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Latest Thinking

From original research and industry commentary to campaign insights and creative thinking, discover the ideas, evidence and experiences shaping effective communication today.

BFBS Creative article banner titled "Crime Is Falling. Almost Nobody Believes It. Why perception, not reality, is the thing social research has to measure". The article explores the gap between public perceptions of crime and long-term crime data, and what this reveals about behaviour, trust and communication.

Why perception, not reality, is the thing social research has to measure

Crime has fallen dramatically across much of the Western world, yet most people believe it is rising. What explains the gap between reality and perception, and why does it matter for anyone trying to understand public attitudes and behaviour?

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Graphic featuring a partially visible Progress Pride flag with the headline, “The cost of hiding and the freedom to be yourself,” alongside the BFBS Creative logo.

The Cost of Hiding and the Freedom to Be Yourself

Drawing on two episodes of The Culture Colonel, this article explores identity, authenticity and the lasting cost of feeling unable to be yourself. It considers what meaningful inclusion looks like in practice and why belonging must go beyond visible support during Pride.

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Dark green BFBS Creative article banner reading “Not a Cheat Code” against a subtle digital tunnel background.

What Can Gaming and Esports Really Offer Armed Forces Recruitment?

Gaming and esports are becoming increasingly relevant to Armed Forces recruitment, military recruitment and audience engagement strategies. Explore what this means for reaching younger audiences and building effective recruitment campaigns.

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A banner graphic featuring a blurred behind-the-scenes interview and filming setup, with a camera in focus on the right-hand side. Overlaid text reads: “telling stories with people, not about them”. The design uses dark green gradients and subtle textured overlays in an editorial style associated with The Comms Dispatch by BFBS Creative.

Who Owns the Story?

Who owns a story once someone shares their lived experience with you?

This piece explores co-production, ethical storytelling and the responsibility that comes with gathering and sharing real human experiences.

Reflecting on trust, dignity and trauma-informed communication practice, the article considers what it means to tell stories with people, not just about them.

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Banner graphic with a dark green gradient background featuring the headline “THE CULTURES WE QUIETLY CREATE” in large white text, with culture in a pink font colour. Large soft white quotation marks appear in the background on the right-hand side, creating a reflective editorial design style.

The Cultures We Quietly Create

Culture is rarely shaped by policies alone.

This reflective piece explores belonging, listening, leadership and the everyday behaviours that influence how people experience work, inspired by conversations from The Culture Colonel.

From small interactions to the importance of feeling heard, it reflects on the quieter moments that can shape workplace culture over time.

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Banner with the text, opposite of extremism is connection, and a graphic of two conversation bubbles overlapping and the middle coloured to show the connection.

The Conversation Deficit: How Safe Dialogue Spaces Could Halt the Drift Toward Extremism

A reflection on extremism, resilience and the role conversation plays in shaping trust, belonging and vulnerability within increasingly fragmented information environments. Drawing on the UK Government’s RESIST 3 framework, this piece explores why human connection may be one of the most important protective factors we have.

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Research reports & resources

 

 

Download our latest research on audience understanding, strategic communications and the information environment.

Audience Understanding Report Cover
Audience Understanding
Communicating Defence Across a Divided Europe
Front page cover of the report
Information Environment
Rethinking Defence Communications

Insights in Brief

The research is only the beginning.

Discover the ideas and insights shaping how organisations understand audiences and communicate more effectively, and explore what they could mean for your own organisation.
 

Podcasts & series

Explore BFBS Creative's podcasts and original series, featuring conversations, stories and perspectives from across Defence and beyond.

The Culture Colonel podcast artwork featuring an illustrated portrait of host Lindsay MacDuff.

The Culture Colonel

Exploring what leadership really looks like in the Armed Forces and beyond. The Culture Colonel brings together leaders from different backgrounds to share their experiences, challenge assumptions and explore what it takes to lead people well.

Explore the conversations

   

Tea & Medals series artwork featuring an illustrated mug of tea alongside military medals.

Tea & Medals

Behind every military honour is a human story. Tea & Medals goes beyond the citation to hear from the people who were there, revealing the decisions, danger and extraordinary acts behind some of the UK's highest military honours.

Discover the stories behind the medals

  

Near Death series artwork showing a lone figure walking towards a bright light, with a heartbeat line across the image.

Near Death

What happens when you come face-to-face with death and survive? Near Death tells remarkable first-hand stories of people brought back from the brink, exploring not only what happened, but what it means to live through something that could have ended very differently.

Hear the stories of survival