Marketing and PR spend

Dear Requester

Request for information – FOI12275

Thank you for your e-mail of 21st March 2012.

We respond to each of your questions in turn.  Please note that some of the information is not held or has been withheld under an exemption according to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000, this is detailed where applicable.

1. How much money have you spent overall on communications and marketing (including public relations, advertising and all other disciplines) in the following years: 2011-2012 (including projected expenditure to the end of the fiscal year), 2010-2011, 2009-2010, 2008-2009, 2007-2008?

The overall spend on communications and marketing activity as defined by general ledger codes from our finance system is:

2011-12  £1,817,022.04

2010-11  £1,775,882.69

2009-10  £2,186,971.44

2008-09  £2,343,106.11

2007-08  £2,753,423.20

2. How much money has been projected to be spent overall on communications and marketing (including public relations, advertising and all other disciplines) in 2012-2013?

This information is exempt under Section 35 (1) (a) of the FOIA – Formulation of Government Policy.

Ordnance Survey is an independent non ministerial government department with Executive Agency status operating as a trading fund. Ordnance Survey is accountable to Parliament though the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). 

The policy and financial frameworks within which Ordnance Survey operates, and our Corporate Business Plan and Agency Performance Monitors are approved by Ministers in BIS.

Our planned expenditure for 2012-13 has yet to be approved by ministers. Until this happens Ordnance Surveys expenditure remains part of the ongoing formulation of Government policy.

Section 35 is a qualified exemption and requires us to apply a pubic interest test. We have considered whether the public interest in disclosing the information overrides the public interest in maintaining the exemption and withholding the information.

We have determined there is general public interest in the disclosure of budgetary information to create greater transparency; however, there is also public interest in ensuring minsters are able to formulate Government policy and consider options including in this case Ordnance Survey’s expenditure plans, this information is therefore withheld.

3. How much money have you spent, specifically, on public relations (both in-house and external support) in each of the following years: 2011-2012 (including projected expenditure to the end of the fiscal year), 2010-2011, 2009-2010, 2008-2009, 2007-2008?

Ordnance Survey has recorded the following spend on external public relations for the years requested:

2011-12  £32,427

2010-11  £41,473

2009-10  £115,415

2008-09  £69,721

2007-08  £5,470

Our in house costs are incorporated within our standard business or business as usual activity for the various areas of the business who conduct public relations activity. As there is no business requirement for us to account for this separately, this information is not held.

4. How much money has been projected to be spent, specifically, on public relations (both in-house and external support) in 2012-2013?

This information is exempt under Section 35 (1) (a), for the same reasons as detailed in the response to your question 2.

5. How much money have you spent, specifically, on advertising (both in-house and external support) in each of the following years: 2011-2012 (including projected expenditure to the end of the fiscal year), 2010-2011, 2009-2010, 2008-2009, 2007-2008?

Ordnance Survey has recorded the following external spend on advertising in the following years:

2011-12        £29,178

2010-11        £21,178        

2009-10        £73,830

2008-09        £202,857

2007-08        £192,042

Our in house costs are incorporated within our standard business or business as usual activity for the various areas of the business who conduct public relations activity. As there is no business requirement for us to account for this separately, this information is not held.

6. How much money has been projected to be spent, specifically, on advertising (both in-house and external support) in 2012-2013?

This information is exempt under Section 35 (1) (a), for the same reasons as detailed in the response to your question 2.

7. How much money have you spent, specifically, on external public relations support in each of the following years: 2011-2012 (including projected expenditure to the end of the fiscal year), 2010-2011, 2009-2010, 2008-2009, 2007-2008?

Ordnance Survey has recorded the following spend on external public relations support:

2011-12  £32,427

2010-11  £41,473

2009-10  £115,415

2008-09  £69,721

2007-08  £5,470

8. How much money has been projected to be spent, specifically, on external public relations support in 2012-2013?

This information is exempt under Section 35 (1) (a), for the same reasons as detailed in the response to your question 2.

9. Which public relations agencies, specifically, have you employed or held on a roster in the following years: 2011-2012 (including projected agency use to the end of the fiscal year), 2010-2011, 2009-2010, 2008-2009, 2007-2008?

