By following these steps, we can make sure that the message is clear, consistent, and impactful. We’re flexible and can adjust as needed because every project is unique.
1. Understand the organization and the people who must change
2. Create a common language about the change
3. Identify segments and develop key messages
4. Plan how to communicate with impact
5. Launch communication
6. Evaluate impact
7. Reinforce
Our approach to communicating change is honest and collaborative. We combine academic and industry-recognised frameworks to help you navigate your change more successfully.
Starting from that foundation, we work with you to create and deliver a communications strategy that:
Make It Easy
Make it Attractive
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make it Human
Make it inclusive
People are more likely to read, pay attention to, and act on information they can easily understand. Good change communication is clear, concise, and actionable. We break down complex change programmes into short, bite-sized, and easy-to-understand messages – translating the complicated to simple, and the simple to engaging.
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Using technical or formal language that is difficult to remember
Trying to please everyone leads to long messages that no one wants to read
Introducing new concepts or systems without simplifying, assuming the audience’s full grasp of the subject
Burying the main point within the text, making it difficult for the audience to identify the core message quickly
Using text fonts and colours that don’t draw attention to important information
Failing to explain the potential negative outcomes if the audience doesn't follow the recommendations
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Use simple, non-technical language. When it’s fitting, we drop some rhymes to help people remember what to do - people find it more believable and likable
Be specific about recommended actions, and striking the right balance of detail to maintain people’s focus without overwhelming them
Break down abstract concepts into short, bite-sized, and easy-to-understand messages
Prioritise presenting the key message early on, preferably in the initial sequence or subject line
Use different formatting techniques like colour, headings, call-out boxes, and bold text to highlight important information
Emphasise what happens if you don’t act on the important messages
People are more likely to adopt things that are familiar and attractive. Your messaging needs to pop, be relevant, appealing, and personalised to catch people’s eye. Eye-catching designs, colours, and images have the power to immediately grab people’s attention.
Using poor colour contrast and small text size that make your communication difficult to read
Using jargon or technical terminology that makes your communication harder to grasp
Using long, complicated phrases that are difficult to understand, particularly for persons with cognitive disabilities or who read in a second language
Using a disorganised, irregular, nonlinear or inconsistent layout that is distracting and making it difficult to locate information
Failing to use descriptions, titles or transcripts. People who are blind or have impaired vision may be unable to interpret images or videos
Neglecting to incorporate the latest version of HTML and heading hierarchies limits the accessibility of communication
Use contrasting colours and a font size that is easily readable
Write in a clear and persuasive manner, using simple language to convey important information
Use simple sentences and bullets that improve readability
Build and follow a linear logical layout
Describe images and provide transcripts for videos
Structure content using HTML5 with a clear heading structure
To gain trust, build relationships, and stand out, make your communications more human. We make your message authentic, transparent, and empathetic. This drives meaningful change and builds advocates for change.
Overusing technical language and jargon makes you seem unapproachable
Presenting information in a way that is not transparent and difficult to relate to
Using a faceless approach might create distance and make your communication appear impersonal
Focusing solely on sharing information can cause disengagement, mistrust, and disloyalty
Overusing AI-generated content or templates can come across insincere and distant
Overlooking brand values to establish connection with employees
Underestimating the influence of social pressures and relationships on behaviour change can hinder your communication's effectiveness
Failing to recognise the errors made along the way cause harm to relationships and trust
Show empathy and consider your employees’ individual needs, challenges, and aspirations when communicating with them
Use a tone that is both personal and consistent with your brand
Use handwritten notes or have a friendly face to deliver messages for greater impact
Use informal communication channels to talk and listen, even when ideas aren’t fully formed yet
Balance using AI or templates for efficiency by adding a personal touch to our content to connect better with our audience
Use relatable content to speak to your shared experiences and values
Acknowledge mistakes, provide timely corrections, and offer sincere apologies to foster trust
Encourage you to take responsibility when something goes wrong and work on rebuilding trust with carefully crafted communication
Inclusive change communication unites people. We create change communication that's clear, welcoming, and works for everyone. Our materials are for everyone, including those on the autistic spectrum, with low vision, dyslexia, physical or motor limitations, hearing impairments, or anxiety.
