Responding to major government announcements
Explore my Discussion Paper sharing insights from nearly 20 years of responding to major government announcements.
Illustration: ChatGPT
My heart went out to the communication teams responding to the Spending Review 2025 last week. It’s not always easy to get it right and the time pressures are significant.
My mind went back to some of the trickier announcements I’ve worked on – where the CEO was held up at an external meeting making sign-off impossible, and one where one paragraph buried deep in the Budget document opened up a fundamental shift in how an entire sector operates.
With 20 years experience of responding to formal Government announcements going all the way back to Gordon Brown’s time as Chancellor, as well as extensive experience of responding on behalf of Membership organisations, I felt that it was a great opportunity to share some of the learnings and insights I’ve gleaned along the way.
I’ve pulled these together into a short and informal Discussion Paper which will be of interest to communication leads, heads of policy, and CEOs. Mixing strategic analysis with practical advice and some great examples from organisations responding to last week’s Spending Review, it’s not meant to provide a one-size fits all blueprint, but rather inspire organisations to find their own approaches.
I’ve written it to be engaging and informative, so hopefully it won’t be too difficult to digest, but the key takeaways are:
Proactive planning is essential – if you’re not ready with a plan, you won’t have an impact.
Major announcements provide an excellent opportunity to leverage your policy work to stakeholders or members.
You need to adapt to what I’ve called, ‘the pre-announcement era’. Major announcements are no longer just about the day itself.
On the day, a timely media response should be prioritised. Don’t miss the opportunity!
Tailor content for your audiences – make the most of the modern communication options available to you.
The Discussion Paper is available to download below. If you want to explore how your organisation can make the most of major Government announcements, or any aspect of corporate communications, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.