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Preston City Council dials up plans to breathe new life into historic red telephone boxes

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

Preston City Council is progressing with its plans to restore nine Grade Two-listed red telephone boxes in the heart of the city.

Having acquired the kiosks outside the former Head Post Office on Market Street in 2021, the City Council is seeking Listed Building Consent (LBC) with a decision expected by March 2024.

Should LBC be granted, the City Council intends to fully restore the boxes in 2024 while considering potential future uses.

Designed by British architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to mark the Silver Jubilee of the Coronation of King George V in 1935, the cast iron kiosks with timber doors form the longest line of historic red telephone boxes in the UK. 

Having become redundant, the kiosks have been vandalised and fallen into disrepair.

A Heritage Statement prepared for the City Council by Growth Lancashire Ltd, and following guidelines by Historic England, details numerous benefits of repairing and refurbishing the nine so-called K6 kiosks in the Market Place Conservation Area, the historic centre of Preston featuring other listed buildings such as the former Head Post Office, The Harris Museum, Sessions House and the Town Hall.

Citing legislation, national guidance, and planning policy for listed buildings, the statement prepared by Growth Lancashire’s heritage and conservation team says the boxes represent ‘the definitive red telephone kiosk in Britain’ and have high historical, communal and aesthetic values.

The Towns Fund and the City Council will fund the restoration and will be removed off-site for restoration and replaced when completed. 

The Heritage Statement concludes that ‘the wider benefits generated by the repair and refurbishment of the telephone kiosks will outweigh any minor concerns caused by the works themselves’ and will cause no harm to nearby listed buildings or the wider Market Place Conservation Area.

Councillor Peter Kelly, Cabinet Member for Culture at Preston City Council, said: “We are proud to celebrate Preston being the home of the UK’s longest line of historic red telephone boxes, an outstanding landmark in the heart of our city that we are committed to bringing back to life for this, and future generations to enjoy.

“If we are successful in our application for Listed Building Consent, we plan to undertake the necessary restoration works in 2024 to enable the iconic telephone boxes to be animated with dynamic and creative installations. We plan to work with local artists to commission contemporary light, audiovisual or graphic works to bring the telephone boxes alive, create a ‘must see’ and add to the vibrancy of the Harris Quarter.”

“Chair of Preston’s Towns Fund Strategic Board, John Chesworth, added:  

“The restoration of these iconic telephone boxes is excellent news and again adds to the improvements we’re achieving in the Harris Quarter. They are a small but fantastic city asset and bringing them back into use has always been on the agenda. 

“Once back in use, I’m absolutely positive they’ll be a focal point for many people and will be well utilised.”

The proposed restoration of the kiosks forms an integral part of the wider Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme, for which the City was awarded £20.9m from the Government’s national Towns Fund initiative in March 2021.

Harris Quarter is a unique area of Preston undergoing a £200m investment programme to transform its historic buildings, sites and public realm into a diverse culture, leisure and employment offering via schemes such as the transformation of Amounderness House to provide multi-use workspace, the £45m Animate cinema and leisure complex and refurbishment of Grade I listed Harris Museum, art gallery and library.

As designer of the boxes, Sir Giles has a strong historic connection with Preston – he also designed the War Memorial Cenotaph in Market Place and his father George Gilbert Scott designed the Town Hall.

Liverpool-law firm boosts property team

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

Gregory Abrams Davidson, which has offices in Liverpool and London, has added new property experts in its residential property department, boosting the headcount in the firm’s real estate division. 

The firm, which recently opened an office on the Wirral in West Kirby, has made the appointments following increased demand for property services from residential and commercial clients.  

Tracey Quirk joins the firm’s Mathew Street office as a consultant solicitor with over 20 years of experience. She joined the firm from MSB Solicitors, where she was head of residential conveyancing, and was recruited to advise on auction enquiries and transactions and bridging finance transactions while also dealing with complex deals such as Islamic mortgages and general conveyancing work.

