Defining The Public Service brand

It is too simplistic to say that public service organizations should be like private companies when it comes to developing a brand. Public service bodies are often more complex organisations serving a much more diverse customer base. They are driven by wholly different objectives to making profits.Private companies have the flexibility and freedom to change their brand, merge with others and discontinue unpopular or unprofitable products. Statutory authorities are bound by ethical limits, the ethos of public service and political necessities, on how they should operate. Logos and symbols are important, but they don't represent the reputation of the organisation. That is defined by the people in it and the way they behave.

The perception of the UDC’s brand can be divided into a set of key components:

• its overall purpose: what's it there to do?
• the values that underpin it: what drives it to do the things it does?
• the key messages: what is it saying about what it can offer?
• it's delivery: does it give people what it promises?
• the behaviour of its staff: how does it treat customers, and its own people?
• the 'look and feel' of how it goes about its business

In the same way that good communication is the responsibility of all staff, not just communications specialists, brand management is a job for more than just the in-house designers or communications team. It should be defined, managed and reviewed by its top team with expert advice from communications specialists. Most importantly, it should define and link to the corporate communications and marketing strategy and to internal culture change and communications.

What motivates and stimulates people?

Local/regional government’s been spectacularly unsuccessful in engaging people. Genuine desire to engage means serious consultation – not lip-service – and feeding back the results of the process. Adopt a new concept which we call – ‘Cultivating a Content Community’ – focusing on human well-being and showing how real engagement can result in better quality of life for all. Drop the opaque political patois of strategic regeneration & long-term economic planning. And talk in terms that are meaningful to people.

The old assumption that people who’re disengaged or excluded from the democratic process are stimulated by elevated talk of a growing economy is fantasy. People want evidence of achievable change they can see and feel, giving them happier, more fulfilled lives. Personal well-being isn’t the same as economic well-being.

Evidence:

MORI recently published a survey showing the clear link between public satisfaction, high performance ratings and good communications. The findings showed that public service bodies which were graded ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ by the Audit Commission had concentrated more resources on engaging communities than those with lower ratings

IT’S NOT THE ECONOMY STUPID!

In Britain we work too many hours trying to buy our way out of the unhappiness caused by having little or no time to spend with our families and friends – it’s a grinding treadmill. So what does all this mean for our communications approach – clearly that we must consult people at all levels – civic education. One-way communication sends you up a dead-end - two-ways get you to your destination.

The challenge:

Positive PR influences attitudes and shapes community culture. We can create a sense of shared, mutual interests. For instance many people don’t feel the effects of a flourishing local economy and are much more likely to be impressed by achieving a better balance between work and home life, or seeing better health and school facilities. Significant research exists showing that after basic needs are met, additional material wealth has little impact on life satisfaction. What makes us happy is having an optimistic outlook that our jobs are sustainable, our communities are intact, our homes will be affordable, our sport and other interests are catered for and therefore our personal relations within the family and neighbourhoods are relieved of strain.

“Imagine”:

Let’s be imaginative in our approach. SELFRIDGE COMMUNICATIONS has pioneered a very effective community participation protocol called “Imagine”

Imagine is a concept birthed in the United States where it’s described as “Appreciative Inquiry” and it’s been tried and tested with great success by a number of UK authorities (Ryedale Council in Yorkshire). Its approach is to build a vision using effective communications tools, to focus people’s attention on success. There’s a lot of skill in devising the questions which are designed to encourage people to tell stories from their own experience of what works in their lives. By seeing what works and exploring why, we can imagine and construct our strategy for the future

Imagine is highly effective in engaging and including disparate, widely dispersed communities, ethnic minorities, hard-to-reach groups such as disabled residents and young people, all with their differing dynamics in an on-going consultation process leading to overarching planning aims.

• Establish an active Consultation Forum – this is a core group which may include local activists, a youth worker, members of an Older Peoples’ Forum, a mayor, council officers and the chair of an umbrella body for voluntary organisations. This group would be trained in using the ‘Imagine’ protocol – and it would be responsible for gathering the responses from conversations, meetings, classrooms and special phone-ins