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Delivering a meaningful public consultation through online engagement
On 31st March 2021, Kingston Council approved the plans for Unilever’s new global headquarters to be developed in Kingston...
Read moreThe best communication is targeted and meaningful – whether it be working to deliver consultation responses, drive public support for a cause or issue, or pursuing much-needed legislative or regulatory change. But we understand that the nature of campaigning has changed. Effective campaigns don’t simply focus on public policy audiences to deliver change – they take a holistic approach, employing a variety of integrated techniques and tactics to achieve a goal.
Grayling Engage is our specialist stakeholder, community and digital engagement practice. We work across regions and specialties, combining our specialist knowledge of engagement and consultation with regional teams’ local knowledge. Our communications and engagement experience spans across all sectors, including Government, property and development, transport and infrastructure, health and the third sector.
Our role is to help our clients understand who they need to engage with and support them to do this effectively. We have developed a three-pronged campaigning methodology, focused on coordinating activity aimed at mobilising three core groups – political and community stakeholders, the media, and the public – to help achieve your goals.
Successful consultation has always been about creating conversations – genuine dialogue. Traditionally, this has happened in town halls, libraries and other public spaces, but the COVID-19 pandemic meant this was no longer possible. The ability to continue to involve local communities in these discussions is essential to ensuring the projects that are key to the country’s recovery are not stalled – infrastructure, housing, retail, energy and health.
We have designed our EngageOnline offer to provide the tools needed to comply with the consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. At the same time, it also has the flexibility to meet the needs of a wide range of other projects from planning applications for housing developments, to change programmes being run by the NHS.
EngageOnline is fully customisable, user-friendly and offers complete flexibility – designed to be as effective for ‘digital only’ consultations as it is for ‘blended’ programmes including both face-to-face and digital techniques. By creating a bespoke virtual ‘hub’ for each project, EngageOnline allows you to utilise tools including podcasts, animations and infographics, while facilitating meaningful conversations through virtual exhibitions complete with live chat, virtual drop-ins and meet-the-team sessions.
We’ve moved the conversation online. Visit our EngageOnline website or contact engage@grayling.com to find out more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly changed the way we engage. Society as a whole has switched to using technology at a greater rate than ever before, while businesses, politicians and stakeholders have been forced to rethink their approaches to engagement.
The impact this has had on consultation and engagement practices is highlighted in new report The Future of Engagement. Through UK-wide research with the general public and industry professionals, we explored how the pandemic changed public decision making, and what this could mean for the future.
Download the report here – and then get in touch with us to find out how we can help you develop your stakeholder engagement practices to reflect these new realities.
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