Be the Best Communications
Be the Best Communications is a Manchester-based PR and communications agency established in 2019. It has a track record of delivering national campaigns that influence government policy and help successful organisations grow their customer base.
I connected with Be the Best to support the production of a high-profile ‘Deep Dive’ thought leadership blog series for their client - British Water. As a trade body representing key stakeholders in the UK’s water industry, it is their priority to ensure that all voices across the sector are heard and represented.
Our work for British Water coincided with the organisation’s 2022 merger with the Water Industry Forum, another independent organisation that served as a forum for the sector.
As part of the blog series, we interviewed senior leadership figures at each of the UK’s regional sewage and water companies. Each water region has unique geographical features and operational challenges, so it was important for us to highlight these stories in our writing.
Our first stakeholder interview was with Angela MacOscar, Head of Innovation at Northumbrian Water Group. This blog coincided with Northumbrian Water’s Innovation Festival, an event it was holding for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. It collaborates with local schools, universities and businesses in the North East to encourage young people and fresh ideas into the sector.
Northumbrian’s blog, ‘How Do You Create a Vibrant Innovation Culture?’ highlighted the challenge perceived by MacOscar as the deepest the water industry faces - an innovation and skills gap. As 80% of the sector’s workforce is male, attracting a more diverse range of voices and closing the 17% gender pay gap will be crucial to the sector’s modernisation.
Another key interview was with Andy Clark, Yorkshire Water’s Head of Commercial Services. The blog written for Yorkshire Water, ‘A Better TOM-morrow’, focussed on the organisation’s migration to a new target operating model during the AMP7 management plan period. Yorkshire Water highlighted the importance of moving away from the ‘fix-or-fail’ mentality, instead taking a more proactive approach by harnessing data and digital twin technology to improve operations.
The region has a unique water table, with varied geology from the Humber estuary to the reservoirs nestled in the Pennines. With fast-growing population centres in Leeds and Sheffield, Yorkshire Water stressed the importance of progress, improving its processes while committed to its decarbonisation targets.
During my work with Be the Best, I wrote and supported the interview process for key stakeholders.
Additionally, I was called upon to write ad hoc thought leadership articles on behalf of Be the Best’s other clients, including an editorial feature on behalf of Diana McLean, Managing Director of Riverside Scotland for The Scotsman.