She said: “I’ve joined a dynamic firm with a dedicated and professional team committed to delivering outstanding service to clients in the residential property market. The firm has a fantastic reputation for providing clear legal advice, personalised and tailored to specific requirements, attracting more property clients.”

Emma Clayburn, solicitor, will be based at the firm’s recently opened Wirral office and has 20 years of experience. She joined RMNJ Solicitors, where she was a partner and specialised in residential property, often dealing with complex conveyancing matters. 

Emma added: “I’m looking forward to working with a team dedicated to providing the highest quality legal services, and I’m looking forward to working with the wider team while helping them to grow the new Wirral office’s footprint.”

Craig Passey, property executive, will be based in the firm’s Penny Lane office and has over 15 years of experience in residential property and joins from Vanquish Law. The final new member of the team is Stephanie Thomas, a trainee solicitor assisting the broader 13-strong real estate division. She will also be based at the firm’s Penny Lane office. 

Gregory Abrams, CEO of Gregory Abrams Davidson, welcomed the quartet. He said. ‘While the property market is facing challenges, we are still experiencing demand for property services, and it’s excellent to welcome new talent to our team. I’m sure they will deliver the outstanding legal advice we’ve cultivated a reputation for. 

‘We have seen an increase in investors coming into Liverpool, which is a testament to the city’s economy and buoyancy. The buy-to-let market is witnessing increased activity with several large developments coming on stream, and of course, people still want to own their own home.”

The property division of Gregory Abrams Davidson Solicitors provides tailored legal advice for clients buying or selling commercial or domestic property, remortgaging, transferring equity, extending leases, tenancy agreements, probate sales, right to buy from a landlord and property acquisitions and auction sales.

Burton Roofing invests in larger Irvine branch to boost service and range 

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

Burton Roofing Merchants has relocated and invested in a more extensive Irvine branch to enhance its product range and service offering in Ayrshire and the wider East Scotland.

The new branch, which also carries the latest energy-efficient green technologies to help reduce its carbon footprint, sees over £200,000 invested to more than quadruple capacity from 18,400 sq. ft. to 80,358 sq. ft. compared to the previous branch. 

The additional space means more product lines will be stocked to facilitate increased demand, particularly for solar and flat-roof products, and is the largest branch that the company has opened this year.

The new Burton Roofing Merchants branch on Auchengate Business Park replaces the former Rinus branch, which Burton Roofing Merchants acquired in 2021 and was located at Mackintosh Place. The company aims for the expansion to lead to additional jobs within the year. 

Jon Smith, operations director at Burton Roofing, commented on the investment. He said, ‘As a business, we have a purpose centred around helping customers enhance their businesses. The enlarged branch will help us deliver our promise by giving access to innovative roofing products combined with our Irvine team’s expert and friendly service. 

Branch manager Jim Finnegan added, ‘Customers that have already been to the new branch have been impressed with the product range, and it will help cement our ambition to be a centre of excellence in new roofing technologies and products. 

“The enlarged branch allows us to host training events and workshops to ensure our customers have access to expertise that will also help them in their work. It really is a game-changer for us.” 

Burton Roofing Group, which trades under the Burton Roofing Merchants, Rinus Roofing Supplies and Discount Roofing and Building Supplies, operates 38 branches across the UK and employs 450 people. 

The Group’s annual turnover is approximately £170 million, and it is part of the multinational Cupa Group, which comprises 75 businesses with subsidiaries in nine countries and 25 quarries.

Planning application approved for £7.4 million refurbishment of former magistrates court into offices and retail space 

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

Preston City Council’s plans to transform the Grade II Listed former magistrates court have been approved. 

Amounderness House will undergo a £7.4 million refurbishment and is one of six major projects planned under Preston’s Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme, for which the City was awarded £20.9m from the Government’s national Towns Fund initiative in March 2021.

Harris Quarter is a unique area of Preston undergoing a £200m investment programme to transform its historic buildings, sites and public realm into a diverse culture, leisure and employment offering, with Amounderness House located beside the £45m Animate cinema and leisure complex, which is under construction and due to open in Spring 2025. 

