Download UK Trade and Investment Marketing

UK Trade and Investment Marketing:
Communications Capability Review
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Contents
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BACKGROUND
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CONTEXT
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FINDINGS: AREAS OF STRENGTH
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FINDINGS: AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
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RECOMMENDATIONS
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1. BACKGROUND
1.1. The Marketing Capability Review of UKTI is one of a series of departmental reviews
being carried out across Whitehall to evaluate capability and provide clear and
pragmatic recommendations for improvement. The fieldwork took place from June 2
to June 9 2014 and the review was carried out by three external reviewers:
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Amanda Mackenzie, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Aviva;
Amanda Rendle, Global Head of Marketing Commercial Banking and Global
Banking and Markets; and
Marion Leslie, Managing Director of Thomson Reuters Pricing and Reference
Services business.
1.2. The review methodology is based on interviews and examination of supplied
materials. The reviewers evaluate capability against business requirements using an
established assessment framework. This report contains their qualitative assessment
of capability and provides recommendations for improvement.
1.3. Interviewees included the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, UKTI’s acting
Chief Executive, members of UKTI’s marketing team, representatives from overseas
marketing hubs, and other non-marketing colleagues within the department. The
review also took external viewpoints into account, interviewing business
organisations, business customers and other partners in Whitehall.
1.4. The reviewers carried out a total of 48 interviews, in addition to speaking with the
Marketing Senior Management Team (seven people), and holding an all-staff
workshop with 25 staff from the London-based marketing team.
1.5. The review’s scope covers the breadth of UKTI’s marketing operation, including
London HQ, the English regions, regional marketing hubs and overseas posts. The
purpose of the reviews is to evaluate capability and provide clear and pragmatic
recommendations for improvement. The process is supported by the Cabinet Office
but the opinions are the reviewers’ own.
1.6. The report’s recommendations and proposed actions are set out in Section 5. The
report itself follows a structure in common with the other reviews, not by
recommendation priority.
1.7. In terms of structure, the Managing Director for Marketing sits on UKTI’s Executive
Board, with the three Managing Directors for Trade, Industry, Defence and Security
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Operations, the Chief Operating Officer and the Managing Director for Policy and
Network Development. Under the Managing Director for Marketing sit two Marketing
Directors for Investment and Trade, the Director for Branding and Public Relations,
the Digital Director, the Head of Operations and the Head of Stakeholder Engagement
and No 10 relationship.
1.8. In June 2014, the marketing team had a headcount of 62 and is structured as follows.
The Investment branch contains a number of London-based marketing managers,
marketing teams based in overseas posts, and international marketing hubs in the US,
Europe, Middle East, and Africa and Asia Pacific. The Trade branch has a larger team
of London-based marketing managers, and nine marketing managers based around
the English regions. There is a separate FCO / UKTI GREAT Unit that oversees UKTI’s
delivery of the GREAT campaign, and runs its own budget (£12 million in 13/14). The
Branding and Public Relations branch manages the marketing resource centre, video
production unit and the press office resource (which is based in BIS). There is also a
team of digital specialists, headed by a Head of Digital Operations and a Digital
Director, a stakeholder engagement team and an operations team. The marketing
team was restructured during the course of the review to – amongst other changes –
consolidate the Trade and Investment Sector Marketing teams under a single
Director, establish a new customer insight team and extend the role of the GREAT
campaign managers at post.
1.9. The review team would like to extend its thanks to the reviewers Amanda
Mackenzie, Amanda Rendle and Marion Leslie for their generous contribution to the
review. The reviewers were also supported by the Cabinet Office Communications
Policy and Capability team. This wider team would also like to extend its thanks to the
staff at UKTI for engaging in this review.
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2. CONTEXT
2.1. UKTI is a non-ministerial department, reporting jointly to the Department for
Business, Industry and Skills (BIS) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO),
and headed by a Chief Executive. It works with UK based businesses to help them
export – working towards a UK plc target of £1 trillion of exports by 2020 – and with
overseas companies to encourage investment within the UK. Through its Defence and
Security Organisation arm, UKTI also provides specialist advice and support for
companies exporting defence and security equipment.
2.2. It operates in 107 markets around the world, and employs around 2,500 staff – 515 in
London and Glasgow, 400 staff in the English regions, and around 1,300 staff across
its network in British Embassies, High Commissions, Consulates and trade offices.
2.3. UKTI’s strategy, ‘Britain Open for Business’ (May 2011), set out four pathways to
growth for the UK: high growth and innovative small companies; high value
opportunities; targeted inward investment; and building strategic relationships.
These continue to provide the strategic focus for UKTI’s work.
