Prepared for: City of Bunbury
Prepared by: Catalyse® Pty Ltd
April 2018
© Copyright CATALYSE
®
Pty Ltd 2017
Communications and Engagement
Strategy 2018-2022
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Table of contents
1 Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
2 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
3 Links to the Strategic Community Plan and Code of Conduct …………………………………… 7
4 Current Situation………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
5 Communications and Engagement Vision……………………………………………………………… 9
6 Guiding Principles…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10
7 Communication and Engagement Objectives……………………………………………………….. 11
8 Audience…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
9 Key Messages …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13
10 Strategic Campaigns…………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
11 Channel…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15
12 Resourcing the Strategy ……………………………………………………………………………………. 20
13 Action Plan………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 21
14 Measuring Success…………………………………………………………………………………………… 23
15 Reporting ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27
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1 Executive Summary
Communication is essential for the City’s success.
The Communications and Engagement Strategy has been developed to provide guidance around
the City’s communication objectives, audience, key messages, channel and resourcing.
Communications and Engagement Vision
By 2022, the City of Bunbury wants to be recognised for adopting creative and proactive
approaches to reach and engage audiences with clear, authentic, persuasive and consistent
messages that build excitement about Bunbury.
Guiding Principles
The City of Bunbury has eight guiding principles for effective communication and engagement:
1. Demonstrate a strong commitment to communications across all levels and teams.
2. Allocate adequate time and resources to communications and engagement.
3. Commitment to engage early.
4. Assist stakeholders to provide informed opinions by providing supporting information.
5. Be proactive, clear, consistent and relevant.
6. Be accessible to all members of the community.
7. Be open and accountable.
8. Close the loop; communicate how feedback has been used to support decisions.
Communication and Engagement Objectives
The City has four core communication and engagement objectives:
1. Increase awareness
2. Increase knowledge and understanding
3. Change attitudes (i.e. gain acceptance)
4. Change behaviours (i.e. build commitment)
Strategic Campaigns
Strategic campaigns address the highest priority objectives and are reviewed by the City annually.
The City has identified five strategic campaigns for 2018:
1. Increase pride in Bunbury.
2. Increase awareness and support for the City’s vision.
3. Increase awareness of major projects and how the City is progressing with milestones.
4. Cultivate a ‘can do’ culture.
5. Increase internal awareness and commitment to the Communication and Engagement Strategy.
Audience
The City of Bunbury acknowledges the benefits and value of identifying and considering unique
communication needs and preferences among different audiences and aims to customise
communications whenever it is viable.
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Key Messages
At present, a majority of the City’s messages are operational and reactive. This Strategy aims to
shift the balance towards more strategic and proactive messages with greater relevance, interest,
clarity, consistency and credibility. The City will work to strengthen credibility by demonstrating
expertise, providing proof points and building stronger relationships. The City will also take control
of its narrative by sharing positive stories that enhance the City’s reputation.
| Strategic Campaigns | Key Messages | Proof Points |
| Increase pride in Bunbury. |
Bunbury has award winning bars and hotels. There are many exciting events, experiences and projects happening in Bunbury. Bunbury is an excellent place to live, work and visit. |
Awards Testimonials MARKYT® benchmarks |
| Increase awareness and support for the City’s vision. |
Bunbury is the capital city of the South West region (the State’s second city). Bunbury has a strong and diverse economy. Bunbury offers a safe, friendly and vibrant lifestyle. Bunbury has an attractive natural and built environment. |
Economic indicators Social indicators Community perceptions |
| Increase awareness of major projects and how the City is progressing with milestones. |
Transforming Bunbury’s Waterfront CBD Revitalisation Civic and Cultural Precinct Water Playground Hay Park South Multi-Sports Pavilion Bunbury Racecourses Local Area Plan |
Evidence of projects progressing (i.e. short videos) Project awards |
| Cultivate a ‘can do’ culture. |
We have a ‘can do’ culture. People are empowered to find and suggest solutions. |
Annual CEO/Mayor Awards Testimonials Smart City Innovation Group outcomes |
| Increase internal awareness and commitment to the Strategy. |
The City has a new strategy to improve the effectiveness of communications. Everyone is responsible for improving communication. |
Communications & Engagement Strategy 2018-2022 |
Channel
Multiple channels will be used as different people have different ways of absorbing information and
repetition increases the chance of the information being absorbed. When deciding which channel is
best, it is essential to consider is it fit for purpose based on the following factors:
| Fit for Purpose Factors | Considerations |
| Objectives | Does the approach align with the communication objectives? |
| Engagement type | Is the City seeking to inform (one way communication) or to engage (using two way communications)? |
| Audience | What are the target audience characteristics and preferences? |
| Data requirements | Qualitative vs quantitative and simple vs complex requirements? |
| Level of confidence | What level of confidence is needed for the decision being made? |
| Representation | Will the approach attract a representative sample? |
| Timing and resources | Does the City have sufficient time and funding? |
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Resourcing the Strategy
The Manager Tourism, Events & Promotions (under the Director Corporate and Community
Services) oversees the Communications Team which consists of 2.0 full time equivalent (FTE)
employees, plus employees completing the equivalent of 2.0 FTE worth of marketing in other City
owned and operated facilities.
