Profile raising must have commercial benefit
10 July 2010Richard Bright, a director at communications agency Weber Shandwick, outlines his strategy for the Wood for Good campaign
The Weber Shandwick agency was appointed by Wood for Good earlier this year to drive forward its PR and lobbying activities.
We combine political lobbying with more general profile-raising activity using traditional and new media and the focus of all our activity is to achieve change – as quickly and effectively as possible. And we appreciate that for Wood for Good to work, this change must have a direct commercial benefit for the timber industry in general and the organisations involved in it.
We know the timber industry well and believe now is a great time to drive forward a campaign with such a strong and unambiguous ‘green’ message as Wood for Good, encapsulated in its “Wood Co2ts Less” slogan.
We have a new government keen to exploit its environmental credentials, and an energy and climate change minister in Chris Huhne who has indicated support for Wood for Good in the past. We also have an ever-expanding traditional and digital media agenda thirsty for news, comment and opinion.
Our approach to the campaign is three-fold. Firstly, we need to be accountable to the timber industry. We will have a monthly column in TTJ detailing Wood for Good updates and we’ll publish a regular e-bulletin for campaign supporters, as well as regular updates on our website www.woodforgood.com.
Secondly, we will drive a high-profile media campaign to complement the work of our advertising agency, Exclaim. This is all about showcasing success and best practice and ensuring that the views of our industry are heard.
Thirdly, we will distill all activity to drive home a clear message to policy makers, industry stakeholders and supply chain influencers about timber’s environmental and quality benefits. We will use a range of advocates and supporters to promote change in policy and commercial commitment to benefit the industry across the board.
It promises to be an exciting year and an exciting campaign, and we are very much looking forward to being part of it. Please contact me at rbright@webershandwick.com – especially if you have a positive story to tell.
