21 Jun Link Road Puts Strategic Site On Hold

Yorkshire developers Sterling Capitol instructed us to assist them with a problem that resonated from a Development agreement that was going wrong.

The Development Agency always saw land around Goole as a Strategic site but clearly trucks meandering through the town Centre wasn’t the best way to be strategic.

Locals hated the traffic congestion and so a development agreement which offered large B8 opportunities as well as a new link road to take traffic away from the town centre was drawn up.

Initial early success in terms of a new distribution warehouse for Tesco put the link road to one side but soon politicians and locals were angry at the speed of progress. The next phase had been mired in argument and the agenda now included environmental and heritage issues which threatened to blight the agreement.

The Local council announced they didn’t want to approve anything further until their promise of a new road was delivered.

The Development Agency tried to assist by applying for a grant on behalf of the site, which was actually turned down

Sterling wanted to move forward with the next phase of planning, which would have brought forward 1million sqft of development.

The situation became precarious when the Financiers of the business confirmed that they would not entertain additional expenditure on a road or any asset that didn’t produce direct revenue streams.

The banks said the matter was an internal matter between directors.

The site was effectively grinding to a complete halt. The Developers were blocked from financing the new road, the Local Council would not approve any further development, there was a huge fight over the rights and wrongs of the Phase 2 development involving local interest groups, Politician and MPs – It was not a unique scenario for us but it was very difficult. The company was also quite rightly, worried about valuations and ultimately the impact on LTV and re-financing.

To find out how we resolved matters, secured a £8.4m investment built the link road and generated value from this situation message Gary Cartmell Director of Engagement and Outreach

20 Jun EUX creates award winning regeneration partnership in Leeds

Seacroft in East Leeds was chosen for a pioneering partnership bringing together stakeholders such as public services, employers and the community to deliver real social economic and environmental changes in areas already challenged by urban decay.

The Seacroft experiment was a unique public sector Private Sector Partnership managed and conceived by ourselves in East Leeds that won numerous awards and helped shape government employment policy.

The Partnership was focused on the proposed regeneration of the Seacroft Civic Centre, which was opened in 1965 by HRH Queen Elizabeth but fell into disrepair and decay

The aspiration was a new transport interchange linking Seacroft to the city centre four miles away, and new shops, which needed a locally trained workforce.

The issues in relation to the regeneration were very significant, skills shortages, no training, a disconnected community, and a stigmatized area of Leeds. High crime rates, lack of investment, poor transport.

The Partnership encouraged the local community to become involved in all stages as the work progressed, and through close engagement with employers and public sector partners the programmes created were able to deliver over half the staff required.

The key was engagement, and using the Seacroft Partnership to work closely with a number of high profile stakeholders, Leeds City Council and other investors. The Seacroft Partnership held numerous organised events and workshops, which brought the media and political spotlight onto the work of the Partnership.

The Seacroft Partnership won many awards including the Local Government Chronicle best Public Private Sector Partnership.

“The Seacroft Partnership is a stunning demonstration of what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together.

It is an inspirational project, which utilises the different skills, experience and resources of all the partners.

The end result is huge benefits, not just to the partners themselves but crucially also to the community.”
To learn more contact Gary Cartmell Director of engagement and outreach.

19 Jun Using EUX as a tool to influence local and national policy

There have been studies in the past, that working for a particular company, has proven to make employees happier and have more self-esteem.

Tesco however wanted to go way beyond that, and prove that working for them could make significant health and well being changes as well as improve behavioural patterns, impact in a positive way on their employees health, and well being and improve the lives of their workers.

This was particularly important, not for a self-congratulatory purpose, but to open a new dialogue with politicians to show benefits beyond the normally accepted channels, that are presented by developers.

We used EUX to get close to the employees as they trained and learnt news skills. With our partners, and closely followed by local government and central government observers, we started to prove that our programme was improving the lives and welfare of hundred of people, who were employed within the business.

