In January 2010, Jones Bros began a £6.5m environmental coastal scheme to strengthen the sea defences in the flood-hit west Wales resort of Tywyn. With beach closures and rock deliveries day and night, by sea and road, the activities could have had a seriously negative impact on local people if they weren’t kept informed.

Objective

To keep residents informed and ensure the smooth running of this major scheme, whilst maintaining  the reputation of Jones Bros as a highly professional, considerate company.

Planning & implementation

The communications addressed residents, councilors, businesses, schools and beach user groups. At the outset, the company consulted residents, allowing them to choose one of two timetables of works.

Outwrite kept in close contact with journalists, sending regular press releases and photos and giving reporters direct contact with the project engineers. News updates were regularly posted at www.jones-bros.com.

Information centre, featuring display boards and leaflets, was set up and opened day and night during the 24-hour operations. A DVD history of the project was commissioned.  Following requests from locals seeking to buy copies, we decided to press multiple copies for sale, with all profits going to charity. Thousands of leaflets were produced for locals and visitors. School visits to site were organised. We ran a schools’ art competition.

Results included

A steady stream of positive articles in the local newspaper, the Cambrian News.

Welsh television news filmed the work and Jones Bros representtives were interviewed for national radio.

The project featured in double page spreads in trade magazines New Civil Engineer and Environment Industry.

The pro-active PR encouraged one resident to organise an unsolicited letter of thanks to Jones Bros, signed by 300 residents and visitors.

Thousands of visitors made their way through the visitor centre.
When a local eight-year-old boy built a replica Jones Bros cardboard digger in his back garden, we invited him to sit in a real one on the beach.

Mike Stevens, chairman of Tywyn and Aberdyfi Coast Protection Group summed it up: “The PR operation you (Outwrite) mounted was first class and could be a lesson to other organisations. I am sure there will be a certain amount of sadness when Jones Bros eventually bid farewell to Tywyn.”