The refurbishment of Amounderness House, originally built in 1857 as a police station with several holding cells, will be transformed into a high-quality modern, flexible, multi-use workspace hub that Wrkspace will operate. 

Designed by FWP Architects, the sympathetic refurbishment of the Grade II listed building will create 26 offices circa 645 sq. ft and four craft or retail studios. In addition, the existing courtyard will be updated and open for public use.

Maple Grove Developments is working with Preston City Council and Wrkspace as Project/Development Manager to deliver the project.

Chair of Preston’s Towns Fund Strategic Board, John Chesworth, said:  

“It’s fantastic to see this magnificent building being brought back into use as it will help stimulate business, cultural, and community uses in Preston city centre. We are making significant progress in regenerating the Harris Quarter and seeing a ripple effect of interest in what Preston is achieving as an attractive place to live, work and play.”

Leader of Preston City Council, Cllr Matthew Brown, added: “On the back of this excellent news we can transform Amounderness House and capitalise on this asset being in public ownership and using it to support growing local businesses. Furthermore, in line with our Community Wealth Building principles we’re working with Preston-based Wrkspace to run this important heritage asset as it helps to boost our economy.”

Nik Puttnam, senior development manager with Maple Grove Developments, added: “Bringing new purpose to older buildings like Amounderness House is rewarding and we’re looking forward to making a start on the transformation of this superb historic building. Renovating listed buildings comes with its challenges, especially one that has been vacant for so long, but when complete it will complement other projects in the Harris Quarter and be an economic driver for the city centre .”

Rizwan Seth, managing director of Wrkspace, concluded: “The Wrkspace team are looking forward to welcoming Amounderness House into our flexible office space portfolio. The addition of a high quality city centre provision, compliments the existing business centre offering across the North West. Amounderness House will be a beacon for growth for new and existing businesses within Preston, encouraging flexible workspace provisions as the ever-changing working requirements evolve”.

Smith & Love Planning Consultants submitted the application on behalf of Preston City Council and the wider project team for Amounderness House, including Cowburn-Watson Box, SCP Transport, Eden Heritage, E3P, TRP Consulting, and Graham Schofield Associates.

Crisis communications in business: 5 tips for navigating storms successfully

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

Claire Stephenson reflects on some of the recent public relations crises in the media. How can businesses be better prepared to weather emergencies through proper planning and strategic crisis communications?

With social media offering an instantaneous ability to share information – good and bad – crises are inevitable. Whether it’s a recalled product that is dangerous (currently, Home Bargains has placed a recall on a muscle-building product that has “potentially lethal” levels of caffeine in it), a public relations nightmare (think of the fallout over Huw Edwards), or a natural disaster impacting business operations, every organisation must be prepared to face challenges head-on. 

Top 5 tips

Effectively managing a crisis begins with a solid crisis communications strategy. Here are five key elements on how to prepare your communications for any kind of emergency.

  1. Proactive planning. Successful crisis communications begin long before a crisis actually happens. Proactive planning and risk assessment are essential to identify any potential vulnerabilities and help you to prepare for a range of scenarios. Conduct a thorough assessment of your business operations, supply chain, communication channels, and any potential risks. Create a crisis management team – including key stakeholders. Depending on the size of your organisation, this could include public relations specialists, a legal team, human resources, and operations management. Establish clear roles and responsibilities within your team to ensure any emergency is met with a strong and effective response.
  2. Timely communications. In the midst of a crisis, misinformation can spread rapidly – especially on social media – which can also make the situation worse. Make sure any response is swift and transparent. Acknowledge the issue as soon as possible, and furthermore be open about the facts. Hiding information or delaying communications will damage trust with your audience. Make sure all appropriate communication channels are used – this might be social media, press releases, or e-news – a dedicated crisis telephone line may also be required, depending on the severity of the issue.
  3. Compassionate communications. It’s important to recognise that some forms of crisis can bring a wide range of emotions, with individuals affected on personal levels. Demonstrating empathy and compassion in your communication can go a long way in diffusing tension and building stronger relationships with stakeholders. Show concern for those impacted by the crisis, whether it’s customers, employees, or communities. Offer support and solutions to address their needs and concerns. A genuine display of empathy can humanise your brand and encourage goodwill during challenging times.
  4. Consistent communications. When in a crisis situation, it’s important to maintain consistency in your messaging across all communication channels. Ensure that all team members and spokespeople are briefed on the key messages to be shared. Avoid any kind of contradicting statements or mixed signals that can lead to confusion and undermine credibility. A unified voice will convey a sense of stability and competence, reassuring stakeholders that the situation is under control.
  5. Post-crisis analysis. After the crisis has passed, it’s essential to conduct a thorough analysis and evaluation. Did any areas of communication work particularly well? What could be improved?  Obtain feedback from your stakeholders and use overall analysis to update and strengthen your crisis communications strategy. Remember, a crisis can provide valuable insights and also opportunities for growth and improvement.