The City will consider appointing a senior communications specialist to drive the Communications
and Engagement Strategy. A business case will be developed to fully consider the need for this
role and any supporting roles necessary to achieve the objectives of the Communications and
Engagement Strategy, and ultimately the City of Bunbury’s vision in the Strategic Community Plan.
Action Plan
Section 13 of this Strategy includes 22 recommended actions to improve communications and
engagement. Actions include employee training workshops to raise awareness of communication
tools, developing a program to reinforce positive behaviour and hold people accountable for noncompliance, development of a Brand Strategy, stakeholder relationship management, and the
development of detailed Marketing and Communication Plans for the Strategic Campaigns.
Measuring Success
The City will measure and report on communication and engagement related key performance
indicators (KPIs) from the Strategic Community Plan, as follows:
| Strategic Community Plan KPIs |
1. Satisfaction with Council’s engagement processes 2. Satisfaction with Council’s decision making 3. Community and stakeholder participation in forums and workshops |
Section 14 provides a more comprehensive framework for evaluating performance.
Reporting
Annually, the Manager Tourism, Events & Promotions will report on progress against the Action
Plan and Key Performance Indicators. The report will be presented to the Executive Leadership
Team.
The Communications and Engagement Strategy will be reviewed once every four years. The next
review will occur in 2022.
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2 Introduction
The City of Bunbury is working towards the following vision.
| Vision | Bunbury: welcoming and full of opportunities. |
In working towards this vision, the City communicates with a broad range of audiences, including
Elected Members, members of the general community, rate payers, visitors, local businesses,
community organisations, Federal and State Government, other Local Councils, and City of
Bunbury employees and volunteers.
Communication is essential for the City’s success.
To engage effectively, communication is a two way process. A sender must encode a message by
converting an idea into words or images and a receiver must decode the message by interpreting its
meaning. Interference comes in many forms and can affect the quality of communication.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
– George Bernard Shaw
The City of Bunbury’s Communications and Engagement Strategy has been developed to provide
guidance around:
| |
Objectives – why does the City communicate? Audience – who does the City need to engage with? Messages – what does the City need to communicate and engage about? Channel – what is the best way to reach one another? Resources – how can the City make best use of resources to communicate effectively? |
Within this strategy, communications encompasses a range of areas, including:
| |
brand development reputation management public relations marketing promotions communications social media relations customer service stakeholder engagement |
The last point, stakeholder engagement, covers various levels of communication from information,
involving one-way communication, to consultation and active involvement in decision making,
involving two-way communication.
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3 Links to the Strategic Community Plan and Code of Conduct
The Communications and Engagement Strategy will assist the City to achieve corporate objectives
in the organisation’s Strategic Community Plans. Relevant objectives in the City’s current Strategic
Community Plan 2018 – 2028 are as follows, however it is noted that these are subject to change
based on content in future Plans:
| Strategic Community Plan 2018 – 2028 | Theme 4: Our City Goal: Civic leadership, partnerships and sound governance in delivery with and for the community. Communication related objectives: 4.1 A passionate advocate for the community, with strong partnerships to amplify the outcomes that can be achieved 4.2 A highly-engaged and involved community, working together on strategy development and implementation 4.3 Trusted leadership and robust decision-making 4.4 A skilled organisation, which exercises responsible asset stewardship, sound financial management and exemplary customer service |
The Communications and Engagement Strategy has also been developed to assist employees to
comply with the 2017 Code of Conduct. This code requires Elected Members, Committee
Members and Employees to work ethically with the community by:
Engaging with the community. The City strives to meet the environmental, economic and social
needs of the community. Representatives must be responsive to community needs, treat people
with courtesy and sensitivity. The City is to have effective communications and protocols,
internally and externally and be open to, and encourage feedback from the Community and
interested parties. Services are to be delivered professionally and effectively, responding quickly
with a willingness to be flexible where necessary. Allowances and adjustments must be made to
communicate with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Contact with the community. Elected Members, Committee Members and Employees must
make every effort to be positive, helpful and effective when communicating with the community.
Elected Members represent the community on various issues and present their position at
Council meetings. It is therefore important for representatives to ensure decisions, processes
and policy information which affect the community are communicated accurately and in a timely
way; and confidential information remains confidential unless it is determined by law or
otherwise that release of the information is appropriate.
