Gwydir Shire Council knew its communications needed attention. Its visual branding hadn’t been reviewed in years. Its writing style guide was dated. And its tone of voice still reflected a traditional, bureaucratic style.
At the same time, staff were starting to use AI writing tools without guidance or guardrails.
When a new General Manager made communication reform a priority, the council partnered with Communication Skills Academy (CSA) and our sister copywriting agency, Refresh Marketing (RM).
Together, we refreshed its brand, defined its voice and trained staff on how to write in plain, modern English with confidence.
The client
Gwydir Shire Council serves a regional NSW community, delivering essential services, important infrastructure and long-term planning.
Like all councils, it produces volumes of written communication – where clarity and consistency are essential. This includes:
- Community updates and public notices
- Reports, correspondences and minutes
- Project and development documentation
The challenge: Inconsistent standards, dated systems
Before partnering with CSA and RM, council staff faced several interconnected challenges:
- An outdated and inconsistent visual brand
- An old writing style guide that was rarely referred to
- Varied writing standards across teams and departments
- A formal, old-school tone that felt disconnected from the community
- No guidance on the safe and effective use of AI in writing
The solution: A coordinated communication reset
Council needed to modernise its brand voice, set new writing standards, equip staff with the skills to apply them – and ensure the responsible use of AI writing tools.
So we designed an integrated four-part strategy.
1. A refreshed visual identity
RM’s graphic designers developed a modernised visual system, including:
- A refreshed colour palette
- Updated, cleaner design elements
- Consistent templates for staff
The focus was on visual clarity and cohesion, making it easier for staff to produce consistent documents while reinforcing Council’s professionalism.
2. A modern brand voice and writing style guide
Through consultation and leadership surveys, RM’s copywriters developed a comprehensive brand voice and customised writing style guide.
This guide shows staff how to move away from bureaucratic language towards modern plain English writing that reflects how Council wants to engage with its community. It translates that mindset into practical writing standards with clear examples and frameworks – prioritising practicality and accessibility
Council’s writing style guide and AI writing guidelines.
3. AI writing guidelines grounded in real staff use.
To understand how staff were already using AI, we conducted a short Council-wide survey that highlighted concerns around accuracy, privacy and appropriate use.
Based on these insights, we developed customised AI writing guidelines that:
- Outline what AI must not be used for, including confidential information
- Emphasise the need for human review and professional judgement
- Provide relevant examples of effective and ineffective prompts
- Align with Council’s existing IT policies
4. Training to embed change
Finally, CSA delivered two face-to-face Business Writing Essentials workshops for the leadership team. These sessions:
- Introduced and launched the new style guide
- Embedded long-term writing capability
- Clarified AI expectations
- Reinforced leadership modelling
By starting with its leaders, Gwydir Shire Council ensured the new standards would be visible and reinforced across teams.
Council then enrolled three of its content and social media writers in our live digital writing course. They learned how to go beyond AI copy clichés and engage human readers who skim and scroll on online channels.
Business Writing Essentials workshop with Council’s leadership team.
Client praise
‘Vikki and her team at CSA provided our organisation with outstanding business writing workshops, which complemented the exceptional writing guide they created for us. Using our own writing examples throughout highlighted to our staff the power and importance of great quality writing.’
PENELOPE GOODWIN
Senior Governance and Policy Executive
Gwydir Shire Council
3 key takeaways
2. Modernising tone strengthens community trust: Clear, respectful language improves connection and transparency.
1. A style guide on its own won’t change culture: Leadership buy-in and writing skills training are essential.
3. AI tools require structured adoption: Grounding guidance in real staff behaviour closes capability gaps and mitigates risks.
Ready to refresh your voice and embed effective writing skills? Whether you’re modernising your brand or navigating AI at work, we can help you build communication capability that lasts.