7 October, 2010

Informing parents of their rights, briefing businesses on equality regulations, telling voluntary groups about new opportunities, sharing good examples of sustainability to inspire more, encouraging communities to come together to tackle deprivation, helping families deal with difficult break-ups, and making vulnerable people aware of support that’s available.

For us, that’s what public sector communications is about. It’s important stuff. And by engaging and listening, rather than just creating campaigns that are in effect one-way traffic, we hear the feedback, we understand the impact and we see the change. Which is what makes it so rewarding.

Perhaps because we’re one of the smaller public sector agencies, we work on projects that demand strong
strategic roots and smart creativity. For us, it’s not about big budgets and flashy stunts. And it’s definitely not about spin.

Obviously times are changing and spending on communications should indeed be reduced. Here at Amazon, we won’t miss the big budgets, big agencies and big campaigns of the past. But we will certainly be arguing for a continuation of meaningful, two-way, cost-effective engagement. Society will be pretty small without it.

CIPR President Jay O’Conner said in July: ‘The CIPR wants to make the case for smart use of communications in the public sector to achieve Government policy. Public relations can be part of the solution as it can deliver new ways to engage and communicate. The way forward is not sweeping generalisations but considered discussions about how to best support policy objectives, based on a real understanding of what public relations can deliver.’

We couldn’t agree more.

Click here for the CIPR’s ‘In defence of public sector communications’

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