Public Sector: Benefit claimants helped to move house

Campaign: Dssmove Web Portal Launch
Client: Dssmove.co.uk
PR team: Quicksilver PR
Timescale: September-October 2012
Budget: £2,200

 

Objectives

•  To achieve 100 landlord and letting agent sign-ups by the end of October

•  To engage with tenants, housing trade press and local and regional media

• To position Dssmove founder Aki Ellahi as a welfare reform expert.

Strategy and plan

The PR team targeted housing trade press to encourage landlords and letting agents to list properties that accept tenants on housing benefit for free on the web portal. The launch story was then sold into regional print and broadcast press in key areas of the UK. Professional newsletters and discussion forums, including The Guardian's Housing Network, were set up online.

Measurement and evaluation

Forty-three pieces of coverage were featured, including in 24Housing, Inside Housing, The Post (Bristol), Daily Express and The Guardian.

Results

By the end of October, more than 150 landlords and letting agents listed their properties and 300 tenants on housing benefits registered to search for properties.