Paul Mahony, creative director and co-founder, Countryscape Visit the CharityComms website to view slides from past events, see what events we have coming up and to check out what else we do. www.charitycomms.org.uk

1. Working with Agencies
Getting the biggest bang for your buck$...

2. What are we going to be discussing?
1. When to get an agency involved
2. How to get best value (on a small budget!)
3. DIY 1: Taking charge of your brand
4. DIY 2: Creating a communications plan
5. Success stories

3. When to involve an agency

4. When to involve an agency
• Not at the last minute! Plan ahead and
identify what help you might need and when.
• Assisting with important tasks that your
organisation finds difficult and/or inefficient.
• During (re)branding or the development of a
Communications Plan.
• When seeking to reach new audiences.
• When investing in major communications.
• When you can afford it!

5. Getting best value

6. Getting best value from an agency
• Paying agencies to think can be expensive.
Getting them to do stuff is more affordable.
• Find an agency that fits your ‘culture’.
• Don’t be shy about discussing discounts!
SLAs can save money over the long-term.
• Provide clear briefs and prepare content.
• Ask the agency to create templates and
guidance for aiding everyday tasks in-house.
• Most important: ask questions and learn!

7. Taking charge of your brand

8. Taking charge of your brand
• Brands are like personalities – every
organisation has one, good or bad.
• Don’t focus on everything your organisation
does – focus on what it does best.
• Study the brands of other organisations.
• Involve everyone in the process.
• Be different – blending in is boring.
• Keep it simple! Say a few things, loud and
clear.

9. Communications Plan

10. Why do you need a communications plan?
• To make your communications more
efficient, effective and consistent.
• Clear and precise – not vague and rambling!
• Help you reach the right people and make
them do something.
• Manage who’s doing what and when.
• Reach beyond the ‘usual suspects’ to new
audiences (geographically and socially).

11. Drafting YOUR one-page communications plan…
1. Message: What is the purpose of your
organisation? And what do you do best?
2. Audiences: Who are you in touch with
now? Who would you like to be more in
touch with?
3. Benefits: What benefits do you offer each
of the audiences you’ve listed? Why should
they be interested in your group?

12. Drafting YOUR one-page communications plan…
4. Channels: How do you currently
communicate with your target audiences?
What new ways could you try out?
5. Publicity: What stories about your
organisation might people be interested in?

13. Success Stories

14. Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere
• Big new public/voluntary sector partnership.
• A first for Scotland… pressure to get it right!
• Lots of different issues and audiences.
• A huge area spanning different communities.
• A real need to involve local people from the
bottom up.
• Crowded marketplace for “yet another”
environmental body.
• Limited resources to make it all happen.

15. Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere
What they did…
•Identified things they needed help with:
branding and coordinating who does what.
•Made a list of target audiences.
What we did…
•Branding in consultation with stakeholders.
•Communications Plan for working together.
•Templates for designing ‘stuff’.

18. The Meadows, Salford
• University of Salford, Red Rose Forest and
local Friends Group.
• Urban green space with huge potential… but
under-used due to fear of crime.
• Re-branding the ‘place’ and making it safe
and welcoming.
• Forging bonds between locals and students
– uniting “them and us”.

19. The Meadows, Salford
What they did…
•Made a list of what the space could be used
for – “more than just a park”.
•Willingness to try something different.
What we did…
•Brought everyone together.
•Created an aspirational vision.
•Invested in a statement of ‘care’.

21. Q&A

22. Thanks for listening!
Paul Mahony, Creative Director
paul@countryscape.org
0161 236 3432

23. Visit the CharityComms website to view
slides from past events, see what
events we have coming up and to
check out what else we do.
www.charitycomms.org.uk

24. North West Regional Group
14 January 2015
Manchester
#ccnorthwest
North West Regional Group
Working with
agencies