CIOB
Establishing solid foundations for communications success
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is the leading professional body for managers in construction. With more than 42,000 members from across the world, the CIOB has unequalled knowledge about the management of the total building process - but until a few years ago it was failing to get the recognition it deserved and its views were rarely sought by the media or policy makers.
All that has now changed. We started working with CIOB in 2002 to help the Policy & External Relations team develop its first proper communications strategy, and to help set up a completely new PR structure inhouse that was well managed and resourced.
We conducted a reputational audit for the CIOB, interviewing all the UK construction industry's leading policy makers and opinion formers. This provided an essential insight into their needs and concerns, and established the CIOB's communications priorities for the following few years. We helped the Policy & External Relations team gain Board approval for a reinvigorated communicatons function, which included more than doubling the budget and staff numbers.
- PR output increased 30% in the first year - and has risen every year since
- Media coverage increased overall by 37%
- National press coverage rose by 62%
- Trade press coverage rose by 97%
- CIOB forged much closer relationships with key Government departments
- Its key campaigns were all adopted and endorsed by other major building industry bodies.
In 2003 we worked on the launch of the CIOB's 'Change In Our Sites' campaign - the first manifestation of the Institute's new thought leadership. We facilitated an intensive brainstorming session in London with more than 50 construction industry leaders, probing the underlying causes of poor site conditions and collating a series of recommendations that went on to be adopted and endorsed by the Strategic Forum for construction.
In 2010 we conducted opinion former research among the UK Contractors Group, looking at the value of CIOB membership to the industry's leading employers.
In 2011, we helped the CIOB pull together its Strategic Plan for the next 10 years.
To find out more about the CIOB, go to www.ciob.org.uk
"We realised that to move forward we needed to set up an effective PR and marketing team within the CIOB. Liz came in and coached us through the process. Her knowledge and understanding of the construction industry means she could mentor us, providing advice whenever needed, sharing her clarity of thinking and motivating us to take the steps we needed. I call Liz my 'PR guru'!"
Michael Brown, Deputy Chief Executive, CIOB