With data rich insights and case studies we could now use the findings to demonstrate how the business was positively shaping peoples futures. This was an incredibly powerful argument, and allowed Tesco to position, this side of the business, as the go-to organisation, for not just trading and commercial data, but also behavioural and sociological insights.

This allowed the business to offer meaningful responses, as part of presentations, to local politicians and central think tanks and policy makers.

We knew from readily available research that in poorer area health was a particular challenge, and we had to recognise the pressures on all residents, and our employees to create ways of trying to improve health and well being.

Stores were identified as hotspots and case studies were developed which subsequently shaped the debate about social impact, retailing and employment challenges

The programme developed into a much wider model that ultimately created over 2000 new jobs.

31 May Destination Engagement

Nowhere is the failure of engagement more obvious than in destination marketing.

In recent years we have helped numerous locations achieve amazing results through EUX.

If you are seeking to increase footfall, and deliver increased daily spend from your customers you need to engage and it’s a very competitive marketplace.

EUX will shape the pathways looking at research and insights, as well as customer experience, recommendations and proofing

We will deliver a narrative of unique insights and opportunities to shape and engineer your destination’s strategy – it just plain works. But you have to commit to the process

It will involve your team of employees, and will define new points of difference, that will be used in digital marketing and in the customer experience.

Ok – so our first step is intelligence and insight. But we don’t want the kind of data that doesn’t let us build unique solutions. We want fresh exciting intelligence and so do you.

This doesn’t need to take time, it can be done quickly and effectively. This is engagement intelligence and it will be bitter sweet – so just accept that – because this is the information we will use to build our strategy and vision. Again we want a vision that means something, a vision that takes people along, rather than leaving customers and employees behind and ends up being less of a strategy and more of an employee manual.

To learn more and find out he can assist you give our team a call.

31 May Digital marketing with impact

Everybody has got slightly sidetracked by how clever algorithms and GPS tracking can be in finding out what your potential customers like and dislike.

So, when asked, last week our team at Precise Advice, amongst others, liked on social media a dog balancing a ball on its nose and a team of Indian chefs running around the UK.

Yet none of us own a dog or can remember the last time we went out for an Indian meal. Likes and retweets are not factors in engagement; they are factors in social media habits and usage.

You have to go beyond this otherwise you will get very confused or you will need budgets that can cope with a lot of waste.

When you hear stories of political parties using companies like Cambridge Analytica to profile targets its not the profiling which is complex, it’s the shear volume or research.

You only have to go back a few years when magazine marketing departments used to fight to put their magazines in dentist surgeries and GP centres, because they could then claim that each of their magazines was read over a hundred times. – Complete moonshine when sold to advertisers.

We try and remove the myths at Precise Advice. We construct digital products such as websites, applications, banners etc. with knowledge based engagement and intelligence insights.

Our designer Liam Beale has created hundred of products that sell millions of pounds of goods for consumer and B2B clients.

If you are looking to create a fully engaged brand or business that wants impact from professionals who have experience in what delivers please message us now

24 May How EUX reduced congestion, increased revenue and helped deliver development value

Traffic congestion is a seriously expensive problem to fix. If you are developer then you will already know this.

One huge problem that anyone needing the support of third party stakeholders knows is that sometimes fact and reality are along way apart.

We have worked with many organisations who have instructed traffic engineers to agree with local authorities and other consultees the capacities on various parts of a network. But in many cases politicians, local residents and other groups simply do not accept the facts

We have always built extra time in to our work, as perceptions take a time to go away

Outlet management had been openly criticised for lack of car park management and traffic issues around the site, which finally led Cheshire Constabulary to write to the site to put on record an objection to any further expansion on the site.

It couldn’t get much worse – but it did on one of the gridlock days the Cheshire West Council head of Highways was actually stuck in the car park for 3 hours. One of the senior politicians then said no way are we discussing any further growth at Cheshire Oaks.