Final thoughts

Crisis communications in business is not just simply about damage control: moreover it’s an opportunity to showcase your organisation’s values, integrity, and resilience. Further, by proactively planning, communicating transparently, showing empathy, and maintaining message consistency – along with learning from experiences, your business can effectively navigate through emergencies, safeguard your reputation, and become stronger for it. 

If you need any help in crafting a crisis communications strategy, please message us here or call 0845 625 0820 to see how we can help your organisation be known. 

Want strong public relations? Here are five ways to boost your presence

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

In our previous post, we talked about ways to approach and assess an organisation’s communications strategy for maximum impact. Below, we look at five ways you can rethink your public relations strategy and boost your brand’s presence.

  1. Build and maintain strong relationships. Public relations centres around building and maintaining relationships with various stakeholders. These include media, customers, employees, investors, and community members. It’s essential to establish and foster strong relationships and trust with these groups, as they can help you to grow your brand, and also support your organisation in times of crisis.
  2. Be proactive! Effective public relations isn’t just about reacting to situations but also anticipating them. Be proactive by staying updated with your industry news, identifying potential issues before they become problems, and creating a crisis management plan in advance of ever needing one.
  3. Communicate clearly and honestly. Making sure your communications are clear and authentic is essential for quality public relations. Be transparent about your organisation’s values, mission, and actions – and make sure you’re walking the talk. If an issue arises, address it promptly, and provide honest and accurate information to all stakeholders across appropriate channels.
  4. Data data data! Analytics are key. Ensure you’re regularly monitoring and measuring results from your public relations activities. Analytics can be used to assess the effectiveness of your strategies and actions, as well as identify areas that you could improve. There’s a blog post here, where we talk about data decisions in public relations.
  5. Stay flexible. Public relations is constantly evolving, and it’s essential to stay adaptable and flexible as to the needs of your business and organisation. Be open to new strategies and approaches, and be prepared to adjust your tactics based on changing circumstances or emerging trends that you can use to benefit your business. Look at the agile communications blog for more thoughts on this.

Work with Limitless? 

Are you looking for public relations support and strategic advice? We can help you to achieve your communication objectives and be known. Contact Michael Gregory on 0845 625 0820 or drop us a message using this contact form here. 

Some of the best: PR and ad campaign wins in 2022

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

In a world that is often over-saturated on a digital level and crowded with content, it takes strategic, innovative outside-the-box communications to allow campaign messages to reach the right people and influence the required change.

We’ve done a rundown of a few of our favourite and memorable campaigns spotted this year…

OutHorse Your Email

Need a new out-of-office message? You need an Icelandic pony! OutHorseYourEmail.com is a fun campaign from Inspired By Iceland and Horses of Iceland, drawing attention to the fact that on average, 55% of workers check their emails whilst on holiday. The campaign’s aim was to encourage people to disconnect and enjoy their downtime – see it here. 

