Good public relations are key to the success of any business. Even a little PR will go a long way, helping build a positive profile and keeping a company in the spotlight.
Deborah Gray Public Relations has more than 25 years experience in environmental, building and architectural PR and understands how to help a business grow – and keep it growing.
To discuss how we can help your business grow, call 020 8868 0694 or email info@deborahgraypr.com
Community Relations
Most composters and organics business are by now all too familiar with the challenges that neighbours can present. From complaints about traffic to the ever-present perceptions of odour right down to objections at the planning stage, community relations is perhaps the biggest single challenge to the growth of our businesses.
We live in an increasingly green world, with the environment a hot topic in newspapers, on TV, online and round the dining table. Sometimes it seems one can barely move but for political initiatives and the conversations around them.
Yet, for all the green wishes around us, and all the green hopes within our communities, people’s attitudes seem to undergo a mysterious change when they live within range of an organics business.
AFOR has partnered with Deborah Gray PR, an expert in the field of organics and recycling, to provide advice on managing the challenge of community relations. Says managing director Deborah Gray, "Biowaste facilities should be easy to approach and well-integrated with the local community. Once you are integrated with the local community it is easy to get the positive news out – that organics businesses create a great natural product – and dismiss the negative perceptions around smells, waste and hygiene."
Answering phones and addressing issues as they arise is critical, of course, but, says Deborah Gray, "There is more to effective communication than responding to challenges. Working closely with your local press ensures that neighbours get the good news about what you do. I would also look at creating and distributing newsletters to residents and updating your website regularly to keep them informed about what’s happening on your site."
Other strategies that Deborah Gray has implemented for her clients, and would recommend for most composting businesses, include face to face meetings and regular site visits.
"Holding residents meetings on a regular basis, whether monthly or quarterly creates a dialogue that can be invaluable,” she says. “Offering regular site visits, with an open door policy, can really dramatise the great work that organics businesses do. And compost giveaway days can work wonders for local relations."
Public relations can also help with younger members of the public. Says Deborah Gray, "The environment is now firmly embedded in the national curriculum and primary school pupils, in particular, can really relish the opportunity to put on their wellies, take a trip to the local composting site and discover how muck turns to soil."
Children, naturally, report back to their parents, and parents, in turn, can begin to appreciate the work that organics businesses do. And, once the work is understood, the business is valued.
"One of the most rewarding elements about working on community relations is seeing the transformation in individuals. Residents who attended meetings full of negativity can become enthused by the environmental benefits of their local business. And children’s delight in the mechanics of composting can be a real joy."
