29/08/2008

allmediascotland.com is changing. Last week, it launched its own 'TV channel'; a few weeks ago, it began offering new voices, in the shape of various bloggers. Today, Mark Gorman writes. You’ll see his biog below. Feel free to become an AMS blogger yourself, by emailing us, here.

Delirium has set in to the Scottish Marcomms world this morning as the finishing line is finally reached for one of the most sought-after contracts of this or any other year .

Hefty 'Invitation to Tender' documents are being uploaded by over 100 agencies to the Scottish Government’s procurement website.

Documents that have tested the competing agencies to the limit.

The marcomms framework contract is worth up to £80 million over the next three years and so it’s no surprise that agencies from John O’Groats to Dumfries are battling for the most prestigious industry prospect in Scotland. 

Agencies are attempting to get a foothold onto seven different rosters including market research, design, advertising, digital communications, events and PR. Each one is trying to persuade the Government's procurement and marketing team that they are the ones to take Scotland's highly-regarded social marketing forward.

It's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't type of approach that few, with confidence, know the answers to and some have much to lose. 

I've been there several times before, in my agency days, and I have to say it can be quite a rigorous intellectual workout, attempting to convince Government that you 'get' them, that you can service them and that you can do it all cost-effectively.

And it puts into stark relief the importance that the public sector has for our industry. 

Around a quarter of the working population provides a public service of one sort or another, so it's hardly a surprise that when you roll it all together it becomes Scotland's single biggest indigenous client.

Some worry about its sheer size. "What's the world coming to?", they grumble. But it's always been this way. 'Glasgow's miles better'. Says who? Says the council, that's who. 'What's it called? Cumbernauld'. Yep, public sector at its best. 'Watch out they taste bendy'. More award-winning work for HEBS. 'Scotland's for me'. That's another one.

The truth is we've been immersed in good, creative public sector advertising and marketing for decades now. Nothing's changed.

So, to the victor, the spoils.

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Mark Gorman has over 20 years’ experience in the Scottish advertising scene, having started out at Hall Advertising in 1985 before moving to The Leith Agency and establishing his own agency, 1576 in 1994.

Over the last five years, he has focussed more on the delivery of strategic advice on marketing for a range of private clients in a consultancy role.

He is currently chair of the Scottish Marketing Association, steers the Scottish Marketing Communications Action Group and is a member of the Marketing Society’s council. He is a past chair of the Scottish division of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising and is a fellow of the IPA.

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