McArthur Glen instructed us to try and assist using EUX principles led by Director of Engagement and outreach Gary Cartmell, Claire Schofield, and Steve Glover they spent 6 months working with all the channels so important to EUX

The result was unanimous agreement by the Council to support our plans even with the impact on their own Northgate Centre regeneration.

The Committee said “ I wish other applicants were here to listen to this and the way in which MAG has gone beyond engagement “

If you have a problem that you feel might benefit from our approach please contact our Director of Engagement and outreach Gary Cartmell at gary.c@preciseadvice.co.uk

24 May It doesn’t always have to go to legals.

Every option agreement signed in the UK includes a break clause for non-performance and allows the asset owner to exit the agreement and seek a new joint venture partner.

It’s not always a fault on anyone’s side. Sometimes organisations can be too busy, understaffed or lack the required resources. It can be that attempts to move things forward have failed, and the asset owners have chosen to look elsewhere.

We have used EUX in many cases to rescue agreement that have gone off the rails. One such example is the work we undertook in Leeds to help save an option for a 55 acres piece of land, which was designated green belt and countryside.

An option was signed to allow for planning to be approved but the reception was luke warm locally, and Leeds referred to policy and other inherent problems.

The developers Sterling Capitol was prepared to allow the option to lapse, but decided to instruct us to try and rescue the plans.

It was clear that the site was valuable, it also had a further 90 acres close by. But planners were not impressed and other developers were turning politicians and officer’s heads to other sites they were promoting.

Sterling was between a rock and a hard place. By appointing us, the Asset owner settled down agreeing that it was worth a shot, but privately given the uphill policy challenges the chances were slim.

We were instructed and quickly began to work on all the principles we have outlined in EUX – within two years we had the site included in the Leeds framework and work commenced on building value on the site. Five years later the Capitol Park site was valued at circa £75million.

To find out how we do this and more about our EUX approach, message Gary Cartmell our Director of Engagement and outreach at gary.c@preciseadvice.co.uk

24 May EUX protects reputations

Reputations are built over decades and destroyed in days. In recent years reputational damage has led to some very public well-publicised failures. It actually hasn’t taken a lot to create a catastrophic series of events.

Would your oragnisation or business know what to do in these circumstances? It doesn’t have to be a once in a hundred years event; it could be a series of freak circumstances.

We have helped individuals with the most seemingly benign issues that have accelerated out of control.

Issues such as Bird Flu, product failures, legal challenges, Director disputes, unethical procedure claims, NGO interventions and many more.

From environmental health issue to security and licensing failures we have assisted companies reduce the damage or rebuild after a problem.

In many occasions we have managed to turn the process into a positive, and create reputational rebound.

We deal with a wide number of lesser issues too.

Some of our clients have just felt they are not getting the credit they deserve or are facing online proofing issues. We can assist.

If you need further information message us for more information

24 May New approach in a sensitive area

Transparency is a must in Cornwall’s World Heritage Site

Developers ARKE wanted to move forward with a reserved matters application on one of the quaysides within the Cornwall and Devon World Heritage Site.

As the site is of the most sensitive classification in planning, the new application had to go through closer inspection and governance to satisfy stakeholders such as UNESCO

The application consisted of 30 housing units and 7500 sqft of commercial in the centre of the world heritage inscription, with exceptional visibility.

We were instructed to manage the process with Planning Consultants P4 and architect Matt Williams. We used our EUX principles to give confidence to the Planning Authority and the statutory consultees, that we were undertaking the work to the levels of precision and visibility UNESCO and their UK arm ICOMOS expect.

There was also a desire to support Cornwall in their new more determined approach to WHS transparency.

With the approval of our client we decided to make the process more visible than had ever been considered before we approached it in a totally new way.