2.4. As the global economic recovery continues, UKTI’s role in driving jobs and growth for
Britain has become ever more critical. Over the last three years it has achieved some
big wins, such as helping 48,000 UK businesses export; securing £40.5bn-worth of UK
export orders in the defence and security sectors; and becoming the top destination
in Europe for Foreign Direct Investment. A refresh of the strategy, ‘Britain Open for
Business: the next phase’ (January 2014), set out a number of further priorities for
the organisation, specifically a greater focus on helping medium sized businesses to
export.
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3. FINDINGS: AREAS OF STRENGTH
People and resources
3.1. Reviewers felt that there is enough resource within the marketing team to deliver a
good, effective operation. Individuals were praised, such as the departing Marketing
Director for Investment. The skills mix of private sector marketing experts and civil
servants is well balanced, and there is the flexibility in place to get the right people in
post. The hub marketing operation in particular was impressive – individuals there were
engaged, experienced, energetic and focused on solutions.
3.2. The reviewers felt that there was a willingness among the individuals in the team to
work towards a solution to some of the issues identified.
Strategy and planning
3.3. The reviewers recognised that the Managing Director for Marketing has done some
good work in challenging circumstances. A marketing strategy has been produced, along
with sector-specific marketing plans, although the quality of these are variable.
Implementation
3.4. The team produced a large number of campaigns and products, and the basic tools
for implementation (such as a sufficient budget and headcount) are in place. The GREAT
campaign, in particular, was seen as a very effective, well evaluated and insight-based
campaign. The hub system is a good model, and the reviewers were impressed by some
of the talent working at post. The reviewers also felt that the events team within
marketing was very capable, and had delivered a number of high profile events and visits
extremely efficiently.
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4. FINDINGS: AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
People and resources
4.1 There was praise from some interviewees about the professional skills of senior
members of the marketing team, and a widespread recognition that the roles were
operating in a challenging environment. This environment has led to some branches of
UKTI hiring their own marketing teams who can duplicate effort.
4.2. The structure of the marketing team is imbalanced, with a high number of senior
leaders compared to delivery capability. Some regional hubs feel disconnected from
London.
Strategy and planning
4.3.The reviewers were concerned about the marketing strategy’s usability and visibility.
There is no one plan that encompasses countries, UK regions, sectors and GREAT, which
has led to some fragmented work.
4.4. The strategy could be better aligned with the business planning process, although
there is activity in train to improve that for the next round of planning. The reviewers
were impressed with UKTI’s Head of Finance and were hopeful that he could improve the
overall integration of the business planning processes.
4.5. There is some work going on within UKTI to segment their audience and better
understand their customer. This was praised by a couple of interviewees, but reviewers
felt that this work could be strengthened.
4.6. The UKTI media operation is outsourced to BIS, an arrangement which in the main
works well. Relations with the London-based Foreign Office team around management of
the GREAT campaign are good, and at post, UKTI and FCO staff seem to work well in
mixed teams.
4.7. However, the Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG) financial controls process for
signing off marketing spend could be better engaged with.
Implementation
4.8 There is a large amount of activity being carried out by the marketing team, but it
could be better co-ordinated and aligned with UKTI’s overall objectives.
4.9. This approach may be in part because the budget and resource for marketing is
fragmented throughout UKTI. This structure inevitably makes it more difficult to have a
clear, joined-up programme of implementation.
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4.10: The GREAT campaign is seen as a big success story for HMG, and was spoken of well
by most interviewees. The reviewers felt that GREAT could be further embedded across
the organisation.
4.11. Awareness levels of UKTI as a brand could be higher, which was of concern to some
interviewees. However, the reviewers felt that raising UKTI’s brand awareness should not
be prioritised above driving customers to the services they provide – energy should be
focused on informed awareness of UKTI as a potential catalyst for growth.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 The incoming Chief Executive has a real opportunity to be clear in what his vision is
for UKTI, to re-engage everyone within it and create a good structure of which marketing
is a vital element. UKTI should be a tightly customer-focused organisation.
5.2. It is important that marketing continues to have a strong voice at the top table, and
that the customer is properly represented at the most senior levels of the organisation.
5.3 The existing marketing strategy needs to be rewritten and simplified, and clearly
linked to UKTI’s overall business objectives of driving jobs and growth for Britain through
the four pathways. UKTI’s overall purpose should be further infused into everything that
marketing does.
5.4. A more effective marketing partnership strategy should be developed and
implemented.
5.5 The ERG process needs to be better engaged with by the marketing team and the
requests that have come from ERG should be met as soon as possible.
5.6. The marketing team structure should have more emphasis on delivery, and reviewers
suggest establishing a campaign delivery team.
5.7. There needs to be better and more frequent internal communications between the
marketing teams: both within the London team, and between London and teams at post.
5.8 The GREAT campaign should be further embedded into UKTI’s business as usual. As a
minimum, all UKTI marketing staff should have one objective relating to how they can
work to promote GREAT.
5.9. It is suggested that there should be another, briefer, review in 12/18 months to
check progress.
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