transform: rebranding a local authority, john shewell
DESCRIPTION
The image of public service as the “faceless bureaucrat” is hard to shake given the size and complexity of some public sector bodies. So how does the public sector change its image? With radical reforms taking place, how can public services reinvent themselves to remain relevant in a changing and challenging environment?John Shewell, head of communications at Brighton & Hove City Council, shares his insights on how the council’s major rebranding programme, “Creating a Council the City Deserves”, has completely redesigned the entire operating model of the council, improving its reputation and its brand.John Shewell, Brighton & Hove City Council, head of communicationsTRANSCRIPT
• "In government, many people have the power to stop things happening but almost nobody has the power to make things happen. The system has the engine of a lawn mower and the brakes of a Rolls Royce."
Who are we?
• Local Government organisation• Annual budget of £750m• Employ 8,000 staff• Deliver over 800 services every day• Handle everything from major international
events to making sure children cross the roads safely
• Promote the city as an international visitor destination - over 8m visitors every year = £7-8m to the local economy
• First Green Party led council in the UK
A bit about our place• Population of Brighton & Hove
approx 256,300 • Predicted to increase to
269,000 by 2020, a 5% increase, compared to a national increase of 7.4%
• Unusual age distribution with a bulge of residents aged 20-44 years and relatively high numbers of residents aged 85 years or more.
Culture & Leisure• 8m visitors each year• Tourist £ = £732,328,000• Second highest number of
museum visits outside of London• 60% of residents attended a
local theatre or concert within last 6 months in 2008, almost double England level of 32%
• Hosts around 60 festivals & largest Pride & open arts festivals, the Fringe, in UK
Good News
Satisfaction with services provided by or supported by BHCC
44
73
63
73
82
4846
4456 55
71
60 656464
717472
81 80
2000 2003 2006 2008
Sport/leisure facilities Libraries
Museums/galleries Theater/concert halls
parks & open spaces
But
How satisfied are you with the way the local council runs things?
454549
47 48
65
5552
2000 2003 2006 2008
% s
atis
fied
Brighton & Hove National average
Values associated with Brighton and Hove
Diverse
Has variety and
something for
everyone
Cosmopolitan
Tolerant
Vibrant
Unique
BRIGHTON
HOVE
Level of satisfaction/enthusiasm
Low satisfaction, high association:
Low satisfaction, low association:
High satisfaction, high association:
High satisfaction, low association:
Refuse & recyclingParking costs and control
Seafront services
Parks
Sports and leisure
Social care
Cemeteries/ Crematoria
Libraries
Community safety
Development/PlanningPlanning/ Building Control
Registry office
Roads/ transport
Promoting tourism
Culture & arts
Housing
Schools
Env health and licensing
Housing benefits
Ass
oci
ate
wit
h B
HC
C
Association
Findings
• Almost all love Brighton & Hove as a place to live
• Fundamental lack of awareness of services - except for those that touch residents closely
• But, residents place a high importance on non-visible services (e.g. social care, community safety, schools)
Importance
Level of satisfaction/enthusiasm
Low satisfaction, high priority:
Low satisfaction, low priority:
High satisfaction, high priority:
High satisfaction, low priority:
Refuse & recycling
Parking costs and control
Seafront services Parks
Sports and leisure
Social care
Cemeteries/ Crematoria
Libraries
Community safety
Development/ PlanningPlanning/ Building Control
Registry office
Roads/ transport
Promoting tourism
Culture & arts
Housing
Schools
Env health and licensing
Housing benefits
Serv
ice P
riori
ties
Findings
• Almost all love Brighton & Hove as a place to live• Fundamental lack of awareness of services - except for
those that touch residents closely• But, residents place a high importance on non-visible
services (e.g. social care, community safety, schools)
• The Council lacks a human face – few can identify positive attributes
But also…
• Open-minded/ leading: will try new ideas
• Caring/ dependable: will be there in a time of need, trying its hardest
• Ambitious/ driven: has to be to get policies through, manage conflicts
• Schizophrenic : good at some things and bad at others
The Result
• Our message isn’t getting through• Residents not seeing value from their
Council Tax – what does it pay for?• Frustration amongst residents that they
have little influence over local decisions• patchy customer experience - inconsistent
Good News
Satisfaction with services provided by or supported by BHCC
44
73
63
73
82
4846
4456 55
71
60 656464
717472
81 80
2000 2003 2006 2008
Sport/leisure facilities Libraries
Museums/galleries Theater/concert halls
parks & open spaces
But
How satisfied are you with the way the local council runs things?
