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Communicating to Businesses |
Background
A new piece of legislation imposed new obligations on employers and service providers. The government department responsible for implementing the legislation needed to know more about the information requirements of businesses in this area.
Objectives
Phase 1 - to identify the information needs of employers and service providers with respect to the legislation; to get their reactions to existing literature; and to explore their requirements for additional material in terms of both content and effective presentation and delivery.
Phase 2 - to get feedback on content and presentation of information in a booklet directed at high street retailers and service providers.
Approach
The first phase was conducted via a series of face-to- face individual interviews with representatives from various high street service sectors, the leisure and entertainment industries, and manufacturing.
The second phase was conducted via telephone interviews amongst high street service providers.
Outcome
The heavy work load of the target groups and the low priority they accorded the subject area made the format and delivery of communications crucial. Case studies were particularly important as a means of conveying information credibly and motivating action. The content had to both address specific issues identified in the research and build a business case for change. Thus, the tone had to be businesslike and even slightly threatening (but balancing the ‘carrot’ and ‘stick’) in order to get and maintain their attention. The findings were used to develop appropriate communications material for the business community.
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Case Studies