… Purpose and scope of the communications plan

This plan aims to ensure we have good communications which improve residents’ lives, keep them informed and help them access services more easily.

This plan will help develop EDDC’s brand so that it becomes instantly recognisable and synonymous with our council plan priorities, values and key drivers of great customer service and value for money services in an outstanding place.

The more we involve and tell people about what we are doing and why, the better more informed they will feel. We have a great story to tell and we need to tell it well – this means effectively and consistently. …

Addressing local priorities

This plan aims to deliver effective communications to our customers. We strongly believe that customers who are informed about our services and benefits are more positive in their view of the Council than those who are not so informed.

Our Council Plan outlines that we will ‘continuously improve to be an outstanding council’ and that we will ‘prioritise keeping our residents informed’.

This communication plan will support the communication of the priorities and outcomes in the Council Plan:

 Encouraging communities to be outstanding
 Developing an outstanding local economy
 Delivering and promoting our outstanding environment
 Continuously improving to be an outstanding council

Principles underpinning this action plan:
 Communication and reputation management is a top-table issue

It’s about avoiding the ‘barking mad’ by thinking about everything we do and everything we say/don’t say from a reputation management perspective

 Stop talking about ‘they’ and start talking about ‘we’!

 We are all responsible for reputation management and communications.