454549
47 48
65
5552
2000 2003 2006 2008
% s
atis
fied
Brighton & Hove National average
Closing the Gap
Clear consistent brand& experience
Increased messagepenetration
Shift in audienceperception
Improved reputation
Gre
ate
r Valu
e fo
r Mon
eyRecognition for
service delivery
1. Change our face
• From resident feedback – develop the new ‘face’ of BHCC
• Look to address misperceptions• Exploit similarities with the City• Our new face reflected in a new
experience as well as all comms• Opportunity to transform the customer
experience
Our new face
How we are perceived
How we’d like to be perceived
• Faceless• Greedy• Slow• Unapproachable• Expensive• Old• Power hungry• Institutionalised• Detached• Ideological• Caring /Dependable• Open minded• Ambitious
• Open• Approachable• Friendly• Human• Efficient• Sociable• Listening• Resourceful• Fast• Grounded• Pioneering• Leading• Open minded
“All they do is rubber stamp and collect our money”
“The Council make Brighton & Hove a fantastic place to live”
2. Less is more
• Focus efforts ONLY on what matters the most to residents
• Talk issues – not services
Our Test
Is it different?• Have we tapped into what really makes Brighton & Hove
different?• Could another Council or Place say the same thing?• Have we been really honest with ourselves?
Is it authentic?• Is our brand realistic and authentic?• Is our brand realistic and achievable?• Can we live up to and deliver the promise?
Our Test
Will it connect with residents?• Does it reflect the personality of the council?• Can residents experience a difference?• Are we truly connecting with residents in a way that they
will understand and appreciate?
Will it connect with our staff?• Will our staff support our ambitions to improve the
customer experience?• Is the comms flexible enough to work across all
services/audiences to connect with the city?
Our Test
Does it connect with place?• Does the identity reflect the true
personality of the Council and Place?• Does the identity express our aspirations
for the Council & Place?• Does the identity reflect the ‘real’ reasons
that people live in Brighton & Hove?
Famous for…
With energy, passion and enthusiasm the council exists to:
• Involve Citizens • Innovate Services and• Improve Lives
‘Creating a Council the City Deserves’
Put simply…
• Make better use of public money / Cut waste and red-tape (innovate)
• Council should support people, not stand in the way / Focus on front line services and putting residents first (improve)
• Residents should have more say in how services are delivered (involve)
Re-design…
• Hierarchical & silo • Top-down/command
& control• Financial pressures
“driven to bottom line”• Impacts on citizens –
“get done to”• Ordered
• Flatter & joined up (council & partners)
• Matrix model• Co-production• Citizen/stakeholder
involvement in service design & delivery
• Chaotic
“A Council the City Deserves”
• Let go of control• Empower staff• Redesign our entire business model
(TOM)• A new model that can flex to adapt to
changing environment
Impact
• This work paved the way for a new model of working at the council
• Breaking down silos – joining up work across departments and partner organisations
• Creating a “networked council”: Devolving leadership and responsibility so that even our front-line staff are empowered to take decisions on the spot where customer satisfaction is at its most potent.
Lessons…
• Understand the “histrionics”– Cultures– Politics– Values/behaviours– Informal/formal networks
• Clear & visible leadership• Be open & honest• Accept failure as part of “innovation”• Focus on the journey – not the destination
A message from our sponsor• “Councils must demonstrate their relevance by
adapting to the changing environment and constantly innovate. We need to adopt a Google-like mentality in which innovation becomes ingrained in our DNA, and achieved through collaboration and co-creation.
• “First, we’ve got to relinquish power and hand control to the community. Second, we’ve got to involve them more in the design and delivery of services. Finally, we’ve got to complete the triangulation of council-citizen-innovation in order to become truly relevant.” John Barradell, CEx of Brighton & Hove City Council
Brand equity?
• Financial implications– “BP's accounts for 2010 put aside $41bn to
pay for the spill, two and a half times more than BP's entire profit in 2009.” (BBC, 19 April 2011)
Questions?
John Shewell
Head of Communications
Brighton & Hove City Council
T: www.twitter.com/johnshewell
Ph: 01273 291039