If you are working in sensitive areas and need to understand more about how EUX helped this applicant and the LPA contact Gary Cartmell Director of Engagement and outreach

24 May EUX is the gatekeeper to loyalty and support

Reducing the emotional distance between you and your constituents, stakeholders, community representatives is the essence of EUX.

EUX is the gatekeeper to loyalty and support. There is not one example of a concept or a message being successful, without engagement. It is almost an impossibility.

We use EUX to bridge the gap and create dialogue and interest –after all before someone changes their views from No to Yes you have to guide them to maybe.

We use an intelligence driven approach with deeper insights to make sure our engagement is influential. We then use EUX principles to ensure that we are gaining traction and progress.

We hear of so many examples of organisations engaging with individuals and groups that are not central to a debate or the delivery of a project.

As with all our work we are fiercely independent and this is critical to the success of our work, on our clients behalf

Independence is required to generate the trust, and the ability to find the working agenda that will shape the future dialogue and generate the ongoing trust
We have worked on many projects for Politicians and NGOs and have dealt with numerous complex challenges.

These challenges have included reputational work, the generation of support in specific areas that have been identified by our team.

We have also analysed the success of delivery using tightly focused groups to give specific targeted responses as a way of engineering future messaging.

We have been able to help identify why messages have not worked, and why they were diluted, and how they can be re engineered to improve success in the future.

We concentrate on message EUX rather than digital techniques as the publishing is the simpler part of the equation, –once the insights and information is available it’s the UX that matters

If you feel you need assistance contact Gary Cartmell Director of Engagement and outreach.

23 May Getting it right, rather than wrong on social media

Social media works, but its not the golden ticket to success. Our social media director Claire Schofield knows social media and she knows how to engage, rather than simply spend time and resources generating endless posts and tweets.

It has to be part of a complete engagement strategy that will change the way your business or brand thinks about customer or stakeholder marketing.

It has to be part of a bigger picture that really allow your customers to start believing that you understand, care and want their involvement.

Social media cant be just a separate channel working in a different office to its own strategy and goals. That’s never going to work.

It needs EUX – to review the fundamentals and start to use intelligence, data insights, feedback, testimonials the list goes on, to make your marketing strategy work.

Everybody has seen examples of where a brand has missed the target. The most obvious cases are where a business is just too slow, they are discussing an event or happening and everyone has moved on. That just cant be allowed to happen.

Likewise overly promoted material on social media is a huge turnoff and facebook and twitter penalize you for it – If you don’t know that already.

So if you are just not getting the momentum you would like in social media, don’t simply double your output – message us and we can discuss some options.

To get an immediate social media audit please message us @gary Cartmell twitter

23 May EUX that boosts your online presence

Everyone is looking for more digital juice, and whether you like it or not, search marketing, with all its challenges and pitfalls, is a big provider of that juice.

If you don’t get you head around this concept, you will get left behind, literally. Don’t be confused, social media in itself doesn’t generate juice, but what definitely does is digital UX.

We can change your approach to digital communications in this amazing area. Why would you not want to engage and generate more links – that’s the best of both worlds.

Don’t get sold snake oil though –there isn’t a quick shortcut or some magic bullet. Google have penalised all the moonshine sellers out there, and a lot of innocent marketeers have got burnt in the process.

You can’t just guess at this as well, you need real effort and experience, a mix of digital understanding, creativity and a lot of effort. But it’s worth it.

We can bring a group of powerful influencers together to add huge digital juice to your campaigns. These influencers are trusted experts who by becoming involved will deliver enormous credibility, and once we have achieved stage 1 we will deliver further momentum

In the early days you could ask colleagues to share and comment on your blog, posts etc.– those days are gone. Now the experts have to have real recognised authority.

It’s more important than ever to allow your business or brand to come alive.

To go beyond the high level of noise in the marketplace.

We will help you come up with a strategy that works for you. That will create awareness, beyond what you might expect.

To learn more contact Gary Cartmell Director of Engagement and Outreach.