We were tasked to support the multi million pound redevelopment of the Oil and Pipeline Agency’s Gosport facility.

Redevelopment included significant construction work within a residential area. Grayling was appointed to manage community and stakeholder engagement.

Phase one involved announcing construction plans to the local community and key stakeholders, including the local MP and Councillors.

Conscious that the construction process may cause an element of disturbance, we were keen to act as a ‘good neighbour’, engaging with communities and individuals to find ways of eliminating or reducing these effects.

Grayling coordinated a public information event to announce the plans, inviting local residents, businesses, Councillors and other interested organisations. The event provided an opportunity for OPA and the Ministry of Defence to meet with residents and discuss the plans.

We were engaged to create and oversee the deliver of the Employment and Skills Plan; part of the Section 106 agreement for IFA2, a significant infrastructure project in Fareham.

Grayling worked closely with the various contractors to agree a commitment towards the Employment and Skills Plan. We negotiated with the local authority to create a plan to work from across the duration of the project.

There is a skills shortage in the engineering industry so we wanted to engage as many local children as possible; to tell them about the project, but more importantly, get them engaged in STEM subjects.

We built relationships with local schools, colleges and organisations such as EBP South. We developed a workshop on electricity, aimed at exciting the children. We sponsored and attended local events, reaching as many people as possible locally.

We manage media and crisis comms for Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth. The centre recently asked us to help drive footfall and target new geographical areas within their catchment. With the media landscape changing and less opportunities in traditional regional media for lifestyle content, we created and implemented an influencer engagement programme.

This involved using our relationships to introduce influencers from key catchments in the south to the centre through events, takeovers and partnerships. We created opportunities for influencers to experience the centre, inviting them to new openings, organising day trips and hosting VIP influencer events.

We also selected a small number of influencers to partner with through paid-for projects to promote certain key moments throughout the year.

Recently, we have hosted Instagram takeovers, helping Gunwharf Quays to grow their social audiences.

Grayling was tasked with coordinating media and opening day activity for the launch of M&S Ocean Retail Park Portsmouth, in conjunction with a store closure on Portsmouth high street during the Easter holidays.

To generate excitement in the area, the opening of M&S Ocean Retail Park, which is located in an out of town retail development, would need to dial into community messaging and create a real sense of celebration for local residents.

Grayling partnered with local media outlet The News Portsmouth to launch a Community Hero Competition, seeking a local champion to cut the ribbon on opening day. A representative from Portsmouth charity, Football for Cancer, was selected and the store pledged its support to the organisation making it its official Charity of the Year for 2018.

To generate excitement on opening day, an Easter egg hunt was held in store giving away M&S gift cards, Easter themed arts and crafts were available in the stores café and seasonal food and wine tasters were given.

We deliver media relations, event management, stakeholder engagement and public affairs support to the University. One of the key objectives of our work is to engage with businesses to improve reputation and level of engagement.

One of the key aims was to increase Solent’s share of the voice within Parliament. However, with their engagement they were often competing other universities, especially on issues such as Brexit.

We decided to utilise Solent’s maritime expertise and sought to engage Government, Parliament and industry through a number of different avenues.

This activity culminated in a policy roundtable that focused on maritime skills and brought together Government, MPs and key industry stakeholders in an effort to develop policy proposals on the future of the sector.

We undertook media training workshops, a media engagement plan along with developing a stakeholder engagement strategy, implementing a number of key stakeholder events including a live debate on the EU referendum and the launch of the Spark building.