Icelandic horses will reply to your email using a pony-sized keyboard to hoof out a reply on your behalf! The horses were taught typing skills by Inspired by Iceland, who built a giant replica keyboard with walkable letter tiles.

You can choose from three Icelandic horses who will write your email autoreply: Litla Stjarna Frá Hvítarholti, a fast-typing pony, but they might take a nap; Hrímnir Frá Hvammi, a horse who is assertive, efficient and has shiny hair; or Hekla frá Þorkellshóli, a friendly horse, who is trained in corporate buzzwords. Magic.

Claire Stephenson tested the autoresponder and chose Litla Stjarna Frá Hvítarholti as her typing pony. This was the result…

A fun and creative campaign. Agency  = SS+K

Plastic Is Back!

A campaign for Greenpeace, by Ogilvy Netherlands, highlighting the permanence of plastic waste.

‘Plastic is Back’ is part of Greenpeace’s wider campaign work around plastic waste and pollution, particularly microplastics. According to Greenpeace, a truckload of plastic enters the ocean every minute creating a ‘plastic soup’. Supermarkets in the UK produce around 800,000 tonnes of plastic each year. Unearthed – Greenpeace’s investigative journalists – discovered British plastic waste being dumped and burned in Turkey – impacting land and waterways and more crucially, human health.

The plastic packaging featured in the campaign was all gathered from beaches. Dairy packaging, bleach bottles and crisp packets – some of this plastic packaging waste is estimated to be more than 50-years-old, according to Greenpeace, with visibly vintage packaging designs.

A visually impactful campaign. Agency = Ogilvy Netherlands.

Ask for Henry

A collaboration between Morrisons and Heinz in October 2022, offered customers a free meal of jacket potato and baked beans, to help people during half term who are impacted by the cost of living crisis. A discreet way for people to request help when they “Ask for Henry” at a café counter.

Jojo De Noronha, the President of Northern Europe at Heinz said:

“October marks the birthday of a very special member of the Heinz family, our founder Henry J. Heinz. Henry brought comfort and goodness to others, not just through his food but his actions. We want to honour his good heart and kind spirit by doing what he did best, helping feed people in times of need.”

A social win for both brands.

Netflix

Netflix’s Stranger Things Season 4 drop was pretty spectacular. To mark the launch of the new season, Netflix created installations which popped up across the world.

Bondi Beach in Australia received an installation, as a “gateway” to the Upside Down. People in yellow hazmat suits gathered around the object. Netflix said on their Instagram channel: “Hawkins, do you copy? We could use a little help down here at Bondi…”

netfixanz on Instagram

Stranger Things art installations appeared across the world, from New York’s Empire State Building, Mumbai’s Gateway of India, to Los Angeles, London, Germany, Tokyo, Malaysia, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Columbia, Stockholm, Milan, and Madrid.

Stranger Things Instagram/Netflix

A powerful teaser for global Stranger Things fans.

Limitless loves…

We asked some of our associates which campaigns and ads stood out for them this year…

Mark Sutcliffe, Associate at Limitless PR, said:

“The one campaign that really smashed it in 2023, wasn’t actually a campaign (or was it?). Whatever; it generated almost universal coverage across the full spectrum of media platforms and dominated the global news agenda for days.

“I’m talking about Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard handing his £3 billion clothing and accessories company over to a trust focused on funding environmental projects worldwide.

“The Patagonia Purpose Trust will generate around $100 million annually for projects that protect nature and biodiversity, support thriving communities and fight the environmental crisis.

“When it comes to walking the walk, this raises the bar to vertiginous new heights, demonstrating how for-profit business can also work for the planet. Or as Chouinard himself put it: ‘The Earth is now our only shareholder’.”

Photo of Yvon Chouinard by Campbell Brewer.

Claire Stephenson, Associate Director at Limitless PR, said:

“I’ve seen some amazing content and communications this year. 

“One of the most powerful campaigns is from CALM: The Last Photo, and why Suicidal Doesn’t Always Look Suicidal. A collection of images of people whose lives have been lost to suicide is striking and poignant. The communications dispel the myth that if someone is feeling suicidal or having a mental health crisis, we would know about it. The campaign highlights that exterior emotions don’t always reflect what is happening inside a person’s mind.

