does and the strategy’ as a result of the conference.
Marble Arch Caves UNESCO Global Geopark
Cavan County Council & Fermanagh and Omagh District Council delivery of new brand for Marble Arch Caves UNESCO Global Geopark – the first transnational Geopark in the world.
Full Communications/ Engagement Strategy delivered led by Maurica Mackle as the Account Director/ Communications Lead and brand delivery led through Circle Creative Communications, Darren Lyttle as Senior Designer (proposed to deliver this brand tender) leading out on the delivery of the Geopark tender.
Description and scope of the services provided by the Tenderer: Brand Research and Development of new brand name for Europe’s first Transnational Geopark based across Counties Cavan and Fermanagh, to include creation of new brand, brand guidelines, brand style guide, Communications & Marketing Strategy, and 3-year marketing plan.
Scope of Services provided: Research Consultants undertook detailed research on Geoparks globally, and segmentation analysis of users/ consumer brand perception, behaviours and attitudes and comparator brands and experiences across Geoparks globally, and incorporated internal employee stakeholder and previous Council research, Council strategy and Tourism NI, Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland strategy into our desk research.
Stakeholder Engagement - Consultants created and managed all stakeholder engagement and consultation, undertaking broad consultations with over 120 stakeholders across a 2 week online survey, and 10 face to face meetings with over 100 identified stakeholders including stakeholders across business, conservation, education, business tourism, business, experiential tourism and staff from both Councils (online due to Covid restrictions) gathering detailed quantitative and qualitative research during a further 2 week period. Survey and consultations examined existing position, explored future ambition linked to mission statement, core objectives and strategic pillars of the Geoparks future development, and used as a baseline for brand strategy development.
Brand development - Following consultations and research, consultants created brand insights document with synopsis of key feedback, including brand big idea, brand value proposition, brand pyramid (incorporating brand essence, values, personality, emotional and rational benefits, and brand attributes). Consultants developed brand cognisant of existing UNESCO and Council brands and requirements, and the need for wider brand relationship with local tourism (Fermanagh Lakelands), conservation (National Trust) and business brands in the Counties. In development consultants ensured key stakeholders across Council staff, UNESCO representatives, Elected Council Representatives and Committees, Tourism, Conservation and Business stakeholders were consulted, engaged, and actively helped shape the overall brand proposition and final brand to sign off. Consultants undertook staff consultations as part of brand development exercise and a staff forum was created to ensure employee engagement from the outset.
Segmentation – Consultants developed Segmentation plan supporting the brand insights. Identified key target audiences, and stakeholder profiles were developed alongside examples of the brand across multiple user products and platforms. The aforementioned segmentation strategy incorporated all stakeholders across business, community, education, industry, tourism, employees in brand delivery and development. A segmentation plan is now in place.
Communications Strategy – Developed Communications & Marketing Strategy for roll out of Geopark brand including, lexicon style, photography, videography, and drone style, and provided detailed segmentation plan to underpin marketing, audiences, and brand engagement.
Training on brand delivery and social media training - Once complete, consultants delivered training to employees and local stakeholders on brand assets delivery and benefits. Employees were taken through brand guidelines and brand usage training for marketing, media and online (socials and web). Brand guidelines are in place for all staff.
Additional value - Consultants ensured a fully flexible service was provided to Client at all times, and undertook consultations in evenings to Council members, and stakeholders. Consultants incorporated a Geopark Boundary Consultation (this was an additional agreed piece of work, not part of the brief which we recommended incorporating, saving the client time and cost) into the contract timeframe at the request of the Council, given the Council level of confidence in the consultants approach and project management. Additionally, consultants suggested and agreed with Client the creation of a working group with web provider (separate company) to ensure the web company was aware of brand strategy delivery in scoping out web requirements (as opposed to waiting final brand, as there was a tight deadline for the web project). During contract consultants used PR, media, social and web to ensure awareness and opportunity to engage in brand development to all citizens. Consultants worked with web company on embedding brand into new website for Geopark.
The approach undertaken with this tender mimic the key requirements of the Cranstoun tender, focusing on research, meaningful and detailed stakeholder engagement, creation of brand insights, brand platform, new brand name, brand idea and brand proposition, and its roll out across a broad range of key, influential stakeholders. It was delivered remotely, and client feedback has been exceptionally positive about the whole project experience.
Voice of Young People in Care in Northern Ireland (VOYPIC)
Voice of Young People in Care in Northern Ireland (VOYPIC)
Care Day, the world’s biggest celebration of children and young people with care experience, took place on 15 February 2019. A joint initiative between five charities across the U.K. and Ireland, led by VOYPIC in Northern Ireland. VOYPIC wanted to deliver a strong stakeholder engagement, profile, and awareness of Care Day 2019, culminating in a large celebration event in Belfast. Mackle Communications was approached 4 weeks prior to deliver an integrated campaign.
