Developing a Communications Model to Build Trust, Engagement, and Reach

Westco has delivered more than 40 communication reviews across the public sector. Here, Director of Communications Simon Jones picks out the key findings that should be considered in the development of an organisation-wide comm strategy…

Public trust in local government is being substantially eroded, according to LGA surveys, which show that satisfaction with councils is pretty much at rock bottom since polling began in 2012. According to the latest survey in June 2024, only 54% of people are satisfied with their council, down from the heady days of 72% when polling first began in 2012.

The decline in public trust and satisfaction

What’s driving this are two key elements. Number one, and no surprise, people feel that they are not getting value for money out of rising council tax. Number two, they feel less informed about what their council is doing. The only exception to this was during the pandemic when satisfaction rose considerably because councils really upped their game on communications and engagement.

Those two key drivers are in themselves related. People don’t feel that their council is providing value for money because the work that’s happening isn’t always visible. The connection between council and community has become weaker, not least because of the dilution of local media. This isn’t the fault of council comms teams.

Our reviews show that many are working flat out. Yet they often lack organisational clarity to help them prioritise work. In other words, they’re drowning in a never-ending merry-go-round responding to uncoordinated requests from services. As one Head of Comms told me: “We are doing everything, but nothing well.”

How to make your communications more strategic

So, what can you do to make your comms more strategic? Here are our top tips from the 40+ communication peer reviews that Westco has delivered…

Leadership and influence

Strong communications teams lead with confidence and political awareness. They engage with leadership at the Cabinet and Board level, contributing valuable insights that shape policy from the outset. Comms teams often encounter barriers when they are seen merely as tactical executors rather than strategic advisors. Establishing clear, trusted relationships with decision-makers ensures communication is valued and influential at every level.

Establishing a clear link between organisational objectives and delivery

Comms teams often struggle to develop a clear link between their work programme and organisational priorities because the priorities themselves are too vague or spread across too many areas. We recommend holding a workshop at the start of the year with Cabinet and the Corporate Management Team to discuss and agree on the work programmes where communications can make a real difference.

Use a Gold, Silver, and Bronze model and agree upfront on the resources that are available once BAU and reactive communications are taken into account. For example:

Gold: A major long-term work programme with a fully structured communication strategy
Silver: Strategically important to the organisation with a clear delivery plan
Bronze: Coordinated tactical delivery.

From policies to priorities

Alignment of communications and policy

For any council, strategic communication serves as a bridge between internal goals and community needs. When comms teams are insight-led and deeply integrated with policy-making, they drive significant impact by aligning public expectations with council priorities. This doesn’t mean that you necessarily need a combined communications and policy function, but it does mean that they should work hand in glove.

Where that happens, we see a much clearer focus on communications that is capable of defining and delivering council priorities and translating them into accessible narratives that resonate with residents and stakeholders.

Clear narrative and vision

A compelling narrative that resonates with the community is vital. This narrative, aligned with council values and policies, should communicate priorities in a way that’s accessible and memorable. It helps residents see the tangible outcomes of council actions and fosters a positive reputation.

However, inconsistent messaging or reliance on jargon can dilute this impact. Our reviews stress the importance of coherence between narrative, brand identity, and marketing efforts to create a unified public-facing message.

Engaging communities more effectively

Brand identity and reputation management

Brand identity serves as the frontline in establishing trust. Consistently applied across all platforms, it builds familiarity and assures the community of the council’s integrity and professionalism. Effective reputation management extends beyond vanity metrics; it’s about maintaining influence and demonstrating the council’s commitment to addressing community issues.

What we see in many places, as councils commission out services such as libraries, leisure services, adult education, and highway maintenance, is significant brand dilution. In some local authorities, you wouldn’t even know that the council had anything to do with those front-facing services.

Back to basics – engaging on things that matter most to residents

Our reviews show that, since the pandemic, many councils have lost sight of the need to communicate and engage on the issues that matter to residents the most: clean streets, value for money, repairing potholes, park maintenance, and safer streets.

Showing what the council is doing in these areas (and the role that the community has to play) as part of a planned proactive approach to communications and engagement is vital to building transparency and trust.

This should include a renewed focus on major marketing opportunities where there is a chance to embed the narrative. For instance, including information that goes with council tax bills, school admissions, adult learning, and recycling information – all major communication events.

Understanding your audience

Data-driven community insight

The foundation of any successful communication strategy is a deep understanding of the community. Insight gathered from data analytics and social listening helps councils develop targeted, impactful campaigns. We advocate for councils to adopt a systematic approach to data collection and analysis, making the best use of resources to gain a holistic view of community attitudes. This not only informs strategy but also helps in optimising content for different platforms and audience segments.

Move beyond traditional channels

In a digital-first world, councils need to move beyond traditional channels and engage audiences on their terms rather than expecting them to come to you. For instance, tailored social media strategies that incorporate real-time engagement, creative multimedia content, and targeted advertising have proven successful in reaching diverse demographics.

Platforms like Nextdoor.com and engaging with Facebook groups that have large organic local audiences are just as important as using traditional corporate channels.

Evaluation and alignment

Continuous evaluation and adaptation

Evaluation is often overlooked but critical for long-term success. Rather than waiting until a campaign concludes, top-performing communication teams analyse data continuously, using performance metrics to refine their strategies. This proactive approach helps maximise impact by prioritising content that resonates with audiences. Incorporating tools like A/B testing and audience segmentation allows teams to dynamically adjust messaging and engagement tactics.

Communications and customer go hand in hand

A council’s reputation is largely formed around the customer experience, which shows why alignment between customer services and communications is so important. As one Head of Communications told me: “We can do the best communications in the world, but then planning sends out 20,000 letters riddled with legalistic jargon that sound like enforcement notices.”

Having an organisational culture where customer services and communications are seen to be integrated – with the right processes, templates, and relationships – is essential, even if they’re not in the same family of services.

Building a financially sustainable path forward

Ultimately, a cohesive communication strategy requires an ongoing commitment to skill development and strategic alignment. In an age of financial challenges, our reviews also recognise the need to do things differently:

Commercialisation: Councils should see themselves as the predominant local media owner, maximising revenue opportunities from outdoor and digital media.
Shared services: Councils should embrace shared arrangements in areas like campaigns, marketing, and design to create centres of excellence, bringing down costs while increasing effectiveness.

This model ensures a balance between a locally controlled, highly responsive communication team with political acumen and a slick back office using technology, skills, and resources shared across multiple councils.

Interested in a Peer Review?
Our audits start from less than £3,000. Contact Simon@Westcocommunications.com.