“This campaign points towards starting a conversation to save a life. Removing the stigma around talking about suicide and how people can talk about it can save more lives. Hats off to CALM and adam&eveDDB for this change-making campaign.”

Ethics and public relations: doing the right thing  

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

“Ethics can be viewed as a guide to ‘doing the right thing’, in the context of organisational and personal values, shifting societal norms and legal requirements.” 

Richard Bailey, FCIPR, MCIPR

“As PR professionals we are the ethics guardians of our organisations. We regularly face difficult ethical choices.”

Mark W. McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA 

PR and ethics 

How do we decide what is ethical? If ethics are ‘doing the right thing’ – by whose standards can we consider what is right? There are many interpretations of what can be considered ethical conduct. 

However, as public relations practitioners, we are bound by and abide by professional standards and a Code of Conduct. The two main PR bodies in the UK – the CIPR and the PRCA  – each have their own Code. The CIPR’s Code includes commitments to the “highest standards of professional endeavour, integrity, confidentiality, financial propriety and personal conduct,” along with dealing “honestly and fairly in business with employers, employees, clients, fellow professionals, other professions and the public.” 

This allows our clients to be assured that our work and practice is of the highest standards, with their best interest always at the forefront of everything that we do. 

Business and ethics 

But what of business ethics outside of public relations? 

The Institute of Business Ethics talks about ethical conduct in business as: 

“Business ethics is the application of ethical values to business behaviour. Business ethics is relevant both to the conduct of individuals and to the conduct of the organisation as a whole. It applies to any and all aspects of business conduct, from boardroom strategies and how companies treat their employees and suppliers to sales techniques and accounting practices.” 

The Institute of Business Ethics

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the business world has been transformed. For so many people, the global lockdowns brought business closures, resulting in furloughs, redundancies, bankruptcies, and hybrid working when businesses operated once more. 

Businesses and organisations have adapted – and continue to do so – to meet these rapidly changing times. Corporate responsibility is now strongly tasked with the wellbeing of Covid-weary employees, along with matching customers’ new expectations, post-pandemic, all the while continuing to acclimatise to these ‘new world’ challenges. 

Business and social responsibility 

Placing ethics and integrity in the heart of business practice, we can also look to a picture of outward social responsibility – environmental, social and governance (ESG) are important, and with the climate crisis rapidly becoming a global conversation that requires urgent action. Consumers are looking to brands for socially responsible leadership that are both sustainable and environmentally sound in practice and investments. As Sphera said: 

“Companies with strong ESG performance have demonstrated higher returns on their investments, lower risks and better resiliency during a crisis.” 

Sphera.com

If your business would benefit from support or advice on how to integrate your ethical values into your communications strategy, please message us via the contact form here or call us on 0845 625 0820 for an informal chat. 

Data decisions in public relations

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

In public relations professional circles, a debate is raging. Okay, not raging. Simmering coquettishly, maybe? Anyway, the question is whether is it better to describe oneself as data-driven or data-informed?

Decision-making with a digital edge

But, what does data-driven (or data-informed) communications actually mean? 

Put simply, it means to make informed decisions based on data and research. “How else have we been making decisions?”, you may well ask. 

Well, the difference is that, while (good) PR and communications practitioners have always made decisions based on a mixture of experience, intuition, and available information, the real world of PR is getting more and more digital, meaning some decisions that would have been made purely by humans in the past can now be made by computers, based on raw data. 

A good example of this in action is when you use Google’s automatic settings to set up a Google Ads campaign. You basically input some of your own data to Google about your products, services and geography, and then Google uses its own data about the regularity of search entries related to your products and services, suggests key search terms and then basically runs the ad campaign on your behalf.

Data differences

The difference between being data-driven and data-informed, it is argued, is that the former refers to decisions made based purely on the data, while being data-informed involves taking the raw data and applying some human input (the aforementioned experience and intuition) before making a decision. 