Strategy
A combined Communications and Stakeholder Strategy was created. Mackle Communications worked with VOYPIC to identify 400 stakeholders across Health, Politics, Media, Funders, and the Care sector.
Objectives agreed to:
- raise awareness of young people in care who can thrive and have a fulfilled future
- destigmatise young people in care as ‘trouble’
- celebrate those who care for and support young people
- drive enquiries from new care families
- provide young people in care with a voice
Tactics
- 400 packs issued to stakeholders inviting them to participate in Care Day
- Key stakeholders invited to Care Day event including politicians, care families, carers, children in care and funders
- Media briefings across Health and Education highlighting success stories in Care, with young people and carers available for interview, handpicked and supported by social workers
- Media interviews held in carer homes to provide ‘the real family’ sense and ensure relaxed media experiences
Outputs
From 13-19 February, over 2.2m opportunities were created to see or hear about Care Day
- Coverage featured carers, children in care or who had successfully succeeded as a result of VOYPIC support
- BBC Newsline linked live to the event (Video has been viewed 19k times,
https://www.facebook.com/BBCNewsline/videos/1479350242195219/)
Examples of media
https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/national-care-day-my-foster-15830896
- We successfully started a conversation on Care linked to #caretotalk, #caretoconnect
- Facebook 16,763 reach +141%, Likes +143%, Post Engagements +143%
- Twitter 68,100 impressions, +113.1%, 237 mentions +259%, top Care Day tweet earning 8981-page impressions
- #careday19 trended in Northern Ireland on 15 February
- 75 events were held, a 25% growth in 2018
- The Care Day event sold out with 409 attendees, a 22% growth in attendance on 2018
- All of the young people who performed at the event were care experienced.
- Event enquiries +100% more than anticipated
- A video was created and has enabled further stakeholder engagement following the event https://vimeo.com/318239199
The TV/Radio/Online news/Print spread was very focused on the carer and the young person in care and included.
• 9 February BBC Radio Ulster, John Toal Show, interview with care family Andrew and his daughter Emma, BBC weekly listenership 524,000
• 11 February, Irish News, interview with carer Bridie and her two care sons Aaron and Gerard, readership, 39,000
• 15 February Belfast Live, article on Ryan who is in care, Readership, 247,000
• 15 February, Caroline Fleck interview with Caoimhe who is in care, Downtown Radio, (4 minutes) Listenership, 328,000
• 15 February, Frank Mitchell Show with carer Julie and her care son Adam (6 minutes plus Removed reading) 256,000 listenership
• BBC Newsline linked live to the event for (Video has since been viewed 19k times,https://www.facebook.com/BBCNewsline/videos/1479350242195219/)
* A Belfast Telegraph article was lost due to client withdrawing during interview for personal reasons, this was absolutely the right decision for all involved.
Outcomes
- VOYPIC reported a 69% increase in new referrals, directly linked to Care Day
- Year on Year referrals saw an increase of 12%, directly linked to Care Day
We have just entered this project for a CIPR Award for 2019.
Extern
Extern appointed Barry Funston to work alongside Maurica Mackle to secure £1m in non-restrictive funding for the Charity in 2019.
Extern has 450 staff across 40 locations in Ireland and has suffered historically from a lack of external awareness given the nature of its work, meaning it is heavily reliant on public sector funding. The CEO was keen, alongside the Board to transition Extern into a relevant, key charity, and raise awareness of its works, and secure partnerships with non-restrictive funding to help the charity deliver its works, raise its profile, and look at how it could take its model further than Ireland. The purpose of the conference, and all communications delivery was to bring staff into one place, to engage, mix with other projects, learn about works being undertaken within the wider charity, and raise awareness internally, and externally of the huge successes Extern is achieving.
Works commences across a number of areas, and a proposed strategic direction was presented and approved by the Board in 2019. Immediately works commenced to deliver on the agreed objectives.
- Delivered a fundraising strategy for Extern
- Delivered over £1m in funding and support to Extern during this time
- Secured Ulster Rugby and Danske Bank as charity partners – with a value of circa £300,000 to Extern
- Secures unrestricted funding totalling circa £750,000 within 18 months.
- Assisted developing internal fundraising processes
Alongside Maurica Mackle undertook development of further brand light touch refresh for positioning and relevance, and on the direction of the CEO (since 2015), set about looking to engage with the NIO to raise awareness of Externs works across Ireland and its importance in the core areas of its delivery, namely – young people and families, homelessness, mental health, and addiction. A strategy to secure a Royal Visit was developed and in 2016 Maurica Mackle engaged with NIO and the Irish Government to sew the seed. Continued meetings updated and positioning of the charity to the NIO and Irish Government, alongside updates on the success and growth of Extern, meant that in early 2019 the first of two visits to Extern were secured, with young people being front and centre of the delivery. National and International media coverage of both visits to Fermanagh in 2019 and Kildare in 2020 have really made a significant impact on Extern’s profile, awareness, and desire for engagement, which underpinned the fundraising strategic approach to. Worked alongside Maurica Mackle, Mackle Communications to deliver 2 Royal Visits by HRH Duke & Duchess of Cambridge to Extern Northern Ireland and Extern Ireland (a first ever cross charity visit by a Principal).