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4 Current Situation
The following SWOT analysis takes into account internal strengths and weaknesses that relate to
communications, along with an assessment of external opportunities and threats relating to
communications within the context of political, economic, social, technological, legal and
environmental factors.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Senior level commitment to improve stakeholder engagement, marketing and communications. Professional, hard-working communications team. Overall MARKYT® Place Index Score = 66, on par with the industry average. Overall CULTYR® Workplace Index Score = 72, 3 index points ahead of the industry average Have a Project Management Plan template that incorporates stakeholder engagement and the need to complete a Marketing and Communication Plan. Have a Marketing and Communications Plan template with evidence it is being used for more recent projects (i.e. CBD Activation and CBD Parking). Have a brand style guide with strong brand alignment for more recent projects. Good development and execution of key messages at the project and operational level. |
No overarching brand strategy. Lack of strategic campaigns to support corporate and brand level objectives, including communication of the vision. Compliance with communication tools (Code of Conduct, Project Management Plan, Marketing and Communications Plan template, Brand Style Guide, etc). Conducting project reviews on completion to identify opportunities to improve. KPI measurement and reporting against communication objectives. Inconsistent application of brand style guide. Usefulness of Strategic Community Plan for staff. Community perceptions about how they are informed and consulted about what’s happening in the local area and reasons for decisions (closing the feedback loop). Organisation team spirit. Internal communication – vertical and horizontal communication (silo mentality). Resources are stretched. |
| Opportunities | Threats |
| Develop an overarching brand strategy. Create and share the City’s Brand Story. Improved stakeholder management (stakeholder database, integrated CRM systems, etc). Greater segmentation and customisation of communication and engagement experiences to meet different audience requirements. Use of digital innovations (such as engagement websites, online news channels, Yammer, etc). Improved use of social media, guerrilla advertising, etc. to reach target audiences. Extend free WiFi across the City. |
Global climate of fear and low trust in government and politicians. Growing privacy concerns (Privacy Act). Economic hardship and access to resources. Fast pace of change. Digital disruption. Growth and fragmentation of media channels. Being a local government authority (bureaucratic / slow to respond). Enduring stigmas / negative place perceptions. Apathy (people not buying into the vision or engaging in council activities). Growing community expectations. Brand confusion: City of Bunbury vs Bunbury Geographe vs City of Busselton Geographe Bay. |
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5 Communications and Engagement Vision
The City of Bunbury is striving to achieve the following vision for communications:
| Communications Vision | By 2022… The City of Bunbury is recognised for using creative and proactive approaches to reach and engage audiences with clear, authentic, persuasive and consistent messages that build excitement about Bunbury. The appointment of a senior level executive in economic development and communications has strengthened the strategic focus in this area and alignment with priorities in the Strategic Community Plan. A team of communication specialists is helping the City to be more effective in meeting its strategic and operational objectives. The team offers expertise and support with: Brand and Reputation Management Economic Development and Destination Marketing Event Management and Promotion Public Relations, Marketing and Communications Social Media Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Customer Database Management Stakeholder Management and Engagement Internal Communications and Cultural Change Customer Service The City is taking control of its own narrative through the delivery of key messages that support the City’s vision and strategic direction. It is invested in sharing stories to help people to see that: Bunbury is the capital city of the South West region. Bunbury has a strong and diverse economy. Bunbury offers a safe, friendly and vibrant lifestyle. Bunbury has an attractive natural and built environment. |
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6 Guiding Principles
Guiding principles0F1 guide an organisation throughout its life in all circumstances, irrespective of
changes in its goals, strategies, type of work, or the top management.
The City of Bunbury has the following guiding principles for communications:
1. Demonstrate a strong commitment to communications across all levels and teams.
2. Allocate adequate time and resources to communications and engagement.
3. Commitment to engage early.
4. Assist stakeholders to provide informed opinions by providing supporting information.
5. Be proactive, clear, consistent and relevant.
6. Be accessible to all members of the community.
7. Be open and accountable.
8. Close the loop; communicate how feedback has been used to support decisions.
1 http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/guiding-principles.html
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7 Communication and Engagement Objectives
In support of corporate objectives contained within the City’s Strategic Community Plans, the
organisation has four core Communication and Engagement Objectives:
| Objectives | 1. Increase awareness 2. Increase knowledge and understanding 3. Change attitudes (i.e. gain acceptance) 4. Change behaviours (i.e. build commitment) |
Communication objectives are two way. For example, the City seeks to increase community
awareness of Council’s messages, services and facilities using informing strategies. At the same
time, it seeks to increase awareness and understanding of community needs and priorities using
consultation strategies. In another example, the City aims to change community attitudes and
behaviours (i.e. encouraging more recycling) while also seeking community feedback to change its
own attitudes and behaviours (i.e. finding ways to improve customer service).
On an annual basis, the City of Bunbury will map specific and measurable communication
objectives to align with the City’s Strategic Community Plan and to reflect current community and
organisational needs. Examples of areas to consider when developing communication objectives
are provided below:
| Increase awareness |
Key messages Services, facilities, events and major projects Plans, strategies, codes and guidelines |
| Increase knowledge and understanding |
The City’s vision for the future Council’s role, systems, processes and procedures Stakeholders’ needs and aspirations |
| Change attitudes |
Brand perceptions (Bunbury is an excellent place to live, work and visit) Sustainability attitudes (towards waste, energy, water, bushland, etc.) |
| Change behaviours |
Sustainable behaviours (increase recycling, reduce water usage, etc) Attendance at events Participation in community and employee engagement activities |
Annually, the City will agree on the highest priority communication objectives and develop strategic
campaigns. The strategic campaigns for 2018 are:
| Strategic Campaigns |
1. Increase pride in Bunbury. 2. Increase awareness and support for the City’s vision. 3. Increase awareness of major projects and how the City is progressing with milestones. 4. Cultivate a ‘can do’ culture internally. 5. Increase internal awareness and commitment to the Communication Strategy. |
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8 Audience
The City of Bunbury acknowledges the benefits and value of identifying and considering unique
communication needs and preferences among different audiences.
