By Kerry Maxwell, communications manager, British Poultry Council
You might remember I wrote an article a few months ago asking what lessons we as a sector could learn from Taylor Swift, specifically her versatility and willingness to speak out. As we wave ‘So Long’ to Swiftie Summer and welcome ‘autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place’, we are ready to embrace a new era for British poultry communications, one that emphasises transparency, engagement and telling our own stories.
Ok, maybe ‘new era’ is an exaggeration! But we have been working hard to create an environment that positions us as conversation starters, not just contributors.
To draw inspiration from the Taylor Swift effect, I think there is something to be said about promoting transparency and purposeful storytelling. It is our responsibility to ensure the voice of the sector is as relevant as possible, aligning with both the current landscape and the needs of our audience.
So, after publishing ‘2024 and Beyond,’ we felt our next step should be channelling our energy into creating a platform that not only elevates the direction of travel we set out in our report but reinforces our vision for the future of our sector. In short, we want to meet people where they are at. We want to let them see and be part of what we want to achieve – but that requires standing up and speaking out.
We know openness can transform perception. That is exactly what our new website sets out to achieve: putting ourselves at the centre of the conversation.
It is essential that we regain control of our own narratives and tell our own stories, doing so with authenticity and purpose. Even if we do not get it right all the time, addressing questions and acknowledging concern highlights the importance of responsiveness and resilience. These are necessary traits our communications have to embody to find relevance in a content-driven world.
For our messages, for our voice, to resonate, like Taylor Swift, British poultry must be ready to ‘Speak Now’ so no one can speak for us. Very long winded way of me saying “go look at www.britishpoultry.org.uk!” but I’m not even sorry. Sometimes hearing the ‘why’ behind these things matters, and we are confident that our new digital space will allow us to make some good things happen.