Oxfordshire CC

This award is open to a single council or where appropriate a partnership of councils, or a council-owned company. Private sector partners can enter on a council’s behalf, with the permission of the council itself. The communications function is more integral to what councils do than ever. There is increasing need to influence behaviour in relation to, for example, recycling, transport, looking out for older neighbours, or reinforcing public health messaging. And there is the importance of building trust in the difficult decisions councils have to take in these challenging times. Campaigns can make a significant contribution to achieving these objectives, and this award is designed to showcase councils’ expertise in this area.

The impact of this campaign hinges on the visual imagery, engagement with local communities and tactical use of media and marketing platforms to tell stories. We were able to channel our values to learn and dare to do things differently, with a new, bolder approach to imagery, innovative use of social media, tailored community liaison and engagement, and creative use of technology. The success of this campaign is down to engaging so effectively with the service – as a team we’ve really understood the people working there to enhance and highlight the services they provide.