Agenda item

Destination Branding

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Sands)

 

Report of Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Sands)

 

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning) which provided information on the two new destination brands for Lancaster (including the Lune Valley) and Morecambe Bay and proposed arrangements for the future management and use of the brands. 

 

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

 

 

Option 1: Cease funding the distribution of printed Visitor Guides for the district, using alternative ways to make up to date visitor information more widely available as part of destination marketing. 

Option 2: Continue to provide funding for the distribution of the Visitor Guides and identify alternative sources of funding. 

Advantages

More effective in reaching potential visitors far away and works well to raise initial interest

 

Much easier to provide ‘real time’ up to date and current information

 

Demand for digital information is increasing year by year

 

Extremely cost effective

 

Can be high impact if supported by right skills and expertise to support content and positioning

 

Timing of the change works well alongside the launch of the two new destination brands, which opens up wider opportunities 

 

Would allow destination marketing costs to be managed within existing budgets

 

Some tourism businesses like the Visitor Guides for marketing their services and produces

Disadvantages

Some tourism businesses like the Visitor Guides for marketing their products and services – details of other options would need to be provided

Additional budgets would be required to support destination marketing costs

 

The Visitor Guides are less able than other options to reach potential visitors on the scale or in the locations  required

 

Information in the guides is published once and cannot be changed to reflect current activities

 

Difficult to assess impact once distributed but some evidence shows that internet can be up to 5 times more effective than brochures in attracting first time visitors

 

Risks

No specific risks identified

No specific risks identified

 

  The officer preferred option is Option 1. This represents a cost effective approach to marketing the district allowing budgets to be used to greater effect.

The two new ‘destinations’ brands for Lancaster, incorporating the Lune Valley and Morecambe Bay are the culmination of many months of work on the part of partners in the district and the South of Cumbria.  Potentially these will have a significant impact on the visitor economy and jobs as well as generating future investment in these destinations and their assets.  It is very important that future arrangements to ensure the brands work effectively are secure and sustainable.   Proposals in this report suggest ways that this can be achieved cost effectively, working with partners and making more of opportunities to engage with visitors on a far wider scale than before, with current, up to date information about what is on offer and why these are great places to visit.

 

Councillor Sands proposed, seconded by Councillor Bryning:-

 

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

 

Councillors then voted:-

 

Resolved unanimously:

(1)                That the Council works jointly with Marketing Lancashire to agree and develop secure, sustainable, long term management arrangements for two new destination brands for Lancaster (including the Lune Valley) and Morecambe Bay, working with district partners and Cumbria Tourism, as appropriate.

(2)                That the new destination branding is used for all relevant visitor information produced by the Council.  The “City, Coast and Countryside” banner is retained for service and corporate communications.

(3)                That option 1 – cease funding the distribution of printed Visitor Guides for the district, using alternative ways to make up to date visitor information more widely available as part of destination marketing, be approved. 

(4)                That tourism businesses are provided with information regarding their promotion opportunities, as required.

(5)                That funding referred to is used to support the additional activities anticipated to ensure that destination branding for Lancaster and Morecambe Bay is effective and that general fund revenue budgets are updated accordingly, subject to a formal review of this activity after Year 1.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)

Chief Officer (Resources)

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

The decision is consistent with the Councils’ Corporate Priority of Economic Growth and the Corporate Plan Outcome “Lancaster and Morecambe Bay will be recognised as important visitor destinations.”  In discontinuing the printed guide with postage costs of £10k per annum, Cabinet is mindful that brochures are soon out of date and modern technology provides a more effective and efficient way of providing marketing information.

 

 

Supporting documents: