How PR Changes Policy: Influencing the National Agenda – with Ruth Boston

PR is hard to measure? We don’t buy that at Viva. Real impact is visible not just in the data, but in the difference it makes.

Listen to Ruth Boston, Head of Communications at the Northern Health Science Alliance,  and you will understand all about what PR can do. For her team, success is about influencing policy to tackle health inequality across the North.

In this episode of PR in the Real World, Ruth shares just what is important for her team. Here are five takeaways PR and comms professionals can learn from.

1. Make the complex accessible

We like to think this is one of Viva’s strong points when called on. But this is what Ruth’s team do all the time. They take detailed academic reports and turn them into stories that people understand. They use words carefully. Top of mind for them is this: what they want people to See, Think and Do.

“We work with academics who’ve produced incredible reports, and it’s our job to distil that into something meaningful — so people get it, and more importantly, do something with it.”

Why it matters: All hail the copywriters who are untangling the technical or pulling the stories out of the jargon. It’s important because people will only want change if they can understand the need.

2. Small Teams, Serious Impact

Ruth’s team can change the debate and even national policy. The size of the team? Three people. They punch well above their weight, achieving national coverage and parliamentary mentions. It gives them a sense of joint purpose.

“There’s only three of us, including me, and we deliver everything — from planning, media, digital, content, to evaluation.”

Why it matters: Proof if you need it that you don’t always need a big agency or city budget to make big impact. It is all about just purpose, focus, and well-earned credibility.

3. Start with the Outcome

Everything they do begins with this simple question: ‘What do we want to achieve?’ It’s not about the tactics or the number of mentions or headlines; it’s a focus on the impact and everything else follows.

Take Ageing in the North, NHSA’s recent campaign highlighting inequality in later life. The idea started in one of their expert academic networks and was developed over months – with comms involved from the start. But being in the room early allowed Ruth’s team to read the research, ask questions and start thinking: what are the hooks? What are the 60-second summaries that will matter to media and policymakers?”

“It’s never just ‘let’s get some coverage’ — it’s about who needs to hear this and what we want them to do.”

Why it matters: A great reminder to all of us who get busy during the day doing comms. Are you just doing SOS comms – Sending Out Stuff — or do you have a clear purpose? Get involved early so you can shape the story into something usable and newsworthy.

4. Real People Matter

Ruth’s team never lose sight of the people — real people — when they are creating their campaigns. Why? Well, this brings the story alive and gives communities a voice in national debate.

“We make sure the voices of people in the North are heard. When we talk about data, we connect it to people’s real lives.”

Why it matters: Real stories resonate when you make them relatable.

5. Measure What Matters

We have this debate in the office a lot. In a world of data, which bits do you track? What measures are important? Ruth’s team know what matters and vanity metrics go beyond reach — they track which MPs respond, which motions are tabled, and what changes as a result.

“We track who referenced our reports, which ministers got briefed and what motions it led to — because that’s the real-world impact we care about.”

Why it matters: Linking your work to meaningful outcomes for your clients will make your work far more interesting and valuable.

Find out more about NHSA: https://www.northernhealthscience.org/

Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthboston/

Listen to Ruth’s episode now.

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