Minutes:
(Presentation by Mrs C Hastings, Seven Hills PR Consultancy)
1. The Chairman invited the Director of Economic Development, Ms Cooper, to give an introduction. Ms Cooper advised the following:
2. A Member sought clarification as to why the Economic Development Cabinet Committee Members had not been invited to the launch due to take place in Dover. Ms Cooper gave her assurance that all Members of this Cabinet Committee were on the list of invitees and should have received an invitation.
3. Mrs Hastings then gave her presentation using overheads and a short campaign video to explain the work undertaken on the campaign. This included the following:
· Mrs Hastings then spoke about the Media campaign.
4. Members were given the opportunity to make comments and ask questions which included the following:
a) In answer to a question, Mrs Hastings agreed to enquire and report back on whether the music accompanying the campaign video was produced by a local musician from East Kent.
b) A Member commented that it was right to go to where the investors were but there was a challenge with converting this message locally. The expectation was built up but local people had to be aware of what was being done to promote their region. The launch events would help. The campaign needed to be networked in the districts and the surrounding areas with the local ambassadors. It was suggested that the organisers of the campaign needed to understand what was happening in rural East Kent. Mrs Hastings explained that Seven Hills had done its utmost to involve all stakeholders in the region in the campaign. She advised that she had a meeting with Dover District Council following this meeting. Everyone’s input was appreciated and the key to the campaign was having a better understanding of the region. Ms Cooper reminded Members that there was a presentation on the campaign held in Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone, two months ago. All Chief Executives and Leaders of the District Councils and others were invited. Seven Hills had produced a news letter and another was due to be issued. There would also be a website where there would be wider communication.
c) In reply to a question, Mrs Hastings agreed to add Lydd Airport to the refreshed presentation.
d) In response to a question, Mrs Hastings agreed to look at another winning aspect other than Folkestone Racecourse.
e) In reply to a comment that the map shown of London and Europe should be on a larger scale to show the connectivity from Kent. Mrs Hastings agreed with the observations regarding the presentation and asked Members to take it as an illustrative view as it had been evolving over a few months and advised that by the launch event the material would be refreshed.
f) A Member considered that there needed to be a strong link with Visit Kent, the County Council and the District councils to ensure the areas were presented well including cutting back hedging/trees that the signage was visible and potholes filled etc.
g) In reply to a question, Mrs Hastings advised that discussions had been held with South Eastern trains regarding them branding their trains in East Kent with “Grow for it” but the trains had already been named after Olympic Athletes.
h) In response to a question, Mrs Hasting advised that there had been much discussion on other ways of naming East Kent but there was no real alternative. Ms Cooper advised that the areas of East Kent were being highlighted too so there was recognition that East Kent meant; Canterbury, Shepway, Dover and Thanet.
i) In answer to a question, Ms Cooper advised that the campaign was for London and the domestic market. There was not an international dimension to the Grow for it campaign. Locate in Kent and Visit Kent were a crucial part of the campaign. She advised that the Chief Executive of Locate in Kent, Mr Wookey, had spoken about how Locate in Kent could use the Grow for it campaign to expand the interest from the European markets.
j) In response to a question, Ms Cooper advised that East Kent came out of the demise of Pfizer and the RGF gained by the four districts and it had been kept to that. It was not known what would happen in the future. A lot of effort was being put into promoting Ashford’s key sites. Work would be carried out on the marketing of those sites.
k) In reply to a question, Mrs Hastings advised that Mark Sargent’s Rock Salt restaurant was being used as a case study for the campaign along with a number of other people throughout the campaign and would not be paying for the advertising. It was a two week campaign in terms of advertising in London but there would be another tranche of advertising later on in the campaign.
l) In reply to a question, Mrs Hastings advised that the key focus markets for this campaign were not the tourism markets. These were commuter destinations for the business community. The messaging was a combination of a business message and lifestyle and would be in places where there would be a key target audience eg Old Street, Victoria .
m) In answer to a question, Mrs Hastings advised that the Enterprise Zone status was an important aspect of the offer.
n) A Member advised that there were a lot of people from London now living in Ramsgate who were starting to bring their businesses to the area too. It was suggested that Town and Parish councils be kept informed of the campaign too.
o) In answer to a question, Mrs Hastings advised that the advertising was in King’s Cross station combined with St Pancras Station. The advertising in St Pancras was extremely difficult because it was a heritage property.
5. The Chairman summed up the discussion suggesting that there needed to be more contact with the District Councils, Town and Parish Councils.
6. Mrs Hastings welcomed further comments that Members may wish to make on the campaign and agreed to forward her contact details.
7. RESOLVED that:-
a) the responses to comments and questions by Members be noted; and
b) the Cabinet Committee thanked Mrs Hastings for her presentation.