CASE STUDY
In late 2022, Essex County Council launched a revamped Local Offer website, a key resource for families and children aged 0–25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The website aimed to provide a centralised hub for accessing support, services, and activities across Essex.
By 2023, the council identified two key challenges:
Following the success of the initial 2023 campaign, Essex County Council approached PLMR Genesis to build upon this foundation in 2024.
PLMR Genesis delivered two workstreams in 2023 and 2024 to meet the council’s objectives:
Workstream 1: Provider Recruitment
Using Meta, we developed a digital advertising campaign targeting SEND-specific providers, businesses offering SEND-inclusive services, and potential SEND-providers across Essex. The campaign aimed to encourage businesses to apply for the Essex Local Offer Directory by promoting the benefits such as increased visibility to current and new audiences and the community impact that registered providers have. Our tailored messaging inspired non-SEND businesses to explore SEND inclusivity through accessible changes.
Via clear calls-to-actions we directed businesses to the “Request a Listing” form on the Local Offer website.
Workstream 2: Family Awareness
This campaign also utilised Meta to reach families with children navigating SEND challenges, including parents in early diagnosis stages and caregivers seeking long-term support.
Through different ads, we drove engaged traffic to key website sections, such as “I think my child needs help,” the directory search tool, and health resources. The messaging of the ads was designed to reassure families, combat misconceptions about SEND support eligibility, and highlight the website as a one-stop resource. Ultimately, encouraging engagement through relatable scenarios, clear guidance, and actionable links.
The Essex Local Offer campaigns targeting SEND Providers, Non-SEND Providers, and Families achieved outstanding results across 2023 and 2024, far exceeding objectives and delivering significant engagement, reach, and conversions.
The ads generated 4,396,443 impressions, a reach of 580,435, and 31,686 clicks across both years. Post engagement across the campaigns was successful with a total of 117,864 post reactions. This engagement saw positive sentiment with user comments tagging others for awareness.
The campaign was a success in terms of exceeding the campaign objectives, as a result, website traffic saw:
These campaigns collectively strengthened the Essex Local Offer’s visibility, drove traffic to key resources, and fostered increased engagement from both providers and families, cementing its reputation as an invaluable resource for the SEND community.
PLMR’s crisis communications experience is second to none, and includes pre-emptive and reactive work across traditional and social media channels. We work with a range of organisations to offer critical communication support when they are faced with difficult and challenging scenarios.