Key audience groups have been defined as follows:
| Internal Stakeholders | External Stakeholders | |
| • Elected Members • Executive Leadership Team • Staff • Volunteers • Reference and advisory groups • Contractors |
• Ratepayers • Residential • Commercial • Residents • Children • Youth • Families • Seniors • Disability • Cultural and Linguistically Diverse • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) • Economic disadvantage • Customers • People who work in the area • Business owners and managers |
• Visitors • Domestic • National • International • Investors (current and potential) • Business associations • Peak bodies • Trade unions • Community groups • Special interest groups • Local associations • Local schools / universities • Other local councils • Government (State and Federal) • Politicians • Media • Suppliers |
Within each of these groups, the City realises that communication needs may vary by individual
characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, education, disability, access to technology and
personal preferences.
Where viable, communications are customised to meet individual needs and preferences.
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9 Key Messages
For communication to be effective, key messages must be:
| |
Relevant and interesting Clear and consistent Credible, believable and persuasive |
The City will work to strengthen credibility by demonstrating expertise, providing supporting
evidence (i.e. ‘proof points’) and building relationships (i.e. being more likeable).
The City of Bunbury communicates about a broad range of topics, including:
| |
Leadership and strategic planning Destination marketing and economic development City services, products and experiences Major projects |
| |
News and events Culture and change Advice and legislation Requests and approvals Tenders, quotes and offers Funding and grants Customer service and general support |
Within each of these areas, key messages may be classified as:
| |
Strategic (i.e. destination marketing) or operational (i.e. customer service requests) Proactive (i.e. messages about the City’s vision) or reactive (i.e. crisis communications) Outward or inward (i.e. flow of communication between the City and external stakeholders) Vertical (i.e. messages that go upwards or downwards within the organisation) Horizontal (i.e. messages that travel between teams or individuals across the organisation) |
At present, a majority of the City’s messages are operational and reactive. However, the City would
like to shift the balance with a greater focus on strategic and proactive messages.
“If the City doesn’t share its good news stories, who will?”
This question is of great importance. People who are disenfranchised are quick to share negative
stories. Negative stories take on a life of their own, creating misconceptions that are hard to
change. Through the Communications and Engagement Strategy, the City of Bunbury will take
control of the positive narrative, delivering messages that support the City’s vision and strategic
direction. The City will proactively broadcast a calendar of good news to enhance the City of
Bunbury’s reputation as a great place to live, work and visit.
“Stories constitute the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.”
– Dr. Howard Gardner, Professor Harvard University
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10 Strategic Campaigns
To help key messages cut through, the City will identify a limited number of strategic campaigns
each year to address the highest priority communication and engagement objectives.
2018 Strategic Campaigns are provided below with examples of key messages and proof points to
support these campaigns. The City will develop detailed Marketing and Communication Plans in
support of each of these campaigns. While the objectives of some campaigns may be achieved
within 12 months, others may continue to be a strategic priority for a number of years.
| Strategic Campaigns |
Key Messages | Proof Points |
| Increase pride in Bunbury. |
Bunbury has award winning bars and hotels. There are many exciting events, experiences and projects happening in Bunbury. Bunbury is an excellent place to live, work and visit. |
Awards Testimonials MARKYT® Community Scorecard and benchmarks |
| Increase awareness and support for the City’s vision. |
Bunbury is the capital city of the South West region (the State’s second city) Bunbury has a strong and diverse economy. Bunbury offers a safe, friendly and vibrant lifestyle. Bunbury has an attractive natural and built environment. |
Economic indicators Social indicators Community perceptions |
| Increase awareness of major projects and how the City is progressing with milestones. |
Transforming Bunbury’s Waterfront CBD Activation Civic and Cultural Precinct Water Playground Hay Park South Multi-Sports Pavilion Bunbury Racecourses Local Area Plan |
Evidence of projects progressing (i.e. short videos) Project awards |
| Cultivate a ‘can do’ culture. |
We have a ‘can do’ culture. People are empowered to find and suggest solutions. |
Annual CEO/Mayor Awards Testimonials Smart City Innovation Group outcomes |
| Increase internal awareness and commitment to the Communication Strategy. |
The City has a new strategy to improve the effectiveness of communications. Everyone is responsible for improving communication. |
Communication Strategy 2018-2022 |
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11 Channel
“How well a message is communicated is as important as the message itself.” 1F2
Multiple channels are vital as different people have different ways of absorbing information and
repetition increases the chance of the information being absorbed.
