Reimagining Local Gov Comms: From Unread Letters to Engaging Video
Live from Leeds Civic Hall: How local authorities can transform digital citizen engagement and protect budgets with video-first communication.
June 4, 2026
At the Innovations in Revenues Conference 2026 at Leeds Civic Hall, Textra Video and our partner Telsolutions Ltd revealed a critical communication problem facing local authorities — and the video-powered solution that's already transforming how councils reach citizens.
The Problem: Dead Content
Local authorities face a mounting challenge: rising physical postage prices are hitting budgets hard, yet 80% of citizens ignore the dense text letters sent to them. Council tax updates, housing policies, benefits changes—critical information that citizens need—are frequently left unread, filed away as "Dead Content."
This creates a painful paradox: councils invest heavily in printing and mailing costs while failing to reach the citizens who need the information most.
The Solution: Video-First Communication
Instead of dense text letters, councils can turn complex documents into clear, highly engaging, dual-presenter animated videos that citizens actually watch. The shift from "unread" to "watched" isn't just about engagement—it's about effectiveness, accessibility, and fiscal responsibility.
Three Core Benefits
1. Banish Unread Comms
Turn complex revenue, housing, or benefits documents into clear, bespoke animated videos that citizens engage with. Dual-presenter format builds trust and improves comprehension.
2. Protect Budgets
Replace expensive physical print and mail overhead with rapid, scalable digital distribution. One 24-hour video production cycle replaces weeks of print cycles and mounting postage costs.
3. Zero Tech Friction
Council teams don't need video editing skills or specialist knowledge. Upload a document, and our platform delivers a bespoke, brand-compliant video in 24 hours.
Proven with Enterprise Organizations
Textra already powers video communication for massive public-sector and enterprise organizations including the UK Department for Education, Amazon, and Cisco. We've learned what works at scale: clear writing, strong visuals, strategic distribution, and measurement.
Local authorities can access the same quality and speed—tailored for council communications.
The digital-first approach isn't just better for budgets—it's better for citizens. Information reaches them in a format they'll actually engage with.
Next Steps
If you're a revenues, benefits, housing, or digital transformation officer at a local authority, this is worth exploring. Don't let your critical updates stay trapped in unread letters.
We can turn one of your current council guidelines into a custom 60-second summary video sample—no obligation, just proof of what's possible.