WHAT?

In late 2023, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group found themselves in a hostile corporate environment, which was being fuelled by intense speculation about a £50m project to invest in their fleet of vessels.
 

The situation led to media scrutiny from national journalists, including the Financial Times and The Times. This risked detracting from the work being done to secure the lifeline ferry links between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Without addressing audiences effectively, and countering misinformation, the project was in danger of being undermined.

We worked with ISSG to create a strategy that would help address misinformation and put the project back on track. Through effective community messaging, which included the introduction of a project newsletter, letters to stakeholders, and background briefings to journalists, we were able to help turn the tide, repositioning the project as the right approach to address an increasingly pressing challenge.

This allowed us to re-frame the project in a positive light, and contracts were signed to build new vessels in January 2024. As a project team, we continued to keep all our audiences updated about the project through regular correspondence, addressed media enquiries as they arose, and launched proactive communications where appropriate, including press advertising.

Working closely with the in-house team at ISSG, we ensured that all communications tactics were pulling in the same direction, to help ensure the success of the New Vessels project.