Agenda item

Report of Corporate Director (Regeneration).

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Gilbert)

The Corporate Director (Regeneration) submitted a report providing an update on the progress of the communications and marketing review.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment, were set out in the report as follows:

Option 1

This would provide a centralised co-ordinated approach to all council marketing activity – internal, local and external. It is made up of the core team’s current areas of work plus:

·         Management and co-ordination of all short lifespan leaflets, adverts, fliers, newsletters, together with distribution, monitoring and evaluating

·         Management, co-ordination and development of all council website activity, including the development of the council’s e-marketing capacity (as described above).

·         All council advertising

·         All ‘external’ marketing activity (economic development, tourism, festivals/events)

·         Corporate sponsorship

·         Member, including  civic, communications

·         All marketing budgets will be pooled centrally.

This approach requires a core team sufficiently resourced to deliver within agreed time/quality levels, especially where service income targets are affected. A centralised function means a small residual function will still be required within the service to liaise with the corporate team. As is the case with each of the options, evidence demonstrates that a centralised function works most effectively where all officers are co-located.

Option 2

This option sees the centralisation of all marketing functions, as set out in option 1, plus tourism services and the whole festivals and events team.

It sits outside the scope of the original project plan but has arisen out of concerns that separating tourism marketing from the tourism delivery function may be detrimental to the service delivery of that area. Option 2 therefore transfers the whole of those functions – festivals and events team, tourism and the TICs – so avoiding any potential downside caused by splitting the functions.

Option 3 

This consists of option 2, but would also include Customer Services

Again, it is outside of the scope of the original project plan but has been put forward by the project group in recognition that communications and marketing is interlinked with good customer service. Both are based around identifying our wide range of customers/service users, the information they require, providing that information in the formats and ways that suit them best. They are about ensuring no unnecessary contact, making customers aware of the services available and how to access them and supporting a smooth customer journey, ultimately driving up customer satisfaction. A view from members of the project group is that in examining the most efficient, coherent and corporate strategy for dealing with service users/customers, the review should also consider joining up all functions/sub-functions that interact with them.

Option 4

This is basically Option 2. However, totally separate to the new Communications and Marketing Unit, the TICs would be managed by Customer Services which is consistent with the Access to Services project.

Option 4 is the preferred officer recommendation

This would provide a centralised co-ordinated approach to all Council marketing activity – internal, local and external,  maximise opportunities for efficiencies, and is consistent with the objectives of the current Access to Services project.

The research demonstrates such an approach will achieve significant benefits including financial and greater value for money, reduced duplication, a unified approach to communications, marketing, website and consultation, strategically driven campaigns aligned to the corporate priorities, a stronger brand, a rise in customer satisfaction, pooled expertise and greater career progression, service staff able to get on with the day job, increased staff morale, and more.

It was moved by Councillor Burns and seconded by Councillor Barry:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Members then voted as follows:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)        That Cabinet approve in principle the restructuring proposal set out in Option 4 for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Council’s current Communications and Marketing function

(2)        That the financial implications of the restructuring be developed further for inclusion in the 2009/10 budget proposals

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Corporate Director (Regeneration)

Head of Corporate Strategy

Reasons for making the decision:

The decision will provide a centralised co-ordinated approach to all Council marketing activity – internal, local and external - maximise opportunities for efficiencies, and is consistent with the objectives of the current Access to Services project.