Who they are & what they wanted
Homes England is the Government’s homes and regeneration agency, responsible for the delivery of high-quality residential developments. Homes England is delivering the final phases, two and three, of one of Britain’s most significant new towns under development, Northstowe in Cambridgeshire. Northstowe is the largest development site in the government agency’s portfolio.
Homes England wanted to profile the emerging town as a vibrant and cohesive community in Cambridgeshire – the delivery of which has been made possible by Homes England. The government agency had limited internal capacity to handle communications for the Northstowe project and needed a partner that could strategically and proactively manage communications activity across the breadth of paid, shared, owned, and earned activity.
Organisational objectives
- Enhance visibility and position Northstowe as a vibrant, sustainable, and cohesive new community, clearly linked to Homes England’s role in its delivery.
- Strengthen stakeholder and public trust, building credibility among local residents, government partners, and the wider public by consistently communicating project progress, community benefits, and Homes England’s leadership.
- Expand communications capacity and successfully outsource strategic communications management to an experienced partner, ensuring seamless coverage across paid, earned, shared, and owned media channels.
- Promote community engagement, fostering a sense of ownership and pride among Northstowe residents through proactive community engagement activities and clear, accessible information.
- Drive positive media coverage, securing positive earned media across regional and national platforms that highlight Northstowe’s development story and Homes England’s role.
- Support housing delivery and growth targets, using communications to support broader organisational goals around housing delivery, economic growth, and community building by encouraging investment and resident interest.
Communications Objectives
- Significantly increase awareness of Northstowe among local residents, regional audiences, and national stakeholders, demonstrating its growth as a vibrant, sustainable community.
- Clearly position Homes England as the driving force behind Northstowe’s development, emphasising their expertise in delivering large-scale, high-quality communities.
- Expand and actively engage Northstowe’s online community through consistent, high-quality content across social media, the website, and digital campaigns.
- Achieve sustained and favourable media coverage across local, regional, and national outlets to reinforce Northstowe’s and Homes England’s reputations.
- Build a sense of pride, ownership, and active involvement among Northstowe residents through targeted community communications campaigns like Northstowe Neighbours.
- Deepen engagement with key local stakeholders and partners, positioning them as ambassadors who actively support and promote Northstowe’s growth.
Homes England was delivering phases two and three of Northstowe in Cambridgeshire, the largest development site in its portfolio. While the overall scale of the project is significant, Northstowe was in its early stages of development and as such had limited awareness among consumer and corporate audiences. Homes England wanted to raise the profile of the emerging town and its vibrant and cohesive community, and its role in making this vision a reality. However, the agency needed to call on external resources in order to manage a comprehensive communications strategy across paid, shared, owned, and earned media channels.
What We Did
To elevate the profile of Northstowe, the largest development site in Homes England’s portfolio, we delivered a fully integrated communications programme from February 2023 to September 2024.
Our Campaign
Our strategy combined media relations, social media management, website content creation, stakeholder engagement, and creative services to drive awareness and engagement. We produced over 500 social media posts, 35 blog articles, and managed 11 photo and video shoots to showcase progress and community stories. Highlights included the launch of the Northstowe Neighbours campaign, which featured a community survey and short documentary, as well as regular press releases, local media articles, and visual assets across channels. This work was supported by ongoing strategic consultancy aligned with Homes England’s long-term goals.
The results
Through strategic communications and proactive engagement, we successfully elevated Northstowe’s visibility and reputation. Our work not only increased public and stakeholder awareness but also fostered a sense of community and positioned Homes England as a leader in sustainable town development.
During the campaign period, we secured 52 media placements with an estimated reach of over 18 million, including features in BBC News, Construction Index, Yahoo! News, and the Cambridgeshire Independent. Social media performance saw standout growth, with a 2,040% increase in LinkedIn followers over 12 months, alongside consistent gains across Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Our activity also contributed to a 404% increase in branded search volume for ‘Northstowe’ between February 2023 and September 2024, signalling a significant rise in public awareness. Regular website updates helped drive 54,000 visits, while stakeholder engagement efforts strengthened local relationships and positioned key figures as active advocates through the Northstowe Neighbours campaign.
Final Thoughts
This campaign successfully raised awareness of Northstowe as a growing, vibrant community and reinforced Homes England’s role in shaping its development. Through strategic content, stakeholder engagement, and multi-channel storytelling, we built a strong foundation for long-term visibility and public trust in one of the UK’s most ambitious housing projects.
