Berry Street is a child and family services organisation helping children, young people and families who are experiencing poverty, violence and abuse. It’s also a provider of Victoria-wide therapeutic services, including Take Two, which helps to address the mental health impacts on children of the trauma they have experienced from abuse, neglect or adverse experiences.
HOW WE WORK
While targeted media relations were a key part of our strategy, Berry Street wanted more from their PR partner than just media coverage. They needed a partner who could act as an extension of their team, translating their incredible work into powerful stories that stick in people’s minds. This was especially critical given their goal to increase the number of foster carers – a core component of their mission.
Pure Public Relations approached this partnership with a strategy that went beyond traditional PR. We immersed ourselves from the ground up, speaking with frontline workers, foster carers, educators and victim-survivors to understand the multifaceted obstacles and opportunities for Berry Street and their work for the nation’s most vulnerable populations.
Our work included:
Leadership profiling and thought leadership: Using Berry Street’s insights, data and perspectives from expert team members, we elevated Berry Street’s voice to the national conversation. Berry Street is now frequently called upon for thought leadership commentary and now holds the greatest share of voice in the country.
Strategic messaging: We developed and refined key messaging that would unify the various facets of Berry Street’s operations, ensuring a consistent and impactful narrative across all communications. This approach has been instrumental in building cohesion within the organisation, as it brought together different departments under a shared vision and message.
Targeted media outreach: Leveraging our strong media relationships, we secured high-impact coverage in top-tier outlets that aligned with Berry Street’s goals.
RESULTS
The impact of our collaboration with Berry Street has been significant, both in terms of media coverage and its tangible effects on organisational objectives:
Increased foster care enquiries: Our media coverage has been directly linked to more enquiries from community members who would like to become a foster carer.
Stronger internal cohesion and consistency across organisational marketing teams: Our messaging and communications efforts have played a pivotal role in building cohesion across Berry Street’s diverse operations. By developing shared messaging that resonates on a national platform, we have helped unify the organisation, ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned with the overarching mission and objectives.
Media coverage highlights include:
- Sydney Morning Herald
- Sunday Telegraph
- ABC News (TV)
- ABC Online
- The Guardian
- The Age
- Brisbane Times
- Women’s Agenda
- Mamamia
- news.com.au
- The Canberra TimesÂ
- The Australian
- SBS