Since then, ongoing communications remain in place with the Royal Household who have a huge interest in the works of the charity as a result of their visits secured by Mackle Communications for Extern.
Patient and Client Council
Patient & Client Council
Contract delivery to deliver rebrand for the Patient & Client Council. Delivery of full Communications/Engagement Strategy by Maurica Mackle, Chart PR, Mackle Communications. Maurica fulfilled the role of Account Director/Communications Lead in the contract.
Delivery of new brand and brand guidelines, and roll out across key platforms, online and collateral for Council. The Patient and Client Council wished to create a new brand and brand strategy, led, and owned by membership and staff and wanted to involve its membership base here given the Councils need for members to help deliver its support and advocacy remit. There are 13,000 members registered with the Council.
Research - Research examined current Council brand and existing brand position, explored future ambition linked to Council future strategy and ambition to evolve from being perceived as a ‘complaints’ service to a provider of advice and advocacy to citizens. Consultants agreed with Client to undertake research of comparator Healthcare advocacy provision across Ireland and UK, including analysis of citizen perception, behaviours and attitudes towards health and social care, and patient support (very topical and amplified since March 2019 especially with health and social care so under pressure to cancel appointment and surgeries) and collated same. Consultants met with staff to understand their Patient and Client Council experience and the role they played, and how they felt the organisation should be positioned (as key delivery stakeholders).
Development of Brand Strategy - Brand strategy was to include brand name, brand positioning, brand values including logo and colour palette and detailed brand guidelines and a brand training template for roll out to staff and members. Consultants undertook broad consultations with Patient and Client Council CEO, Senior Management, Board Chair, staff, and membership stakeholders (limited face to face meetings with staff, with consultations mainly online due to Covid restrictions) gathering detailed quantitative and qualitative research. From this a new brand strategy was refined through further focused staff sessions and membership engagement to arrive at 4 agreed brand creative options which were then shared with members via a newsletter and a text vote, with the final brand creative chosen by members. Consultants ensured that members and staff owned from the outset to create maximum brand advocacy, buy in and desire to align with the brand delivery going forward.
Brand delivery – Once membership chose their preferred brand, consultants approved the creation of detailed brand guidelines, including brand essence, brand values, brand proposition, rational and emotional benefits, and brand tone of voice with client. Consultants provided client with brand guidelines and are currently working through brand style for Council language and messaging and undertaking a full review of all marketing collateral to create new collateral with the new brand and lexicon. As a result of the works, Consultants are now undertaking refresh of all existing collateral across literature, marketing, and promotion and online to align with new brand, tone of voice and messaging/ style guide.
Stakeholder Engagement - Consultants took initial brand proposition to staff and Senior Management collectively, to secure buy in from the outset of this being an ‘everyone’ process and approach. Consultants created and presented brand insights document with synopsis of key research findings and feedback, brand big idea, brand value proposition, brand pyramid (incorporating brand essence, values, personality, emotional and rational benefits, and brand attributes). Consultants developed brand cognisant of need for members, (the key external advocates for the Council), to own the brand success and advocate for it. In ensuring this was the case, brand development, once refined by staff and a cohort of members to 4 options was taken to the wider membership for final choice and the final brand for the Patient and Client Council was chosen by its membership, its key external stakeholder. The successful outcomes of this project from the outset required staff, member, Board, and citizen stakeholder engagement. Consultation was undertaken across multiple stakeholders, staff, and members (undertaken remotely due to Covid restrictions).
Delivery - Consultants made brand recommendations to Client cognisant of wider health and social care hierarchy, and the need for wider brand relationship with health and social care ‘family’ across Trusts and Department for Health and for a smooth architectural alignment.
Training - Consultants will deliver brand guidelines training for Council to enable staff to take new brand further to local stakeholders on brand assets delivery and benefits. Training for staff and member advocates to take forward new brand internally, underpinned by an employee and member brand engagement plan will embed the brand internally and with key stakeholders.
Communications Strategy - Client now requires consultants to undertake a refreshed communications strategy to support delivery of new brand strategy to position Council as ‘the voice of the citizen in health and social care in Northern Ireland’ as recommended in new brand proposition to Client.
Added value; Project has enabled PCC to re-engage its membership and create a forum to allow the membership to have an input and ownership of the brand development. The engagement with staff, meant that the brand was delivered with them involved, and created brand leaders within the organisation.
The approach undertaken with this tender mimic the key requirements of the Cranstoun, focusing on research, meaningful and detailed stakeholder engagement, creation of brand insights, brand platform, new brand name, brand idea and brand proposition, and its roll out across a broad range of key, influential stakeholders. It was delivered remotely, and client feedback has been exceptionally positive about the whole project experience.