As the summer holidays come to an end and the kids go back to school, we’re looking forward to a busy and exciting September here at EBY.
One of the highlights this month will be attending the Emergency Services Show at the NEC in Birmingham on September 19 and 20. This premier event showcases top innovations in the emergency services sector and is expected to bring together more than 16,000 blue light professionals from police, fire and rescue, ambulance, search and rescue and the voluntary sectors.
We’re privileged to have been able to support the emergency services sector with creative solutions for over 20 years, from awareness-raising marketing campaigns to the development of pioneering app technology.
Working with the emergency services often means needing to come up with exceptionally engaging campaigns that communicate important safety messages to key audiences, while being able to understand and navigate challenges such as red tape and tight budgets.
It’s also about harnessing the power of technology in a way that makes life easier for already busy and stretched teams by delivering transformational solutions within those tight budgets.
This experience gained over two decades means we understand the processes involved when it comes to developing campaigns or technology for the emergency services, as these are often sensitive to additional regulations and multi-layered checks and approvals.
Our clients in the emergency services sector include Counter Terrorism Policing, The National Fire Chiefs Council, The Institution of Fire Engineers and JESIP, working as a strategic partner on a variety of projects.
You can read about some of those projects below.
Water safety campaign
We partnered with the National Fire Chiefs Council to launch a crucial safety initiative focussed on helping people to stay safe around water.
‘Be Water Aware’ sought to highlight the risks associated with recreational activities on or near water and what people should do in the event of an emergency – 44% of drowning incidents involved people who didn’t plan to enter the water.
We delivered a thought-provoking campaign maximised through a series of posters strategically placed at key transportation hubs across the country, including the London Underground.
Designing a new app for JESIP
The Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) was established in 2012 to ensure excellence and best practice in multi-agency responses to major incidents. We’ve worked with JESIP as its creative partner since then, providing a variety of marketing, digital and website support.
Our biggest project with JESIP to date was developing a new app that allows personnel from different emergency services to quickly and easily access all the information they need to co-ordinate a successful multi-agency response at the scene of a major incident.
It’s available for emergency responders to download free on all Apple or Android mobile phones and has been downloaded more than 150,000 times to date. It is currently being rolled out globally in several different languages, with new functionality added regularly as JESIP’s work develops.
Counter Terrorism Policing
We were asked by Counter Terrorism Policing to create a strong visual campaign to promote its three steps for public safety in the event of a firearms or weapons attack.
The ‘Run. Hide. Tell.’ campaign included marketing guidance materials which would help people respond safely to incidents involving hazardous substances, such as acid attacks.
Produced in association with the National Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centre, the campaign roll-out included posters in nationwide public spaces, a four-page leaflet for use in police and fire stations and various digital materials for use on websites and social media
Creating a new brand identity
It’s not always about public safety messaging. The Institution of Fire Engineers needed to completely overhaul its identity to make it fit for the 21st century.
The 105-year-old professional membership body had reached a point where its existing branding and marketing was no longer keeping pace with the rate of growth and success. It was also failing to reflect the diversity of its members and what mattered to them.
We spent nine months researching and analysing the market, the competitors and consulting with global stakeholders before creating a new brand strategy, complete with revised mission statement, vision and positioning. This was supported by toolkits, branding guidelines and marketing templates for assets such as brochures, exhibition stands, stationery, newsletters, emails and more.
How EBY can help emergency services organisations
Whether it’s a public safety campaign, rebranding exercise, or the creation of new technology to modernise service delivery, we have the unique skills and experience needed to create successful digital solutions for the emergency services.
We’re looking forward to sharing this knowledge at the Emergency Services Show later this month. If you’re looking for support in this sector and are attending the show, feel free to get in touch and book in a coffee on the day – we’d love to say hi!
Or you can always drop us a line to talk about your challenges and find out how our imaginative, no-fluff approach can help you.