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Tom Hashemi

Think tanks often place the PDF report at the heart of their communications strategy. This doesn't work, not for the public, nor for policymakers. We need to stop thinking of 42.5 page documents as ticking the box when it comes to communications. By the time someone engages with an output like that, they most likely already agree with what you say. Why else would they spend a chunk of time going through the document in detail? What your comms should be doing is getting people to that point. And to do that you need to insert yourself in their day-to-day lives. Where do they go to get information? You need to be there.

Words: Laicie Heeley
Date:

Think tanks often place the PDF report at the heart of their communications strategy. This doesn’t work, not for the public, nor for policymakers. We need to stop thinking of 42.5 page documents as ticking the box when it comes to communications. By the time someone engages with an output like that, they most likely already agree with what you say. Why else would they spend a chunk of time going through the document in detail? What your comms should be doing is getting people to that point. And to do that you need to insert yourself in their day-to-day lives. Where do they go to get information? You need to be there.

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