How communications teams could work regionally to transform engagement

Local government communications teams are on the frontline of public trust, behaviour change, and crisis response, yet they often work in isolation, responding to the same challenges without shared capacity, resources, or strategy.

Instead of each council developing its own campaigns, engagement strategies, and crisis response plans, what if communications teams worked regionally — creating dynamic, data-driven, and participatory approaches that amplify their impact?

Imagine real-time public sentiment dashboards, AI-assisted community listening, regional storytelling networks, and co-designed behaviour change programmes. This isn’t just about more efficient comms — it’s about reimagining how councils engage, influence, and empower people.

This blog explores how Adur & Worthing Councils are already testing approaches that could be scaled up at a regional level, and how we can learn from global pioneers in collaborative, tech-enabled public communications to build a smarter, stronger, and more innovative ecosystem for local government.

🔍 The challenge: why local government communications need a radical rethink

Communications teams are expected to do more with less, managing complex messaging across:

✅ Crisis communications, from floods to misinformation and cyber threats.
✅ Service transformation, helping residents navigate financial and policy changes.
✅ Behaviour change, shifting public habits on recycling, transport, and energy.
✅ Trust-building, countering misinformation and making local government more transparent and participatory.

If services, economies, and policies are increasingly delivered at a regional level, then communications strategies must evolve to reflect this.

We don’t just need more collaboration — we need a fundamentally different model.

🌍 Global inspiration: how regions are reinventing public communications

🇳🇱 Netherlands: regional storytelling to shape public behaviour

The Netherlands has redefined government communications as culture-building, creating shared, multi-city campaigns that change how people interact with their places.

🔹 The Dutch Cycling Embassy is a multi-city collaboration that frames cycling not just as a transport choice, but as a movement.
🔹 Cities coordinate regional behaviour change campaigns on air pollution and public health, ensuring messaging is consistent and compelling.

💡 What can UK local government learn?

• How can we use storytelling networks to shift attitudes on climate, housing, and regeneration?
• Could regional storytelling hubs make local government messages more influential, creative, and engaging?

🇩🇪 Germany: AI-powered crisis communications networks

Germany’s regional communications hubs don’t just coordinate messaging — they use AI-driven public sentiment analysis to adapt strategy in real time.

🔹 Regional press offices manage crisis response across municipalities, ensuring a unified and rapid communications strategy.
🔹 AI-driven public engagement tools monitor misinformation, allowing councils to respond before trust is eroded.

💡 What can UK local government learn?

• How could real-time data dashboards improve regional communications coordination?
• Could AI-driven public engagement tools help councils counter misinformation more effectively?

🇨🇦 Canada: collaborative democracy through regional engagement platforms

In Canada, multiple councils and civic organisations collaborate on digital democracy initiatives, making public decision-making more transparent and participatory.

🔹 The Local Democracy Project brings together councils to share public engagement strategies, digital tools, and participatory decision-making frameworks.
🔹 Cross-council collaborations counter misinformation and rebuild trust in public institutions.

💡 What can UK local government learn?

• Could we create regional participation platforms, giving residents an easier way to engage with local decisions?
• How can councils coordinate civic engagement campaigns that increase trust in democracy?

🔹 Adur & Worthing example: Expanding regional civic participation approaches
Through our mission-led approach to community participation, we are developing new ways to connect residents, businesses, and community organisations in decision-making, which could be scaled across a wider region.

🚀 Rethinking regional collaboration: a next-generation approach to public communications

Instead of ad hoc regional collaboration, what if we redesigned public communications as a strategic, data-driven, and participatory function?

1. Creating regional communications intelligence hubs

✅ Using AI and real-time data dashboards to track public sentiment, misinformation, and emerging regional issues.
✅ Establishing joint crisis communications units, so councils can mobilise resources at speed.
✅ Sharing media, design, and engagement expertise, reducing duplication across councils.

2. Turning government communications into movement-building

✅ Co-designing regional storytelling strategies, aligning councils, universities, and businesses.
✅ Developing regional narrative labs to reframe climate action, housing, and transport.
✅ Using behavioural science to create regional public engagement campaigns.

3. Scaling up participatory engagement at a regional level

✅ Building cross-council platforms for participatory democracy, giving residents more influence.
✅ Coordinating public engagement strategies across councils, ensuring clear and consistent messaging on policy changes.
✅ Partnering with local media and digital platforms to increase transparency.

🛠️ How Adur & Worthing Councils are leading the shift

At Adur & Worthing Councils, we are already embedding regional, mission-driven approaches into our communications strategy:

Be open and honest — people respect the truth

Make public participation real, not just a tick-box exercise

Use digital to strengthen human connection

See more here and here.

📢 Calls to action: let’s build a new model for regional communications

We need a bold, innovation-driven approach to public sector communications. That means:

✅ Moving beyond one-way messaging and making local government communications participatory.
✅ Investing in AI-driven insights to track public sentiment and misinformation at a regional level.
✅ Collaborating across councils, universities, and civic organisations to develop shared regional storytelling strategies.

💬 What’s next? Let’s start the conversation.

Is your local authority or organisation already working on regional communications, AI-driven engagement, or cross-council storytelling? We’d love to hear about it.

Let’s co-create new models, test innovative ideas, and scale what works.

How could regional collaboration strengthen your local communications work? Drop your thoughts below!