The logic in this will be apparent to anyone who has suffered data-driven remarketing across their social feed. You know the feeling: “I already bought those shoes, thanks!” or “I just booked a holiday. It doesn’t mean I immediately want to book another!” or “Okay, I know I’m a male over 45 but…” Okay, let’s not go there. 

Basically, computers are very clever, yes. But they do get things wrong. Sometimes very wrong. And when it comes to reputation management, a simple “oops”, no matter how heartfelt, will never really cut it.

Human-centred first

So good public relations is not quite ready (yet) to become the domain of the robots, but a human-driven profession, with some robotic help. 

Used well, digital data can help PR professionals not only identify trending topics and inspire creative engagement, it can also help us monitor what content is chiming with our audiences and what isn’t. So, while making decisions based on information is not exactly a new idea, it does make a nice new shiny buzzword. Hurrah. 

Agile communications for a post-Covid world?

Posted on by Claire Stephenson

If you’re part of a communications team that replies on heavy planning and forward planning with messaging and calendars, you may not need to invest so much time in creating content and timing plans that often don’t come to fruition.

A changing world

The global pandemic seems to have revved up another notch with the discovery of another mutation – Omicron – a Covid variant that is suspected to be highly transmissible. In turn, this finding has cast a chaotic and unstable future for businesses, travel and planning in general.

Agile communications could be the approach that makes a constantly changing and uncertain digital world, one to your advantage.

Rooted in the IT world, Agile has migrated over to public relations and communications in recent years, lending itself well to iteration and adaption as situations – Covid being a great example – happen.

But what is it?

The Australian software company, Atlassian, offers this definition:

Agile is an iterative approach to project management and software development that helps teams deliver value to their customers faster and with fewer headaches. Instead of betting everything on a “big bang” launch, an agile team delivers work in small, but consumable, increments. Requirements, plans, and results are evaluated continuously so teams have a natural mechanism for responding to change quickly.

Atlassian

‘A waste of money and effort’

Dr Betteke van Ruler discusses agile processes as a continual adjustment, but only to reach the best results possible. Collaboration between the project owner, team members and potentially, stakeholders, work closely together, with a reduced project hierarchy to maximise flow and results.

Van Ruler states that old-style strategic planning and time-heavy administration aren’t dynamic enough for communications in a fast-paced world, with these traditional methods being “far too linear” to be helpful.

Scrumptious

Ever found yourself in a Scrum? This Scrum, whilst still team-based, is off the rugby pitch. A Scrum is just one facet in agile methodology, describing how the project team learns on the go, addresses problems dynamically together, reflects what works/what doesn’t work, and improves their process to ensure a successful project outcome. A Kanban board is often used as part of the Scrum.

Ken Schwaber, in Agile Project Management with Scrum, says:

“Most people responsible for managing projects have been taught a deterministic approach to project management that uses detailed plans, Gantt charts and work schedules. Scrum is the exact opposite.” 

Ken Schwaber

There are four main project roles within a scrum:

Scrum master = the facilitator, helping teams to self-motivate and follow the agreed process.

Project owner = the client representer

Scrum team = team members

Stakeholders = people who have an interest in the success of the project

The benefits of the scrum process are the fast-paced workflow allows for team creativity to be fostered, reduces costs and time while increasing productivity and quality.

Agile for the win

If you’re feeling a need to shake up your traditional communications methods, an Agile planning method could be something that benefits your organisation and clients. You can read more about Agile communications via this (surprisingly) good blog from DEFRA and a fuller explanation from Lucidchart, here.

It’s worth regularly revaluating your communications and messaging, using your metrics and data to assess what’s working and what isn’t working for your organisation.

Here at Limitless Public Relations, we can help you with your communications strategy.  Whether that’s creating powerful messaging from fresh, or consulting on an existing plan to ensure your words are reaching the right people. We’re your people.

Contact Michael Gregory for an informal chat on 0845 625 0820 or you can message us here.