We’re building a campaign-led approach to communicating our work – telling powerful stories that demonstrate the value of what we do to 
people and their daily lives.
We plan strategically to bring different stories, announcements and other activities together. Landing the right message with the right audience, at the right time, enables us to have a greater impact.
We want to increase awareness of four themes that run through the ICO’s work and show how we are:
- protecting the public;
- enabling innovation and economic growth;
- supporting the public sector to transform services; and
- promoting transparency and accountability.
These themes are aligned to the ICO’s overarching vision, supported by a range of tools that enable us to speak with one voice and plan key moments and campaigns months in advance.
Our team works closely with colleagues across the ICO, providing direction on our core communications campaigns and strategic advice on planning, products and ways of working to maximise impact.
Joining the strategic team means you’ll be making a real difference to people’s lives.
Below are some examples of our recent work.
ICO takes action against companies over predatory marketing calls targeting elderly, vulnerable people
#Protectingthepublic
Objective: Demonstrate how the ICO is protecting the public by tackling rogue companies that are targeting vulnerable, elderly people with nuisance calls
Strategy: Humanise the work and make it relatable. Identify real life stories and place in high profile mainstream media.
Outputs
- Briefing calls with the comms teams of key partners, including, Action Fraud, Age UK, Trading Standards and Which, in advance of the campaign launch.
- A press release.
- Pre-arranged interviews with key media outlets.
- Updated Your Data Matters nuisance calls web page.
- Social media posts, including testimony from an affected individual and a video.
Outtakes
- Proactive statements from Age UK and Which? with messaging amplified across their networks.
- Case study used widely, including profile piece in the Daily Mail and interview on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours.
- Coverage in the Sun, Sky News online and the Mirror - secured by the pre-launch interviews.
- Wide coverage on the day in most national newspapers, local regionals and BBC online.
- Almost 11,000 views of social media video in the first day.
Impact
- Approach welcomed by key partners - inc Age UK, Which? - creating opportunities for closer comms collaboration in future.
- Monthly data to be reviewed to establish how many people acted on our comms messaging by subscribing to Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and reporting nuisance calls through our online reporting tool.
- Help Gran Stop Spam campaign launched a week later on social media.
IAPP Global Privacy Summit 2022, Washington
#Enablinginnovation
Objective: Raise awareness of UK leadership and influence on driving high data protection standards globally.
Strategy: Provide tangible examples of ICO work that have a meaningful impact on people and business, to show our global collaboration in action and clearly explain the value of our international work. Be clear in what want from, or are looking to build with international partners to bolster privacy.
Outputs
- Commissioner’s blog on international work using Children’s code as a beacon of global interest.
- ICO regulatory position explainer video on AdTech.
- Social media campaign highlighting our key meetings, the objectives of our attendance at the event and the value of our international work.
- Commissioner’s video on value of international work.
- Commissioner’s video on what the ICO achieved in Washington.
Outtakes
- Secured interviews for the Commissioner with New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Pro, Politico Pro US, The Financial Times' US correspondent.
- Commissioner's op-ed published by the Sunday Telegraph ahead of the event.
- Stephen Bonner, Executive director of Regulatory Futures and Innovation’s interview on AdTech regulation published by Mlex.
- WSJ Pro and Politico Pro Commissioner interviews published on subscription and newsletter services reaching tech professionals internationally.
- ICO in the media blog brought media coverage together for our website.
Impact
- Over the week our posts reached over 70,000 social media users with our main social media posts highlighting the Children's Code and AdTech.
- Coverage of the ICO's children's code being used as a blueprint globally, positioned the ICO as a world leader in regulation at panel events and in the media.
- AdTech video was second most viewed post of the week, reaching 10,344 social media users.
- John Edwards’ reflection video was the most viewed post of the week, reaching 13,908 social media users and was shared by DCMS and the CEO of the IAPP. It was featured as one of the “top tweets” under the #GPS22 hashtag.
Information Commissioner John Edwards and Lina Khan of the Federal Trade Commission