Sokl Advisory
Contact

For central banks and issuing authorities

Communication, public education and polymer recycling for banknote issuers.

A new banknote, a withdrawal or a rise in counterfeits affects everyone who uses or handles cash. I help central banks and issuing authorities plan and deliver clear communication to the public, cash cycle stakeholders, government and the media, and measure whether it worked.

I also design recycling routes for end-of-life polymer notes where volumes are small or no recycler is nearby. In both areas, you will get measurable results you can report to your board, government and the public.

One person handing banknotes to another across a market stall

Communication and public education

Launches, withdrawals and rises in counterfeiting need clear, tested messages for every audience, from the public to cash cycle stakeholders. Good communication protects public trust in cash.

Series launches and withdrawals

Communication plans for launching a new banknote or series, and for withdrawing old notes from circulation. I map every audience, from the public to cash cycle stakeholders such as commercial banks, cash-in-transit companies and ATM manufacturers, and plan what each audience needs to know, and when.

Typical work

  • Launch and withdrawal communication strategy
  • Audience and stakeholder mapping
  • Timelines aligned to issue and withdrawal dates
  • Briefs for creative, media and research agencies

Public education campaigns

Campaigns that help the public recognise and check banknote security features, which protects public trust in cash. Messages are simple, tested with real people and accessible, including for older people and people with visual impairments.

Typical work

  • Campaign strategy and objectives
  • Simple, tested feature-check messages
  • Accessible materials brief
  • Channel and partner planning

Media and stakeholder briefing

Clear briefings on banknotes and cash for journalists, government and cash cycle stakeholders, including on cash access and resilience. The aim is a story that is told accurately and consistently.

Typical work

  • Briefing packs and questions and answers
  • Spokesperson preparation
  • Stakeholder engagement plans

Counterfeit and misinformation response

Communication that deters counterfeiting. It also helps you respond when counterfeit banknotes, rumours or false claims about currency spread, including on social media. Training content helps front-line cash handlers, such as bank and retail staff, check security features and handle suspect notes. Calm, factual messages protect public trust in cash.

Typical work

  • Response plans and holding statements
  • Monitoring and escalation process
  • Fact-based public messages
  • Training content for front-line cash handlers

Programme evaluation

Independent evaluation of currency communication programmes. I measure public awareness of security features, understanding and trust in cash, and report clearly on what worked and what to change.

Typical work

  • Evaluation framework and measures
  • Before-and-after research design
  • Findings and recommendations report

End-of-life polymer recycling

Polymer banknotes can be recycled, but small issuers often have nowhere to send them. I design recycling routes that work at small volumes, and give the material a second life the public can see.

Close-up of ribbed recycled material forming a tunnel that narrows towards a point of light

Recycling route design

A practical end-of-life route for unfit polymer banknotes, designed for issuers with small volumes of polymer waste, or without easy access to large-scale recycling. I review your volumes and current destruction methods, find a suitable processor, and combine volumes with other issuers where that helps. Chain-of-custody and destruction records are created to meet your audit requirements.

Typical work

  • Review of unfit volumes, storage and current destruction methods
  • Recycling route options, including shared routes with other issuers
  • Processor selection and introductions
  • Chain-of-custody and destruction record requirements

Second-life programmes

Recycled banknote material can become products with public value, from merchandise and design pieces to materials for schools and museums. I help you choose end uses and partners, and explain the programme to the public, government and the media. The results can then go into your annual and sustainability reporting.

Typical work

  • Second-life product options and partners
  • Public and stakeholder communication for the programme
  • Measures for annual and sustainability reporting

Ways to work together

I understand public-sector procurement, confidentiality and approval processes, and plan the work around them. Support can be arranged as a project, as ongoing advice, or alongside your existing suppliers.

Fractional
Ongoing senior support, usually one to three days a week on a monthly retainer.
Project
A defined piece of work with an agreed scope, timetable and fixed fee.
Advisory
Workshops, reviews and expert input, booked by the day.

Questions

What should a banknote launch communication plan include?

Every audience affected by the change, a timeline that starts with machine manufacturers and other cash cycle stakeholders, a simple feature check the public can remember, accessibility for people with visual impairments, one agreed set of messages, and a way to measure the result.

How early should communication planning for a new banknote start?

Ideally 12 to 18 months before issue. Machine manufacturers and cash cycle stakeholders need information first. Public communication comes last, close to issue day.

Can you work within our procurement and approval processes?

Yes. I plan the work around your procurement rules, approval stages and timetable, and provide the documents your procurement team needs.

Do you work alongside our existing agencies?

Yes. I often act as the senior link between the currency team and creative, media or research agencies: writing briefs, reviewing work and making sure everyone uses the same messages.

Can you help if counterfeits or false claims are already circulating?

Yes. I can help you prepare holding statements and a response plan quickly, and start monitoring so you respond to what is actually being said.

Can small issuers recycle polymer banknotes?

Yes. Polymer banknotes are made mainly from one type of plastic, biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), which can be recycled. The difficulty for small issuers is volume and distance. A few tonnes a year is too little to attract a recycler, and moving shredded currency across borders needs agreed security, customs and destruction records. Combining volumes with other issuers and choosing the right end use can solve both problems.

What experience do you have in polymer banknote recycling?

In 2024, while at De La Rue, I started Made of Money, a programme to turn end-of-life polymer banknotes into new products. I now offer this work independently of any substrate supplier, so I can work with any issuer, printer or recycler.

Do our banknotes leave our control before they are destroyed?

No. Notes are shredded under your existing destruction procedures before any material leaves your premises. The route is documented from the vault to the final product, so you can show what happened to every tonne.

You also work with suppliers. How do you manage conflicts of interest?

I keep the two sides of my work separate. Before any work starts, I will tell you about any relationship that could create a conflict.

For the currency industry

Marketing and strategy for security printing and technology suppliers.

Working with industry

Discuss your requirements

A first conversation is confidential and without obligation. Tell me what you are working on and I will tell you honestly whether I can help.

Get in touch