About this article

Read time:

4 minutes

Category:

Sector knowledge

Navigating difficult change through positive communication opportunities

By Claire James, head of client services and built environment specialist, Skout

The construction industry is about to go through its most transformative phase for decades with the introduction of the Building Safety Act. These changes are driven by the still unfolding story of Grenfell, the public outcry, and the substandard building materials and practices used on this structure that led to a tragic loss of life.

The resulting Building Safety Act (BSA) will see the Health and Safety Executive take on overall responsibility for ensuring the safety of all buildings in the UK under the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR). In this blog we outline the implications for the built environment sector and five strategies to consider in the wake of the BSA.

Five strategies to consider

Many of our clients in the built environment sector are still coming to terms with what the BSA will mean for them in terms of daily operations and just what overall impact it will have in the sector as different parts of the act lead to many secondary legislation regulations. Peter Baker, the chief inspector of buildings, has already stated that the new regulatory bodies formed under the BSR, will require “much more from the designer, the contractor and the developer, to demonstrate that they have the wherewithal and the systems to build a safe and good-quality building, and they’ll have to demonstrate that to the new regulator before they can do anything.”

The keyword here is “demonstrate.” While demonstrating these things firstly involves proven compliance with regulation, clear demonstration of capability to wider audiences and stakeholders through effective communication is also crucial. The difficult background to the changes in progress can make it seem sensible to shy away from talking about your capability, when this is in many ways what customers, partners and even employees want to and need to know.

Enjoying our blogs?

We can deliver a monthly round-up straight to your inbox

For our clients in this sector, the BSA represents an opportunity, not just commercially by keeping one step ahead of the competition in terms of skills and competency, but also in terms of communication. There is a lot of supposition going on in the industry right now and what people want is a degree of certainty. Our clients such as the ACAI, Assent Building Control and Copping Joyce, have been spearheading some of the thought leadership in the sector around how businesses can prepare themselves for the changes that are clearly ahead.

Research has been a great tool to use to understand the current situation in the broader construction sector and this is how the ACAI (Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors) gained insight into just how little is understood about what the BSA and the new regulator will mean to the industry. Those companies that are at the cutting edge of change have a duty to pass on their knowledge and insight to others and this is exactly the type of communications programmes that we have been working on over the last six months.

Five strategies to consider at a time of change

1. Stay ahead of the curve

If you have industry insight and people in your business who are well respected, a thought leadership programme that puts you ahead of your competition and sets out your clear views on the situation will help to get you noticed.

2. Keep the message consistent
Ensure you’re saying the same thing across all your marketing channels, whether paid, earned, shared or owned. Consistency at a time of uncertainty is key

3. Bring your senior leadership team on the journey

Everyone within the business needs to be communicating in the same way. In the built environment it’s crucial that communication with clients is accurate, fast and consistent. All of your senior leadership team need to be fully briefed on the party line and then ensure that this is followed by the teams they are responsible for. This includes sharing relevant materials on LinkedIn, which has become an incredible platform for information sharing

4. Keep in touch with the broader industry

Although it’s good to be one step ahead, being a lone voice can be challenging. Stay in touch with industry opinion by talking to other industry leaders and organisations that will help you to understand if a change is needed

5. Ensure you communicate in a crisis

With stronger regulation in place it’s important to mitigate risk not only in your business practices but also how you would communicate your position should you be involved in a crisis situation in the future.

Conclusion

What is heartening to see is that change does not always have to be met with resistance. Change can be, and almost certainly is in this instance, a force for good. And communicating your positive role in that change can help to support a company’s position as a leading authority in its industry.

To find out more or book a free consultation with the senior team at Skout on your challenges call us on 01625 869 418 or email claire.james@localhost or rob.skinner@localhost    

About this article

Read time:

4 minutes

Category:

Sector knowledge

Celebrating EOsmile: How being employee-owned is helping us build a brighter agency

Creativity in B2B marketing: what we learned from episode 1 of Shaking the B2B Tree podcast

Browse more blog posts

EO Day
Posted on
byRebecca Brown

Did you know that Skout is an employee-owned B2B PR and communications agency?   In 2023, our founding shareholders Rob and Claire made the decision to sign the company over to an Employee-Owned Trust (EOT). As Claire mentioned at the time of the transition: “Much of the success Skout has

Shaking the B2B PR tree: Episode 1 banner detailing the episode contents with guest Victoria Jackson, acting global head of marketing, Silverdoor
Posted on
byHonor Williamson

If you haven’t heard about Shaking the B2B Tree yet, it’s a fresh new podcast from Skout launched by our MD, Rob Skinner, aimed at challenging traditional thinking in B2B marketing. The whole idea? To shake up the way we think about B2B marketing – challenge the usual, dig into

An image of healthy and nutritious food options
Posted on
bymarketing@skoutpr.com

When choosing what to eat, most of us think of calories, nutrients and the overall taste. But, did you know that your diet not only affects your physical health but also plays a major role in your mood, mental clarity and overall well-being. More and more studies display that food

A photo of the Skout PR team at the 2025 annual offsite at Alton Towers Resort
Posted on
byTom Embleton

Life in PR can be a bit of a rollercoaster, so what better place for Skout’s annual offsite than Alton Towers? Last month, we swapped our office for the theme park and two jam-packed days of strategy, team bonding and adrenaline-fuelled fun. Day one: Strategy with a side of pastries

Skout Team celebrating for 15 years of Skout
Posted on
byRebecca Brown

This year marks a milestone for Skout – it’s our 15th birthday! What began as a leap of faith from our founder Rob Skinner has grown into a thriving B2B communications agency built on authenticity, relationships and a healthy dose of workplace humour. In celebration, we wanted to take this

An image of the actress Millie Bobby Brown, a centerpiece of a blog about the role of clickbait and the impact on journalism
Posted on
byClaire Lamb

What started as a simple lunchtime read today ended up down a rabbit hole. It all started with Millie Bobby Brown. Like many women, I applaud her for calling out the media on their response to her appearance. I’m not going to go over it as it’s a tale as

Copy of International Women's Day template (1200 x 500 px) (2)
Posted on
byRebecca Brown

Did you know that as an agency we have a strong female presence across all roles within the business? In fact, two-thirds of our senior management team are female – this exceeds the global PR industry average of around 30%! That’s why we never miss the opportunity to celebrate International

A group of three women in a podcast environment with microphones.
Posted on
byHonor Williamson

Launching a podcast involves more than just hitting the record button. From selecting the right equipment to securing guest speakers, the early planning stages shape everything. But before considering the logistics, there’s one crucial question you should ask from day one: How will I engage my audience? Without a clear

A visual image showcases tech trends for B2B marketers. The graphic displays icons signaling tech trends such as AI.
Posted on
byJames Weaver

Things change quickly in the world of B2B marketing. With every ‘eureka!’ moment for new and disruptive technologies that herald to change the game, staying ahead of the curve is vitally important. Although artificial intelligence (AI) has been used by businesses for decades, today the technology is plastered across the

An image of a woman reading a business, financial and fintech newspaper
Posted on
byIsobelle Yoxall

It’s a new year for your FinTech business, and there’s big news on the horizon: a new product launch, exciting partnerships, or innovative features to announce. This makes for the perfect time to share your story with the media. Or perhaps you are just seeking fresh opportunities to make a

Get in touch

Skout
11 Market Place
Macclesfield
Cheshire
SK10 1EB

Send us a message

Name(Required)

Send us a message