Skip to main content

Communications

Ease, clarity, action, and engagement TTpriming

Change communication is hard.

The status quo is safe and changing it risks a loss – and since all of us are naturally loss averse, the pull of inertia can leave people stuck in unhelpful habits.

Our communications are designed to break that inertia, and inspire action.

What we do

Tone of voice

Capturing your brand’s personality, and expressing it in words through practical writing techniques.

Change campaigns TTcentre

Communications that inspire people to spearhead and champion new directions.

Internal comms support

Creating materials that keep people informed, engaged and inspired to be part of your business.

Our process

What makes tone of voice work TTbite

1

Goals

To differentiate you, get everyone writing consistently, make comms clearer, or make and save you money.
2

Research

What’s working about your writing now? What’s not? What’s the spirit of your brand and how can we express it in writing?
3

Practical guidance

Making the language easy and useful to apply, with real writing guidance that everyone can follow (not just marketing and brand!), and using it to create before-and-after examples of the tone in action.
4

Getting everyone on board

Touring the language around stakeholders for feedback and refinement, using the IKEA effect so people feel they own the language themselves.
5

Roll out

Launching the language internally, surrounding people with examples of writing in the new tone of voice, and training people to use it for themselves.

The secret to great change programmes

Habit formation is the key to change at scale. But to get to new habits, you have to start with new behaviours that people can easily adopt. Only then can people get used to them, see the value of them for themselves, and repeat them until they become habits.

Our change programmes are built around inspiring people to behave in new ways that become habits over time.

The anatomy of an SBC
change programme

Goal Setting

Defining the change, and the behaviours and habits that will lead us to it.

Research

Why aren’t people behaving this way already? What’s holding them back in the culture, their roles, processes, or the working environment? Why is the status quo so attractive?

Strategy

Which capabilities, opportunities, or motivations can we target to effect change? (COM-B). How can we boost each element? How can we remove friction from people adopting new behaviours?

Content and training

Developing a combination of training and content that...
- inspires people to change,
- gives people the skills to change
- gives people the tools to change
- surrounds them with the change
- supports them while they’re developing new habits.

Inside the insights:
Behavioural techniques TTentourage

Storyteller Bias

We remember and believe information given to us as stories, especially when they involve conflict but end on an emotional high.

Foot in the Door Effect

Committing to something small now makes it more likely you’ll commit to something larger later.

Fluency Effects

Statements that are easier to understand are easier to believe. So write as simply as possible, but no simpler.

Reciprocity

We’re hardwired to return generosity shown to us. Be generous first and people will pay you back in kind(ness).

Reactance

When people feel manipulated or pushed into action, they push back. Go with the grain of human behaviour and what people already want to do.

Framing

The way you present information can have huge influence on whether it’s perceived as an opportunity or a threat.

Mere-Exposure Effect

‘Hmm, this album’s a grower…’ It’s true! The more we experience something, even something we don’t like at first, the more we grow to like it over time.

Authority Bias

We listen more to those we respect, and we’re more likely to do what they say.

Certainty Effect

People highly value certainty over change, and in change, certainty is scarce. Give people guarantees of what the future will look like, and they’ll be more likely to come with you.

Confirmation Bias

When we have a pre-existing opinion, we seek out information that validates it and ignore information that doesn’t. So harness existing opinion, and use it to validate your message.

Loss Aversion

Because losses feel twice as painful as gains feel good, we naturally avoid losses wherever possible. Emphasising loss can frame messages in ways that inspire action.

Picture Superiority Effect

We remember images far better than we remember words. Consistent use of images coupled with content makes your messaging more memorable.

Spacing Effect

Messages are easier to remember when they’re repeated over time and across environments.

IKEA Effect

We value products and ideas that we’ve had some part in creating, so involve people in ideas while they’re developing so they’re with you when you launch.

Curious to know more?

Get in touch for a chat.

We Work, New Kings Beam House,
22 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD, United Kingdom
+44 (0)20 3397 4971 | hello@sbc.works

SBC is a registered member of the
Global Association of Applied Behavioural Scientists