When deciding which channel is best, it is essential to consider is it fit for purpose.
| Fit for Purpose Factors |
Considerations | Example |
| Objectives | Does the communication or engagement channel align with the objectives? |
Is the intent to raise awareness, develop knowledge and understanding, influence attitudes or change behaviour? |
| Engagement type |
Are you seeking to inform (one way communication) or to engage (two way communications)? |
The table overleaf provides a list of channels the City uses to inform and engage stakeholders. |
| Audience | Who are you engaging? How do they prefer to engage? What are their demographic characteristics, accessibility factors (i.e. disability, language, age, transport, etc), and digital readiness and comfort levels? |
Younger people may consume messages differently to older people. You may need to consider a different approach for people with a disability or a cultural or language barrier. |
| Data requirements |
Does the City require qualitative vs quantitative measures OR simple vs complex requirements? |
Is the City seeking to explore how people feel or behave, and the motivators and barriers for change, OR does the City want to count how many people think / behave in certain ways? |
| Level of confidence |
What level of confidence is needed for the decision being made? How many people does the City need to hear from? |
Does the City need the sampling error to be within ±5% at the 95% confidence interval? Or would ±10% at the 95% confidence interval suffice? |
| Representation | How will the City attract involvement from a representative sample of the community when conducting engagement activities? |
When making decisions, it is better to hear from a representative sample of 400 people, than a biased, non representative sample of 2,000 people. If the sample has an age bias, for example, consider weighting the data to reflect the population profile. |
| Timing | How much time do you have to complete the project? Is the project urgent? |
Do you have multiple non-urgent messages that could be combined into one newsletter or survey? |
| Resourcing | Considering human and financial resources; what can you afford? |
Can you afford a census or will a sample suffice? |
2
https://blog.enplug.com/internal-communications-best-practices-2017
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The following table describes some of the key channels and tools that support communication and
engagement across the City of Bunbury. The City encourages employees to consider new and
innovative ways of communicating and engaging with stakeholders. If employees would like to
suggest new channels, they are invited to discuss these ideas with the Media and Communications
Officer.
| Channel | Description | Audience | Format | Type of engagement |
| Strategic Community Plan |
Shares the community’s aspirations and priorities; describing the vision, objectives, strategies and KPIs. |
All | Electronic |
Inform |
| Corporate Business Plan |
Communicates how the City will resource and activate objectives outlined in the Strategic Community Plan. |
Internal | Electronic |
Inform |
| Annual Report | Communicates how the City has performed against financial and non financial indicators. |
All | Electronic |
Inform |
| Project Management Plan template |
A template to assist with development and management of projects. |
Internal | Electronic | Inform |
| Marketing and Communications Plan template |
A template to assist with the development and management of marketing and communications. |
Internal | Electronic | Inform |
| Brand Style Guide |
Guidelines to encourage consistent use of City of Bunbury branding. |
Internal | Electronic | Inform |
| Website | Primary source for providing information and engaging with internal and external stakeholders. |
All | Electronic | Inform |
| Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TripAdvisor, etc) |
Supports more timely and targeted communication with selected audiences. Please refer to Corporate Guidelines Social Media. |
All | Electronic | Engage |
| Video messages | Short videos are an effective way to communicate key messages. Video may be shared by Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), social media channels, websites, email or on screens in customer service areas and staff rooms. |
All | Electronic | Inform |
| Media Releases | Communication directed at members of the news media (TV, Radio, Print and Social) for the purpose of announcing something newsworthy. Please refer to the Media Policy. |
All | Print Audio Electronic |
Inform |
| City Focus | A weekly advertorial in the local community newspaper. |
All | Inform | |
| City Beat | A fortnightly enewsletter that is emailed to subscribers and promoted through social media and the City’s website. |
All | Electronic | Inform |
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| Channel | Description | Audience | Format | Type of engagement |
| Calendars | Useful for sharing information about events, waste collection services, etc. Opportunity to move calendars online and interactive. |
All | Print Electronic |
Inform |
| Advertising | An audio or visual form of marketing communication to promote a product, service or idea. The City may use various advertising channels including newspaper, radio, television, social media and websites. |
All | Print Audio Electronic |
Inform |
| Radio interviews | An opportunity to communicate key messages to mass and niche audiences in a timely way. |
All | Audio | Inform |
| Direct mail | Direct communication to a key stakeholder using addressed or unaddressed mail. Includes letters, notices, invitations, brochures, pamphlets, flyers and calendars. |
All | Inform | |
| Direct communication to a key stakeholder using electronic mail. Includes letters, notices, invitations and flyers. |
All | Electronic | Inform | |
| SMS | A short message service to mobile phones for brief and timely communication. |
All | Electronic | Inform |
| Intranet | A centralised source of information for internal stakeholders. |
Internal | Electronic | Inform |
| Yammer | A new tool being trialled by the City of Bunbury. It is a private social network built around open communication. Useful for project work and effective cross-team communication. |
Internal | Electronic | Engage |
| CEO and Director briefings |
Good opportunity to meet the CEO and Directors to hear the latest news, discuss issues, share ideas and ask questions. |
Internal | In Person | Engage |
| CEO Shout Out enews |
A regular enewsletter from the CEO to share information about major projects, latest news and activities. |
Internal | Electronic |
Inform |
