evaluation and communications planning at westminster city council

Evaluating PR Effectiveness21 July 2011, London

Web: www.charitycomms.org.ukTwitter: @CharityComms

Evaluation and Communications Planning at Westminster City Council

Neil Wholey

Head of Research and Customer Insight

21 July 2011


21 July 2011@neilwholey

Never mind the quality, what’s the point of communications? For some organisations:• Communications not seen as front-line – what would you choose - ‘meals on wheels’ or ‘magazine’?• People are obsessed with defending glossy outputs rather than explaining how this helps meet the corporate goals of the organisation• There is no advocate for communications outside the comms teamFor others organisations (such as Westminster):• Communications quality is the outcome not the output• Survival is of those most adaptable to change (not fittest) • Advocacy of communications among staff and managers is an important goal in itself (deliver for others not yourself)



Westminster’s approach• Consistent pro-active communications:

• Protects and enhances the reputation of the council• Recruits and retains good staff• Wins additional resources for the city

• Strong centralised team• Provides strategy and advice not just outputs• Media, campaigns, internal communications, web, design, research, member support, policy and strategy

• Clear understanding that communications can for the public good:• Change behaviour• Change perceptions

• Yearly communications plan• Clear outcome objectives• Clear audience based campaigns

• Honest evaluation• What works (and what doesn’t)• What do our audiences want?



Building reputation by changing behaviour• Campaign

communications

• Planned and specifically supporting the aims of the council

• Measured outcomes



Clarity of Story• Plan where you and your organisation want to be this time next

year, in three years and have a story to go with it – tough choices, decisions, rebuilding, progress and fresh start



Leadership by Manchester United“Control, managing change

and observation. Spotting

everything around you,

analysing what is important.

Seeing dangers and

opportunities that others

don’t see. That comes from

experience and knowledge”

Sir Alex Ferguson



Understand your audience



Example Westminster’s audience – Tenants and lessees (one of 13 audiences)

• Aim: To raise awareness of and win support for Westminster’s housing policies• Activities:

• Promote the Housing Renewal Strategy• Support public relations for local authorities over rents and housing finance reforms issues• Update tenants and lessees of any developments or rebuilding taking place in the council’s corporate property portfolio• Managing corporate property communications/engagement

• Targets: • 81% of council tenants satisfied with the council• 79% of council lessees satisfied with the council• Reduce delays to building work and the number of complaints

• Key part of the plan is to work closely with our ALMO CityWest Homes



Understand your audience

Source: Survey of 400 tenants, 100 leaseholders in a London borough (not Westminster), May 2010

56% have broadband at

home

9% classed as ABs

35% read the Metro each week

(49% of 16-34 year olds)

10% listen to Capital Radio and 10% listen to Radio 4

56% on Facebookeach month (20% interested in being

friends)

70% seen housing

organisation’s publication in

last six months (only 62% of 60+)

80% think media pos/

neutral

24% visited a housing office in last 3 months

19% visited website



Understand what you want to measure

May 07 May 11

Satisfaction 76 78

Advocacy 49 51

VFM 62 58

Informed 58 72Source: c.500 WCC residents 16+ (telephone), May 2007 – May 2011



Awareness of news stories

Question: Have you recently seen or heard about any of the following Westminster City Council?

Source: 500 WCC residents, 16+ interviewed by telephone, May 2011

The council trying to evict protesters in Parliament

Square

Possible changes to council services for children and

families

Budget cuts at the council

Westminster builds first new council homes in 25 years

Possible sharing of some services between H&F, RBKC

and Westminster

How it offers value for money

How the council cleaned up the streets after the Royal

wedding

The council’s proposed bylaw on soup runs and rough

sleeping

How the Olympics will affect where you live

Possible changes to council services for older people

Possible changes to the council’s parking policy



How do you judge the quality of these?



Strategically important for us to do? - Yes



What should the metrics be for # swtrains ? To help understand the audience

• Monitor Twitter feed/major hashtags – understand implications of content not just hits• Understand who the key influencers are – journalists, unofficial Twitter accounts• General survey of rail passengers views

To help understand the possible new strategy • Number of followers of new SWTrains Twitter account (and number of key influencers following)• Number of positive replies to SWTrains responding to tweeters about specific issues (or just apologising)• Number of retweets and positive replies to new SWTrains initiatives – better comms for guards, free Wifi?



The best way to learn about social media evaluation is to do

social media

The best way to learn about social media evaluation is to do

social media



Daily Mirror, 21st May 1975

If you want to prove the communications

business case you need case studies of what happened as a result

and tailored evaluation

If you want to prove the communications

business case you need case studies of what happened as a result

and tailored evaluation



Conclusions

You need to understand:

What is your organisation trying to achieve and why?

Your audiences

How to prove the quality of the outcome of your work not rely on the quality of the output

Thank you



Contact meNeil WholeyHead of Research and Customer Insight Communications and StrategyWestminster City Council 17th Floor Westminster City Hall 64 Victoria StreetLondon SW1E 6QP Tel: 020 7641 3317 Fax: 020 7641 2958 email: [email protected]: @neilwholeywww.westminster.gov.uk

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