Agenda item

Kate Pratt, Acting Communications and Marketing Manager, outlined a report providing detail on the level of expenditure by the Council on newspaper and outdoor media advertising.  The report was requested by the Committee at its previous meeting in order to clarify where the Council invested its communications budget, why it chose specific channels and how effectiveness was measured.

The Committee was advised that following a management restructure and resulting cost saving exercise proposed in October 2010, the Head of Communications post would be deleted and a new position of Head of Policy and Communications would be created.  The current team had  an annual communications budget spend of £134,920 excluding staff costs and events. This included the Citizen publication, all internal communications, the Council’s website and consultations. The majority of marketing activity was funded by the respective department requesting the activity.

The Officer advised that the Council advertised services and events through various media outlets and consideration was always given to maximise impact and exposure.  Some advertising was free of charge but where payment was required, preferential rates were normally achieved.  It was noted that the main outlets used at preferential rates were local newspapers and that the Slough Express ran a free advertisement every week as part of a contra deal. In return the Council purchased an agreed number of newspapers for staff and visitors.  The Council would occasionally negotiate free advertising when one of the local newspapers became a media sponsor for an event.

The Committee noted the arrangements for advertising on bus shelters, local radio, hoardings, billboards advertising and poster sites.  It was also noted that the Council had 20 lamp post banner sites along the A4 from Gala Bingo in the east to the Town Hall which could be changed as required.  There were initial start-up costs for the main banner frames and fixings but the cost of installing replacement banners was half price with no on-going rental cost.  It was felt that the banners would be highly cost effective in the long-term.  The Officer advised that in 2010, 24 large banners were erected on the main gateways into Slough and it was anticipated that these would be  semi-permanent sites with no current plans to make changes.  The one-off cost of proving all 24 banners was £6,600, i.e.  £275 per banner.

The Officer advised that the Council’s Citizen newspaper was published six times per year, distributed to 46,500 households across the borough and was available in other venues such as libraries.  The Citizen budget for the year was £48,300 which equated to £1.03 per household, and the latest attitude survey of residents in March had found that 39% of those surveyed preferred to receive information about the Council through the Citizen. It was found that 93% of those who read the Citizen found it informative.

The Committee noted the advertising costs for each directorate set out in the report and the measurable objectives used by communications.

In the ensuing debate a number of question/ comments were raised including the following (responses in italics below):

·  There were concerns that the Citizen newspaper did not reach all areas of  Slough?

It was accepted that there were issues around the delivery of Citizen, particularly in the Colnbrook area and in some blocks of flats.  Members were asked to contact Communications whenever they were made aware of circulation problems.

·  It was felt that some good causes were not published in local newspapers why was this?

The Council had no control over the content of local newspapers and it was clear that there was enormous competition for coverage.

Resolved  -  That the report be noted and that the Committee congratulate  the Communications Team for their excellent work.