Post OfficeTransforming communicationsinside a 365-year-old institution

Alana Renner, Post OfficeKatie Macaulay, AB

Introducing today’s Post Office…

It’s not just about selling stamps

• Largest provider of foreign currency on the UK high street

• One in ten cars insured in the UK• One million MoneyGram transactions a year• Biggest cash handler in the UK - £80bn a year• For every £1 in circulation,14p goes through

Post Office

Wow facts

2,486 stores1,720 branches600 stores 727 stores 12,000 branches

The UK’s largest retail network

Our branches…

Our branches…

Our branches…

The comms challenge

Define Employer BrandDefine Employer Brand

Have Your Say Pulse – measure, listen and respond

Have Your Say Pulse – measure, listen and respond

Reduce NoiseReduce Noise Drive RecognitionDrive Recognition

Develop Channel StrategyDevelop Channel Strategy

Agency and client relationship

Where did we start?

2007 audit • Mix of quantitative and qualitative research• Key findings and bold recommendations

– A new paper-based channel for subpostmasters– A tone of voice programme– A better way to measure engagement– Developing online communications

Meet the UK’s 11,500 subpostmasters

The launch of subspace

Tone of Voice Programme

What do we mean by Tone of Voice?

• It’s about words – the right words, in the right order, at the right time

• It’s about reflecting and enhancing an organisation’s personality and values

• It’s about clearer, more compelling communication that is hard to ignore

Put your shoes back on here.

And, it saves money too!

• UK businesses lose £6 billion a year because of badly written letters.

• When BT produced a clearer bill in plain English it received around 25%

fewer enquiries each quarter.

• General Electric saved £125,000 by redrafting manuals into plain English.

• The US Department of Veterans Affairs saved £20,000 redrafting one

standard letter into plain English.

A new tool for measuring engagement

Standard techniques were falling short

We discovered five dimensions hold the key to engagement at the Post Office

Engagement is belief in a

cause

The key engagement questions

Developing online media

The birth of subspaceonline

Subspace on tour

Nirvana – channels that truly integrate

Nirvana – channels that truly integrate

Building a communityBuilding a community

Building a community

Busting a few online myths

• Social media is not a panacea, it’s just another way to have the conversation

• You still need to manage, moderate and give direction

• Even early adopters need a reason to adopt

• The biggest barrier is technology – when, where and how you log on

Dear colleague letter; Newsletters; staff magazine

Team briefings; meetings

Canteen/water cooler gossip

Conversations with my line manager

“How I find out what’s happening.”

All-staff events

From formal knowledge hierarchies….

IC

To organic networks of influence….

How the audience shapes the message

How are we doing?

Is it working?

Key measures•Understanding contribution up to 68%•Open and honest communications – steady rise up 10% from where we started•From losing £1million a week in 2006 to £72million profit in 2010•Senior leaders at our desks.

What’s next?Truly integrated communications

What keeps my managing director awake at nights?

Making the most of

£1.34billion of government

funding

Making the most of

£1.34billion of government

funding

Fierce competition

Fierce competition

Cultural change –

moving to a sales culture

Cultural change –

moving to a sales culture

Maintaining pressure on costs while driving up

engagement

Maintaining pressure on costs while driving up

engagement

Synchronising clicks and

mortar delivery

Synchronising clicks and

mortar delivery

Protecting and

enhancing the brand

Protecting and

enhancing the brand

Decline in traditional markets

Decline in traditional markets

Our Ambassadors