Ordnance Survey has employed, or held on a roster, the following public relations agencies:

2011-12: Kinross and Render, Spada Limited

2010-11: Kinross and Render, Spada Limited and 3 Monkeys

2009-10: Kinross and Render, Spada Limited and 3 Monkeys

2008-09: Kinross and Render, Trimedia Harrison Cowley

2007-08: Trimedia Harrison Cowley

10. Which public relations agencies, specifically, do you plan to employ or hold on a roster in 2012-2013?

In 2012-13 we have a relationship with Kinross and Render.

11. How many staff do you currently retain in your in-house communications department?

We currently retain twelve staff from various areas of the business, whose roles incorporate communications activity.

12. How many staff did you retain in your in-house communications department in each of the following years: 2010-2011, 2009-2010, 2008-2009, 2007-2008?

Ordnance Survey retained the following number of staff from various areas of the business, whose roles incorporate communications activity:

2010-11  15

2009-10  17

2008-09  18

2007-08  18

13. How many staff do you plan to retain in your in-house communications department by the end of the 2012-2013 fiscal year?

We plan to retain twelve staff from various areas of the business, whose job roles incorporate communications activity.

14. Please could you provide organograms of your senior communications personnel for each of the following years: 2011-2012, 2010-2011, 2009-2010, 2008-2009, 2007-2008?

We do hold current and historic organorgrams. These have been attached to this response in a zip file with the structure date detailed in the file title.

Where a part or full page has been redacted from any attached organorgram, this is because the information within the group structure does not relate to senior communications personnel as per your request.

The names of some individuals have been redacted under Section 40 (2) (a) of the FOIA ‘Personal Information’ as it constitutes personal data and the release of this information would breach one of the Data Protection principles.

In applying this exemption, we have considered whether disclosure of the personal data in question would be 'fair' (as described in Part II of Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act). 

We have given particular consideration to the likely expectations of the data subjects regarding the disclosure of their information and have concluded that disclosure in this case would not be 'fair', given that the individual/s are not Senior Civil Servants and their information is not already publicly available by other means.

15. How much money did you spend on your most expensive public relations campaign of the last five years, and what was the campaign?

Our most expensive public relations campaign over the last five years was related to our involvement in ‘The Outdoors Show’.

Whilst Ordnance Survey does hold information on how much was spent on this campaign, this information is exempt under Section 43 (2) of the FOIA ‘Commercial Interests’.

The use of Section 43 is subject to a public interest test. We recognise that there is general public interest in the disclosure of financial information to provide greater transparency, however, there is also public interest in ensuring the commercial interests of Ordnance Survey and external businesses are not damaged or undermined by disclosure of information which could potentially have material impacts on future business activities, both by Ordnance Survey and others.
The release of the total cost of this campaign could impact on the organisers of The Outdoors Show and any future sponsors given that Ordnance Survey was, for a time, a major sponsor of the event.  Knowledge of the costs expended by Ordnance Survey could unduly influence future relationships between event organisers and potential sponsors which could be seen as anti competitive.

In this case, we consider there is greater public interest in protecting the commercial interests of our business and the business of third parties, and we will not be disclosing this information to you.

16. What is the name, job title, and yearly remuneration of your most senior public relations or communications official?

Ms Nicole Perry is our most senior public relations/communications official.  Her job title is Head of Stakeholder Engagement.

The yearly remuneration for this employee is exempt under Section 40 (2) (a) of the FOIA ‘Personal Information’ exemption. Section 40 of the FOIA provides an absolute exemption for personal data where the release of the information would breach one of the Data Protection principles

The first data protection principle requires that disclosure must be fair and lawful and must comply with one of the conditions in Schedule 2 of the Data Protection Act (DPA).

We have concluded that disclosure in this case would not be 'fair' given that remuneration cannot be made anonymous for a request relating to a named employee, and are satisfied that none of the conditions in Schedule 2 of the DPA have been met.

If you are unhappy with our response, you may raise an appeal to our Appeals Officer at:

FOI Appeals Officer
Customer Service Centre
Ordnance Survey
Adanac Drive
SOUTHAMPTON
SO16 0AS

Please include the reference number above. The Appeals Officer will ensure that the process has been followed correctly, questioning any decisions taken regarding the original response and recommending disclosure of additional information if appropriate.

Thank you for your enquiry.