| Meetings | Meetings are held for various reasons, including Council meetings, staff induction meetings, team meetings, project meetings, toolbox meetings, and community meetings. As technology improves and users comfort with technology grows, increasingly meetings may be supported with information communication technology (ICT). |
All | In person Electronic |
Engage |
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| Channel | Description | Audience | Format | Type of engagement |
| Outdoor advertising and promotions |
Includes the use of posters, signage, banners, billboards, digital signs and guerrilla advertising to communicate key messages. Useful to promote key brand messages, events, major projects and developments, and traffic information. |
All | Print Electronic |
Inform |
| Corporate branding |
Includes the use of the City of Bunbury logo and key messages on signage, uniforms, vehicles, merchandise, etc. Also covers corporate branding for related brands, including Libraries, South West Sports Centre, Bunbury Wildlife Park, Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre and Bunbury Museum Heritage Centre. |
All | Print Electronic |
Inform |
| Name badges | Beneficial for identification, building trust and a team culture, and encouraging rapport. |
All | Inform | |
| Informal communication |
An effective channel often ignored in communication strategies. Consider how you can capture people’s attention and create ‘talking points of interest’ when people are interacting with others, i.e. making coffee at work, walking or exercising dogs, visiting local playgrounds, participating in local community groups or sporting clubs, talking with parents at school, talking to the City’s gardeners, etc. |
All | In person |
Inform |
| Formal submissions |
Often requested for specific projects or decisions when there is a legislative or statutory requirement. |
External | Print Electronic |
Engage |
| In-depth interviews |
A qualitative research technique that involves conducting intensive individual interviews with individuals or a small number of respondents to explore their perspectives on a particular idea, program, or situation. |
All | In person Phone |
Engage |
| Focus groups | A gathering of deliberately selected people who participate in a planned and moderated discussion that is intended to elicit community or stakeholder perceptions about a particular topic or area of interest in an environment that is non threatening and receptive. Ideally limited to 8 to 10 participants. |
All | In person Online |
Engage |
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| Channel | Description | Audience | Format | Type of engagement |
| Workshops | A meeting where a group of people engage in intensive discussion and activity on a particular subject or project. May involve large numbers of people who are invited to engage in individual, small group and large group exercises. |
All | In person | Engage |
| Pop up booths | Located in high pedestrian traffic or strategic locations, such as community events and shopping centres, to share information and engage with key stakeholders. |
External | In person | Engage |
| Online forums | Useful for providing information, seeking feedback and inviting stakeholders to take part in interactive mapping exercises. |
All | Online | Engage |
| Surveys | The City uses surveys to explore and quantify stakeholders’ views. Benchmarking is also provided through the MARKYT® Community Scorecard and CULTYR® Employee Scorecard. |
All | Post Online Phone Intercept |
Engage |
| Household Panel | Helpful for keeping up with changing community needs and aspirations. |
External | Electronic | Engage |
| Advisory and Reference Groups |
Established to provide strategic advice and direction on policies, plans, major projects, programs, etc. |
All | In person | Engage |
| Mystery Shopping |
Useful for assessing the quality of customer service, compliance with regulation, or to gather specific information about products and services. |
External | In person Phone Online |
Engage |
| Elections and Polls |
Where everyone in the target audience is invited to make a formal and organised choice by vote. |
All | In person Postal Online |
Engage |
| Referral marketing and communication |
Consider accessing the target audience via community groups, schools, sporting clubs, churches, etc, by publishing messages in their newsletters, Facebook posts, etc. |
External | Electronic |
Inform |
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12 Resourcing the Strategy
The Manager Tourism, Events & Promotions and then then Director Corporate and Community
Services oversee the Communication Team. The Communications Team consists of 2.0 full time
equivalent (FTE) employees, as follows:
The Communications Team is supported by a number of facility-based employees who provide an
equivalent of 2.0 FTE marketing and communications support within the City and Withers Libraries,
South West Sports Centre, Bunbury Wildlife Park, Bunbury Regional Art Galleries and Bunbury
Museum Heritage Centre. Whilst the Bunbury Geographe Regional Tourism Marketing &
Development Manager coordinates strategic tourism activity, the City does not currently have a
Destination Marketing Officer focused on Bunbury.
The City of Bunbury will consider appointing a communications and economic development
specialist at a senior level to drive the Communications and Engagement Strategy. The City will
prepare a business case to fully consider the need for this role and any supporting roles necessary
to achieve the objectives of the Communications and Engagement Strategy, and ultimately the City
of Bunbury’s vision in the Strategic Community Plan.
The City of Bunbury will follow best practice by adopting an integrated approach to communication
where the Communications Team:
| | Engages with a range of audiences, including: |
| o | internal stakeholders (i.e. employees) |
| o | external stakeholders (i.e. residents, businesses and visitors) |
| | Provides expertise across a range of communication disciplines including: |
o Brand and Reputation Management
o Economic Development and Destination Marketing
o Event Management and Promotion
o Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
o Social Media
o Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
o Customer Database Management
o Stakeholder Management and Engagement
o Internal Communications and Cultural Change
o Customer Service
| | Works closely with individuals and teams across the organisation, for example: |
| o | The person responsible for internal communication would have a strong and close relationship with the HR Team, possibly reporting to, or being a member of, both the Communications Team and HR Team. |
o The person responsible for destination marketing or economic development may sit
across the Communications Team and Economic Development Team.
o The person responsible for customer database management would work closely with the
ICT Team.
