Reeves & Starmer: Is letter writing in PR an underrated skill?
Watching the fallout from Rachel Reeves’ rental licence misdemeanour got me thinking about the way government communications is handling what is quickly escalating into a crisis, and the role and importance of
the humble letter.
the humble letter.
The current coverage has no statements or press releases, instead the comms team have simply published a letter from the Chancellor, and the response from the Prime Minister. Whilst this story is likely to rumble on well into the weekend, with some Tories even calling for the Chancellor’s resignation, the simplicity of the communications is so far impressive. Attempting to shut down the narrative with two simple letters, both with very clear messaging (Reeves: I’m sorry, and Starmer: I’m disappointed but have taken advice and would like to draw a line under it). Media then report on the letters and their direct messaging, rather than quoting the various parties – it is simple, and whilst it probably won’t work as the story progresses for now they have both said their piece and tried to move forward.
The focus of letters for communications got me thinking of other forms of letter, and if we give the letter the appreciation and focus it deserves? From announcing the arrival of royal babies (a very grand letter on a ceremonial easel outside Buckingham Palace) to publishing of letters as evidence (such as in the ongoing Epstein investigation) letters do still form a significant proportion of professional communications and media collateral.
Here are some further examples of the good and the bad in letter writing for communications:
Statutory letters
From planning permission applications to community consultations,
writing to local residents likely to be impacted by a project is still heavily utilised to get messages to local communities. It’s often mandated and statutory depending on local planning regulations. These letters allow developers to outline their plans and proactively address likely concerns with tightly messaged letters and supporting documents, landing directlyon people’s doormats.
Open letters
A PR 101 favourite for campaigning, the media love an open letter, particularly if it’s signed by high profile individuals. Coming together
collectively to campaign on an important topic, an open letter can be used to challenge government or raise awareness of an important issue. It’s often backed up by wider communications and experiential activity,
from protests and marches to wider campaigns.
Internal communications
My all-time favourite letter (okay, perhaps it was an email but it feels like a letter!) was from Alan Partridge, announcing his new show to over
20,000 colleagues at the BBC, written in character. Not only was this
brilliant internal communications, engaging the team on an exciting
addition to the programming, but the message was then used as a PR
asset, shared to media and formed a key part of the campaign to launch
his new show.
Letters are simple, effective and almost always free – so in this age of
multichannel messaging and complex expensive assets, should we be
putting more focus on the art of the humble letter? Or will digital see
government ministers publishing voice notes and memes in future to
share their key messages?