It is hard to imagine that public relations can influence the government. However, when we talk about thought leadership, influencing government policies is the greatest achievement. Especially when a regional business from Cambridge does it, in spite of the pressure coming from London companies.
Bidwell, a 180 years old regional property consultancy, did all of the above on a very limited budget. Not only did they engage the public and sparked a conversation, but they have also successfully reached c-suite decision makers and politicians involved in the development of the Oxbridge Arc.
No hesitation in public relations
In 2019 the Arc was gaining major attention from investors and developers, and in turn, from the government as well. This meant a lot of potential partners for Bidwell, as well as fierce competition. They had to interject themselves into the middle of the conversation, in order to keep their position.
They set out to influence the government and industry decision makers, and to engage the locals and the broader public. In order to position Bidwell as the leading expert of the region. The company and their partners compiled an 88 page document that contains insights and development ideas for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. They called it the “Radical Regeneration Manifesto”.
Firstly, they contacted thirty important c-suite decision makers. During the creation phase, the company involved some of the executives to provide feedback. Secondly, they identified government officials responsible for the development of the Arc.Finally, the document received a fitting design, which was serious in tone, but carried radical elements to express the dynamic nature of the Arc.
Successful thought leadership
Bidwell launched the manifesto through various channels. They sent it to the media, accompanied by video contents and a microsite. In addition, the work was mailed individually to the previously identified company and government decision makers. The latter were also invited to party conferences where the manifesto was presented in person, which were followed up by think-tanks discussing future developments.
The government adopted many points of the manifesto; they had fast tracked the development of the Arc, and brought in the company as a consultant. The publication covered by Sky TV to The Times newspaper. Bidwell has cemented themselves as leading experts of the Arc, and attracted a large amount of government funding and publicity to the region. Bidwell’s case perfectly illustrates how public relations can influence the government.