The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Scottish Government

Scottish Government considering next marketing framework

Author

By The Drum Team, Editorial

August 25, 2010 | 4 min read

The Scottish Government is already considering the changes that need to be made for its next marketing services framework, at least two years ahead of it being tendered.

Roger Williams, head of marketing and digital for The Scottish Government has admitted that several framework agencies have been unhappy with the amount of work that their company has had through the framework, as opposed to the amount of time, effort and cost put into applying through the procurement system in place.

With the marketing services budget being slashed by 50 per cent, Williams has admitted that they are already considering how to best organise the next framework which is likely to go out to tender in 2012 and currently features just under 50 agencies across seven marketing disciplines.

“The framework was never designed to provide anyone with any amount of work,” Williams told The Drum. "It was designed to give the users enough breadth of service and enough depth of choice. It was felt at the time, and remember that this was the first time we’d ever done it, that the 50 agencies appointed (we’ve since lost Barkers), was the optimum number. That satisfied everybody, including us, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and so on. Now what has happened is that probably only a portion of those agencies have gotten any work and you have to ask ‘Why has that happened?’”

Williams continued to state that the Government was “scrupulously fair” in its tendering and that it was down to agencies to decide whether to tender to tender for a contract or not, but that all roster agencies would continue to be invited.

“We try and make sure that it doesn’t cost them too much because we are very conscious that most of them are SME’s, so we try to reduce their costs. We’re not asking for full artwork or full creative – we’re asking for full ideas. It's still an expensive process and I have spoken to many of the managing directors who are unhappy with the system and all I can say is that as far as the Scottish Government is concerned we are scrupulously fair and we give feedback to those agencies who don’t make it."

He added that they were already considering whether the number of agencies were necessary for the next framework and questioned whether the ‘right combination of skills’ were already present for the future.

“That’s going to evolve but it comes down to how many agencies do we actually need on the marketing services framework? There’s no point having a lot of people sitting there not having a lot of work, but at the same time we’re not here to give them work – they have to win it.”

Williams also admitted that ‘traditional’ marketing was unlikely to be as frequently relied on in the future as a result of a smaller budget and it not being as cost-effective as other marketing disciplines.

“We’re not precious about how it’s done, it just has to be done well and effectively and as economically as we can do it,” stated Williams.

The Drum this week reported that The Scottish Government will look to form private sector partnerships for future campaigns, and that it was also encouraging media agencies from outside of Scotland to tender for its media account next year.

Scottish Government

More from Scottish Government

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +