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Chapter 2: Why does narrative matter and why now?

Public services’ experiences during the global pandemic that hit the UK in early 2020 showed that effective professional communications was about far more than old school public relations. 


It was clear that strategic communications was fundamental to the ability of government, councils and the NHS to protect and save lives.

Properly planned, crafted and delivered public health information was literally the difference between life and death.

The experience also showed that the best communicators used storytelling to engage minds and change behaviour.

And where communication failed, it may have done so because of a perceived lack of an authentic and credible narrative linked to a clear strategy for managing the pandemic.

The LGA has carried out more than 70 communications peer reviews and health checks in the last four years, with more than 700 separate recommendations to councils as a result. Analysis of these recommendations and data from the annual Heads of Communications survey consistently show the need for a corporate narrative – a compelling story to articulate its purpose.  

Developing a narrative for your council is never an end in itself. It’s a leadership tool for getting your organisation to where it needs to be.

As part of your overall communication strategy, the narrative:

  • articulates where the organisation has come from and where it wants to be
  • translates your corporate aims and planned-for outcomes into compelling and emotional language that engages your stakeholders’ hearts, as well as minds
  • provides direction for what the council wants to achieve and how it behaves corporately and as individuals
  • focuses the efforts of staff around a shared understanding of where the organisation is going and how they can contribute

Every council has a set of corporate objectives and plans focussed on “our vision”. Often we think we have done the narrative by turning this vision into consumable messages cut and pasted into our press releases or social media posts.

But these visions, while important to explain and justify corporate plans, mostly fail to articulate our beliefs, values and worldview as an organisation. As author Simon Sinek says: “People don’t buy what you do…..they buy why you do it”. 

The very process of developing a narrative – and listening to people’s individual stories – can build teams, help establish productive relationships with partners and be a vehicle for listening to and involving the public in the council’s work.

For communications professionals, it puts you at the heart of your organisation and provides an opportunity for you to show leadership in areas such as policy development and decision-making that you are often excluded from or feel you shouldn’t be part of.