It is essential to break down silos to improve communication.
| Manager Tourism, Events & Promotions (1.0 FTE) |
|
| Media & Communications Officer (1.0 FTE) |
Marketing Officer (1.0 FTE) |
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13 Action Plan
Everyone has responsibility for improving internal and external communication across the City of
Bunbury. Specific actions and responsibilities have been delegated as follows:
| Actions | Responsible | Timing | |
| Overall | 1. Monitor and report on progress against the Communications and Engagement Strategy Action Plan. |
Manager Tourism, Events & Promotions |
Annual |
| 2. Provide communication training workshops to increase awareness, understanding and adoption of communication tools across the organisation, including: Communications and Engagement Strategy 2018- 2022 Project Management Plan – template and guidelines Marketing and Communications Plan – template and guidelines Media Policy Corporate Guidelines Social Media Customer Service Charter |
Media & Communications Officer |
2018 | |
| 3. Develop a program to build on the City’s standards of excellence program to reinforce positive communication attitudes and behaviours, and hold people accountable for non-compliance with communication standards. |
Additional resourcing: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator |
2019 | |
| Brand Development |
4. Develop an overarching Brand Strategy for the City of Bunbury, taking into account the City’s brand architecture. |
Chief Executive Officer/Marketing Officer |
2018 |
| 5. Create a Brand Story to build emotional connections and strengthen the City’s overall reputation. |
Chief Executive Officer/Marketing Officer |
2020 | |
| 6. Ensure the City’s visual identity consistently conforms to the brand style guidelines. |
Marketing Officer | Ongoing | |
| Communication Objectives |
7. Engage with the community, Elected Members and employees to map and prioritise the City’s communication objectives. |
Media & Communications Officer |
Biennial |
| 8. Agree on the highest priority communication objectives and identify strategic campaigns. |
Executive Leadership Team |
Annual | |
| Audience | 9. Map key stakeholder groups and delegate responsibility for stakeholder management (business, youth, disability, etc). |
Additional resourcing: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator |
2018 |
| 10. Develop and maintain a robust and accurate stakeholder database that enables stakeholders to manage and customise their communication preferences. |
Additional resourcing: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator |
2018 |
22
| Actions | Responsible | Timing | |
| Audience | 11. Evaluate options to introduce a fully integrated Customer Relationship Management system (see City of Stirling). |
Manager Information Technology/Additional resourcing: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator |
2020- 2022 |
| 12. Understand and embed best practice sampling to recruit representative and reliable samples. |
Additional resourcing: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator |
2018 | |
| Key Messages | 13. Develop a Marketing and Communication Plan for each Strategic Campaign. |
Media & Communications Officer |
Annual |
| 14. Create a Content Calendar to plan and visualise how key messages will be distributed across the City’s communication channels throughout the year. |
Media & Communications Officer |
2018 | |
| 15. Develop a process to encourage all employees to consider and recommend stories about team-based projects, activities and events that enhance the City’s reputation. |
Media & Communications Officer |
2019 | |
| Channel | 16. Continuously review and improve the effectiveness of existing channels. |
Media & Marketing Team |
Ongoing |
| 17. Continuously monitor and evaluate new and innovative communication and engagement tools against communication objectives and audience needs. |
Additional resourcing: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator |
Ongoing | |
| 18. Conduct a trial of Yammer | Additional resourcing: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator |
2018- 2019 |
|
| 19. Agree on the purpose of the Household Panel and a strategy to improve its effectiveness. |
Additional resourcing: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator |
2018- 2019 |
|
| Resourcing | 20. Develop a business case for appointing a senior communications and economic development specialist and supporting roles. |
Manager Tourism, Events & Promotions |
June 2018 |
| Measuring Success |
21. Administer a Communications Survey to evaluate communication KPIs not covered by existing sources |
Additional resourcing: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator |
Biennial |
| 22. Introduce dashboard reporting on the City’s website and intranet site to communicate performance against KPIs |
Manager Information Technology |
2020 |
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14. Measuring Success
When developing key performance indicators, the City of Bunbury considers:
| Objectives | Did we increase awareness, knowledge and understanding? Did we change attitudes, perceptions and behaviour? |
| Audience | Did we reach our target audience? |
| Key messages | Were messages clear, consistent and credible? |
| Channel | Where the channels effective? |
The City of Bunbury will measure and report on communication and engagement related key
performance indicators (KPIs) from the Strategic Community Plan:
| Strategic Community Plan KPIs |
1. Satisfaction with Council’s engagement processes 2. Satisfaction with Council’s decision making 3. Community and stakeholder participation in forums and workshops |
KPIs in the Strategic Community Plan will be supported by the following measures of success:
| Performance Area |
Key Performance Indicator | Benchmark 2017 | Target 2022 |
| Reach | Website visitation | 125,000 hits | Above Government Sector Average |
