Creative approach adds value for tenants

Client: WEST MERCIA HOUSING GROUP

Project: The creation of an annual report for the housing associations within the group

Background: Word Association has worked with the three housing associations which make up West Mercia Housing Group for many years, raising the profile of the Group in a number of creative ways including the production of their annual report.

Objective: To devise a new and unique way of encouraging tenants to read what is often perceived as quite ‘dry’ information.

Our role: As well as sharing important information with tenants, Word Association was keen to make tenants feel that their housing association was really listening to their needs and giving them something extra to help meet them. An innovative annual report wall calendar was created which included 12 special offers throughout the year. Tenants could send back a voucher every month and receive gifts for their home and family such as free Spring seeds for the garden, free light bulbs, Sainsbury’s vouchers and tickets to a local theme park for a family day out.

Results: Hundreds of tenants sent their voucher back each month, illustrating that they had read, and kept, their copy of the annual report. Feedback was excellent, with many tenants saying thank you for the freebies they had received.