Bournemouth University: skills review and messaging framework
In 2021, Bournemouth University asked Pickle Jar Communications to help them understand the digital skills of the content team. This was with a view to improving knowledge and introducing new workflows and governance to support that.
Additionally, they were rolling out a new messaging framework and asked for help to embed that in their content production.
We approached the request in three stages:
Skills and capabilities review
Understanding content approaches
Defining new content approaches
Skills and capabilities
In order to understand the skills of content professionals at Bournemouth, we carried out a survey of staff to gain insights into their knowledge of audiences, measurement, platforms and content types.
In addition to this we facilitated an online workshop with key stakeholders to discover their perceptions of digital skills and to help them identify gaps that needed training or development.
The result of this was a skills report that outlined areas that needed improvement and provided examples and recommendations to show practically how this could be achieved.
Understanding content approaches
In this part of the project, we reviewed all existing platforms, content and channels to see how content was currently being produced and managed. We also worked to understand the different content formats that were being used. Our aim was to build on these and create recommendations in the final stage.
This part of the project also reviewed current workflow and governance and came up with a recommended new model that could be used and adapted by Bournemouth University.
Defining new content approaches
In this final stage, the aim was to integrate the new messaging framework that Bournemouth had already developed into the content planning going forward.
We reviewed the existing documents and messages and used this to design and deliver a messaging workshop that helped to bring the content to life. We built on this to create a series of copy that Bournemouth University could use and adapt for a range of different audiences and content formats.
Finally we provided a range of content implementation advice that included workshop ideas, templates and guides for creating and delivering quality content.
“We’re really grateful for the partnership approach that Pickle Jar Communications took in their work with us in understanding our capability and culture and to inspire our creativity with new content approaches.
We’ve now got a range of outputs and actions from the work that we’re working to embed within our teams as part of an annual objective setting and appraisal process, and as part of a continuous improvement approach to process redesign and improvement.”
Matthew Usher
Digital Communications Manager