| Facebook followers | 10,616 (as of 4 Nov 2017) |
Above Government Sector Average |
|
| Engaged Facebook users (daily average) | 619 (31 Aug to 29 Sep) |
Above Government Sector Average |
|
| Number of e-newsletter subscribers | 1,888 | Above Government Sector Average |
|
| e-newsletter open rate (average) | 39% (+13% above Government Sector Average2F3) |
Above Government Sector Average |
|
| Representation | Demonstration that the City is reaching a representative sample of the target audience by key demographics. |
Achieved in the MARKYT® Community Scorecard |
All studies reaching a representative sample |
3 Mailchimp statistics for Government Sector, updated on 1 February 2017 from data gathered of Mailchimp users from a wide crosssection of company sizes who have 1,000 email subscribers or more, http://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing/emailcommunications-strategy/statistics-sources-for-email-marketing/
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| Performance Area |
Key Performance Indicator | Benchmark 2017 | Target 2022 |
| Reliability | Level of confidence in engagement results for major studies (aiming to reduce the sampling error to within ±5% at the 95% confidence interval). |
Achieved in the MARKYT® Community Scorecard |
All major studies within ±5% SE @ 95% CI |
| Brand perceptions | Progressive: strategic and future focused (% agree) |
NA | >60% |
| Innovative: a thought leader; willing to experiment and try new ideas (% agree) |
NA | >60% | |
| Internal Communication |
Top-down communication (Workplace Index Score) |
62 (+1 above CULTYR® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
| Communication across the organisation (Workplace Index Score) |
58 (+4 above CULTYR® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| Communication within my team (Workplace Index Score) |
75 (-4 below CULTYR® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| External Communication |
Council’s leadership | 52 (+1 above MARKYT® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
| How the community is consulted about local issues (Performance Index Score) |
47 (+1 above MARKYT® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| Elected Members have a good understanding of community needs (% agree) |
37 (-1 below MARKYT® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| The City clearly explains the reasons for its decisions and how residents’ views have been taken into account (% agree) |
37 (+4 above MARKYT® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| How the community is informed about what’s happening in the local area, including local issues, events, services and facilities (Performance Index Score) |
51 (+1 above MARKYT® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| Effectiveness of communication materials |
Relevant (% agree) | NA | >60% |
| Interesting (% agree) | NA | >60% | |
| Clear (% agree) | NA | >60% | |
| Consistent (% agree) | NA | >60% | |
| Timely (% agree) | NA | >60% | |
| Open and transparent (% agree) | NA | >60% |
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To evaluate the success of the 2018 Strategic Campaigns, the following KPIs will be measured:
| Strategic Campaigns |
Key Performance Indicator | 2017 Benchmark | 2022 Target |
| Increase pride in Bunbury. |
I am proud of the area where I live (% agree) |
NA (MARKYT® Wellbeing Standard: 72) |
Above Industry Standard |
| The City of Bunbury as a place to live (Performance Index Score) |
77 (-1 below MARKYT® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| The City of Bunbury as a place to work (Performance Index Score) |
72 (+3 above CULTYR® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| Increase awareness and support for the City’s vision. |
The City has developed and communicated a clear vision for the area (% agree) |
46 (+6 above MARKYT® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
| Bunbury is the capital city of the South West region (% agree) |
NA | 100% | |
| Bunbury is vibrant (% agree) | NA | >70% | |
| Economic development (performance index score) |
44 (equal to MARKYT® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| Gross Regional Product (NIEIR) | $15.81 billion (2015) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| Number of local businesses (ABS) | 15,348 | Increasing/above Industry Standard |
|
| Safety and security (performance index score) |
48 (-6 below MARKYT® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| Bunbury is friendly and welcoming (% agree) |
NA | >70% | |
| Bunbury has an attractive natural and built environment (% agree) |
NA | >70% | |
| Increase awareness of major projects and how the City is progressing with milestones. |
Awareness of major projects | NA | Average awareness of major projects >60% |
| Cultivate a ‘can do’ culture. |
Employees are encouraged to offer new ideas and suggestions (Workplace Index Score) |
72 (+3 above CULTYR® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
| People are open to new innovative ways of doing things (Workplace Index Score) |
60 (-3 below CULTYR® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
|
| I feel empowered to make decisions in my role (Workplace Index Score) |
72 (+1 above CULTYR® Industry Standard) |
Increasing and above Industry Standard |
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| Strategic Campaigns |
Key Performance Indicator | 2017 Benchmark | 2022 Target |
| Increase internal awareness and commitment to the Communication Strategy. |
Employee awareness of the Communication Strategy |
NA | >50% |
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14 Reporting
Annually, the Manager Tourism, Events & Promotions will report on progress against the Action
Plan and Key Performance Indicators. The report will be presented to the Executive Leadership
Team.
The Communications and Engagement Strategy will be reviewed once every four years. The next
review will occur in 2022.