Whilst Forepoint isn’t on the front-line in the fight against Covid-19, that hasn’t stopped us from providing our own essential brand of support to those that have needed it. Pre-lockdown and beyond, we’ve been working with clients, helping them and their businesses to navigate this unusual and uncertain period.
We’ve been called upon to work with clients on a wide range of largely unforeseen and unplanned-for projects. Most of the communications support we’ve provided has focused on Covid-19 awareness, impact, guidance and announcements, particularly around internal communications, though not exclusively.
For Moto Hospitality, the UK’s leader in motorway service areas, we’ve been working on campaigns aimed at the amazing array of key workers who rely on their facilities – from health and social service workers, to emergency services and truckers. Initially, the focus of campaigns has been on general communications around site restrictions put in place to protect staff and users, this has since shifted to communications supporting the gradual reintroduction of services.
We’ve also been proactively working with the team at Moto, looking into the post Covid-19 future – developing some exciting new campaigns and services for site communications, app integration and website messaging.
Common challenges
Working with a wide range of clients, we’ve found that the challenges for some have been very different from others. Though there have been some common threads.
The need to:
- operate within even tighter timescales;
- update regularly changing information and communications;
- achieve clarity and consistency of Covid-19 messages;
- be flexible and agile in a constantly evolving external landscape;
- adapt the channels used for communication, particularly where increasing numbers of staff have had to work remotely;
- constantly monitor the situation to ensure regular, factually correct, informed updates and guidance are provided;
- ensure company-wide alignment of messaging, as well as alignment with changing Government guidance;
- make sure that time is being used constructively to progress projects, to plan for the future, to invest in research, development, training and skills and knowledge development.
That’s only part of the story
On a daily basis, we’re only too aware of the additional role we play as consultants – that of trusted advisor and confidante. Never has this aspect of our role been so important
In addition to the practical support provided, we’ve also been called upon to:
- act as a sounding board for confidential shares and problem solving;
- lend an ear to those clients to support them with their challenges;
- problem solve – providing insight and introductions to Zoom and other secure video conferencing solutions;
- be flexible and willing to accommodate where client staff shortages and limited access to internal systems has restricted the ability for some to conduct ‘business as usual’, e.g. offering extended credit facilities;
- reassure clients about all aspects of:
- arrangements put in place to provide them with the ongoing support they need, despite our own team working remotely from their respective homes;
- cyber security to protect both project and personal information held across our networks being accessed across multiple home-office sites. In fact, we even went one stage further in underpinning our cyber security credentials by successfully obtaining Cyber Essentials PLUS.
- provide support and advice on operational communication and legal matters.
If you need our support during the Covid-19 crisis or beyond, please get in touch with us.
