Severn Trent

Severn Trent is a state-owned water authority based in the Midlands responsible for water supply, management, and wastewater treatment and disposal—located in the catchment areas of two of Britain's largest rivers - the Severn and the Trent. They are responsible for a large region of the UK and aim to make positive differences in the communities they serve and do all they can to reduce the impact on the environment.

To conduct the research study, we set out to recruit 20 people fitting a set of criteria which would deem them vulnerable or suitable to receive assistance from the PSR. This research study focused on ethnic minorities, so it was limited to those where English was not their first language. This would put them at higher priority as they would not understand the notices and warnings in the case of an emergency.

Once we had recruited 20 people within Leicester, we set up face-to-face interviews with the participants and a translator. This allowed us to understand the living status and conditions better and get a good understanding of their situation.

To help us with the recruitment process, we contacted key figures of influence within the community and directed posts on ethnic and social media groups to find the participants.

Following the interviews, we began organising community events in Leicester city centre and Loughborough. These were held in community centres as they are trusted sources of information, so we knew the footfall would be higher.

The integrated marketing campaign saw the workshops advertised through several channels, including specific audience groups via social media, translated materials in the community centres and local universities, and word of mouth. We also ran several radio ads on ethnic stations to ensure that all community members were reached. Along with the many other marketing channels, each event saw a brand ambassador leafleting on the day of each workshop in the nearby high streets, pulling in community members with a multilingual brochure.

Once we had completed the interviews, we pulled through the transcripts to highlight the essential findings and shared this information with Severn Trent, keeping to GDPR guidelines. With the key findings, we put forward our recommendations to market the PSR service within Leicestershire efficiently.

One of the critical areas mentioned within the interviews was the effectiveness of face-to-face workshops allowing the community to talk to Severn Trent directly. Working with the Severn Trent team, we organised workshops which ran across 2 days within Leicester and Loughborough. Both team members from Severn Trent and GottaBe! were present at the events, and we also saw support from the local community centres. Within the workshops, more information was delivered on the help and support available to those who need it most, and the Severn Trent team were able to address any issues the customer had.

Since the workshops, GottaBe! have continued the social media outreach and radio ads to ensure that the wider community has the information they need to sign up for the PSR and other eligible support. We have since provided further consultancy to give Severn Trent insights into the community to help them improve their engagement with ethnic minorities in Leicestershire.

• Paid social
• Radio
• Community outreach
• Leaflet creation
• Focus groups
• Surveys
• Design
• Workshop event
• Translated materials
• Brand ambassador
• Consultancy
• Insights