Using uninspiring presentation that reduces readership as it ‘gets lost’ amongst other competing priorities
Not making use of emotional connections, thus not resonating with your audience on a personal level, resulting in disinterest or indifference
Over-relying on emails as a primary communication channel
Failing to explain the incentives and consequences can lead to audience uncertainty, hesitancy, or disengagement
Failing to acknowledge the importance of using different formats and their effectiveness in breaking down messages.
Make the message visually appealing by incorporating images and using bold colours
Choose words that stir emotions for effective and thoughtful communication
Communicate regularly, using various channels and giving priority to format selection
Make incentives transparent, inspiring people to take action
Pay greater attention to format – what goes in which channel and in what format.
People widely use generative AI and chatbots now. In the past year, we have been experimenting too. AI takes care of some boring stuff, allowing us to focus on more important and creative tasks. We use AI tools to help with research, inspire, and remove distractions for audiences. No need to worry, we use our AI in a responsible and ethical manner.
We may use text generator tools to help research a topic or finding inspiration, but we will never publish content that text generators has entirely written.
We may ethically use image tools to make minor edits or corrections, but we won’t publish images created from scratch by image generators.
We may use video tools to eliminate distractions for the audience, but we do not use voice clone generators or create deep fake videos.
We won’t enter any sensitive, private, or embargoed information into AI tools. As we navigate the era of AI, our focus is on humanising communication, so every interaction really counts.
Harey's extensive marketing experience spans over 10 years and includes supporting large transformation programmes in various industries. He has successfully communicated and implemented changes in multiple organisations, including adopting new technologies, working practises, and cultures. Before founding Pagoda Marketing, Harey worked for well-known brands like Apple and SAP. Alongside his corporate experience, he has also guest lecturer at multiple universities.
Matt Hancox
Head of Manufacturing, Transport for London
Micheal Hughes
Partner, Change Right Ltd
David
Partner, STEER
We are business partners who work closely with your team to provide strategic advice, assessments, plans, and change communications.
We focus on clear change communication, employee experience and making things look good. Our team has dedicated most of their careers to mastering these areas.
We work as a group, not individually. Our ability to work together across various disciplines sets us apart, allowing us to create change communications that are impactful, innovative, and easily accessible.
We don’t keep track of time or bill by the hour. Our fee reflects the combined value of our expertise.
We are a remote-first organisation. Most of our work can be done remotely.
We believe in doing things the right way, even if it means taking longer.
The length of our client projects varies based on the complexity of the work, with simpler tasks taking around three months and multi-year transformation programmes lasting over 12 months.
We’d be delighted to learn about how we can help you. With clients across Europe, we’re a fully remote team, and value the flexibility of working across different time zones.
Check out our frequently asked questions, and if you don't find what you're looking for, feel free to reach out to us directly.
Our work primarily involves proofreading, editing, writing, and designing. We can assist with non-writing tasks like strategic planning and providing critical feedback on your ideas and work. We do not offer reactive services for media enquiries or crisis communications. However, if it involves change communications and can be done remotely, we can likely help.
We can usually complete small tasks that take an hour or two within a day or less. If you need something urgently with less than 24 hours' notice, we will do our best to deliver. We understand that unexpected situations can arise.
We prioritise the security and confidentiality of client information. Several of our consultants hold Security Clearance (SC). They can use secure devices and follow the security standards that are already in place. We are also willing to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) if necessary.
Yes, we often collaborate with business change consultancies to provide our services. We fit right in with your team and handle all communications on your behalf. If necessary, we will use your clients’ IT equipment and email accounts.
We are a remote-first organisation. This setup works for most of our activities. If you’re local or within commutable distance, we’re happy to occasionally work from your site.
Yes, we believe it’s important to have one main point of contact. This helps to build trust and allows us to learn more about your organisation and your preferences.
We believe in transparency, so we hand over all our communication materials, including working files, at the end of the project. If needed, we can also provide guidance or training to help you maintain and update the materials.
We understand that our clients have different needs and budgets, so we offer flexible pricing options. Contact us for a quotation.
