BACKGROUND

Bedford Borough Council works to meet the needs and improve the lives of over 157,000 residents, local businesses and visitors to the area. They deliver key local services including education, road and footway improvements, libraries and parks as well as care and support for the most vulnerable in the community. 

THE CHALLENGE

As with many local authorities,  Bedford Borough faces growing demand for local services, while at the same time needing to reduce overall expenditure. The balance between providing information and delivering services whilst using public money efficiently, means that our work needs to be especially targeted and effective.

This is particularly important when you have such a large audience, as key messages can often get lost when trying to communicate to so many people at once. As with many councils, recruitment can also be a challenge, especially when trying to recruit into difficult to fill posts.  

HOw we helped

Working with Bedford Borough required a multifaceted approach to meet their needs.  Sharing key messages in a concise and effective way was achieved through informational video content which we targeted to specific audiences to engage them and encourage retention of information delivered. 

When it comes to recruitment we adopted a case study approach, focussing on individuals currently working in the departments.  Spending time with them to understand what drives them and what they love about their work was key to getting across the heart of what the department does and the passion that these individuals have for their work.  

Translating this so that it is conveyed through the lens was a challenge as we needed to ensure the person in front of the camera was both comfortable and their passion was evident.   Interweaving this with footage and imagery of the local town gave a flavour of Bedford life in order to appeal to potential applicants from further afield.