Vitis PR came on board to provide PR and copywriting services for The Pioneer Group, a busy housing provider based in Birmingham that delivers community-driven, bespoke traditional and non-traditional housing solutions, and essential support services such as youth, family support, health and employment.
Challenges
The housing and community services provider was looking for a PR provider that could increase the level of communications it was providing to its wide ranging audience of residents, volunteers and stakeholders. Its varied audiences, ranging from tenants, partners and staff meant that communications had to be clear and effective in reaching all audiences on a variety of platforms.
Being a busy housing service provider with several events, initiatives and partnerships at one time, there was a requirement for quick turnaround on news, press releases and articles to reach everyone in a timely and understandable manner.
Extra communications support was also needed around national events including covid, lockdown and the cost of living crisis which meant that it was important that The Pioneer Group’s residents were made aware of the additional support and services that were available to them.
In terms of communications objectives The Pioneer Group was keen that content fostered and maintained a sense of community spirit that was associated with the housing provider’s wards in Castle Vale and surrounding areas. A lot of the good work carried out by The Pioneer Group and its charitable arm, Compass Support is made possible with the necessary help of resident volunteers and there was an additional objective for communications to encourage volunteer support.
Solution
The Vitis PR team spent time with The Pioneer Group and Compass Support to understand the various intricacies of the organisation, its upcoming news and many events that it wanted to achieve in terms of PR and communications. Vitis PR was able to put together a cohesive schedule of events and also advise on ways that our written content could maximise the impact of every story that we distributed.
Vitis PR created a campaign, positioning and showcasing The Pioneer Group as a multifaceted organisation that mirrored its mission statement to “make lives and communities better” through its housing and events supporting its tenants.
Vitis PR’s copywriting services showcased the housing associations plans and community activities on various platforms including its own website and Facebook to help the organisation support its residents. Taking The Pioneer Group’s upcoming events and available services, Vitis created engaging content to maximise the impact each story had.
When the pandemic and “cost of living” crisis started, for instance, Vitis PR drafted a series of informative articles about the cost of living support packs and community drop-in events as well as information from various teams across The Pioneer Group. Some subjects included family support services and information on getting help for mental health issues. Vitis PR’s copywriting also informed residents how they could obtain money advice and debt support services that The Pioneer Group’s partners were offering .
Tenants were kept abreast of the various health, safety and cleaning initiatives by The Pioneer Group that were taking place to maintain and improve their buildings. Vitis drafted articles about any new partnerships such as cleaning contractors, or visits by fire safety officers and also of expected rent raises and where tenants could seek help.
Results
Typically Vitis PR copy wrote 5 stories per month for The Pioneer Group for its website or community anchor page or Facebook that provided a consistent flow of information to keep the housing provider’s clients briefed on all of the services on offer that could benefit them which was particularly useful during lockdown when face-to-face contact between tenants and service providers was minimal.
Local interest stories developed by Vitis including The Pioneer Group’s regeneration efforts also secured media coverage in local press including the Sutton Coldfield Chronicle and the Sutton Observer.
The informative content drafted by Vitis helped the busy housing provider serve its clients and establish it as a caring housing provider that was invested in improving its tenants day to day lives.