Challenge
To provide close, bilingual communications support, and to develop a unified brand, for the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) – a multi-agency flood-prevention initiative operating within a complex communications landscape, shaped by urgent political and public pressures and the need for cross-border collaboration between England and Wales.
Copper prioritised:
- navigating diverse community and environmental interests, sensitivities around infrastructure interventions and strong expectations for nature-based solutions
- delivering a suite of bilingual assets
- preparing for expected public resistance
- providing effective communication and winning stakeholder advocacy for the scheme.
Approach
Copper created a unified brand and communications strategy based on two core themes: balance, which reflected communities, countries, nature and infrastructure working together, and transition, which supported a shift from traditional flood defences to long-term, nature-based solutions.
Key activities included:
- conducting qualitative interviews, public polling, stakeholder mapping and a policy audit
- developing a unified brand that focused on logo, palette, typography and Copper’s communications toolkit
- designing an integrated stakeholder engagement strategy tailored to a cross-border, bilingual project.
Value delivered
- Copper successfully designed a clear and inclusive brand identity that resonated across both England and Wales – and with community/agency audiences.
- The communications strategy fostered greater alignment among multi-agency partners.
- It also shifted the narrative from a perception of disruption to one of shared long-term benefit amongst local stakeholders.
- Copper’s approach has increased stakeholder understanding and support for SVWMS.