With criminal reoffending continuing to cripple the economy in many communities throughout Britain, the British government is working hard to address this problem and RAPt is the leading provider of intensive, abstinence-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs in UK prisons.
Challenge
RAPt’s PR and media relations successes had been primarily ad hoc and responsive, rather than planned and proactive. RAPt did attract numerous mentions in nationwide media coverage yet the wider knowledge of RAPt’s success and evidence-based treatment remained scanty. This was leaving them vulnerable to media critics who could easily craft negative stories based on misinformation or misconceptions about addiction treatment among prison populations.
Action
Sandy McLean PR held a message development and media relations workshop for the Board of Trustees and senior staff of RAPt. It was designed to develop the key messages needed to underpin RAPt’s new marketing strategy and to ensure their media outreach was more consistent, targeted and proactive. The workshop was also used to identify and rank RAPt’s top target audiences as well as evaluate the media consumed by those audiences.
Outcome
The information and insights gained during the workshop were then used by the team at RAPt to develop a Marketing and Media Relations Strategy. Sandy McLean continues to counsel RAPt, now part of the Forward Trust as a member of Friends of Forward Trust.
You can read more about the Forward Trust and RAPt here: www.forwardtrust.org.uk