Public relations is, at its core, all about shaping how an organisation is perceived publicly.

But it is one thing to protect your reputation, and another entirely to influence and resonates with the stakeholders that are shaping your operating environment.

Where a media strategy might ask: what do I want my customers and competitors to think?, public affairs adds: where do we need to change minds and hearts, and influence the real decision makers?

The intersection between perception, media engagement, public opinion and the views of political stakeholders is keenly felt in the housing sector. The way that homes are planned, built, delivered is politicised time and time again.

Just recently, Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to deliver the ‘biggest’ council housebuilding programme since the post-war period. His predecessor similarly pledged to build 300,000 new homes each year – a target still yet to be achieved.

By building robust political engagement into your PR strategy, you can help to inform and shape the policies that are affecting your business operations every day. Indeed, good public affairs is an essential part of the democratic process, and if given the space to operate, ultimately results in better laws.

Government and politicians need information to be able to make decisions. That means you will, and should, always know more about your sector than they do. Your experience, data, case studies and knowledge are all extremely valuable to the work of government – and so it is our job to pull the levers to make sure that those conversations are happening.

Public affairs and public relations are two different threads of one communications strategy. The key difference is their audience. Politicians are first and foremost accountable to the constituents who elected them into power. However, as housing experts, you also hold the ears of those same constituents. Therefore, your unique messaging and understanding combined with our knowledge of that makes a politician tick can ensure your message resonates with the people who have the power to influence change.

So, how do you make a good PA campaign land?

Identify your message – and your audience

Your campaign is not just about speaking to MPs and hoping for the best.

Instead, start with your desired outcome. If Government is hearing from lots of organisations with competing interests, you need to stand out from the crowd.

We’ll help you translate a corporate message into a politically relevant story – whether it’s on housing delivery, infrastructure, affordability or skills.

Get the timing right

The earlier you engage, the greater your opportunity to influence. When a bill reaches the legislative stage, there are far fewer chances to inform outcomes.

Instead, we’ll help you to identify opportunities early and create influence – from tabling motions, to speaking at enquires, to giving feedback on bills.

Consider your reputation

MPs and politicians will gladly stand behind a business with a good reputation.

Therefore, having a strong existing PR is crucial. This means your reputation creates the environment in which your PA activity can take place.

Securing a meeting doesn’t magically make reputational challenges disappear. Instead, a steady pipeline of consistent, positive external comms through PR will demonstrate your expertise and value, and make you an attractive partner to government.

Ultimately, good PR and public affairs should not exist in isolation. The strongest communications strategies recognise that public perception, political opinion and business outcomes are increasingly intertwined. Our dedicated Public Affairs team can help housing businesses navigating an increasingly political landscape, at a time when a joined up approach across PA and PR has never been more important.

Contact us

If you want your organisation to be shaping the policies that affect your industry, get in touch with Account Director Laura Hellon-Hughes who leads our Public Affairs offering: laura@building-relations.co.uk