Marketing information

The request was partially successful.

Dear Loughborough University,

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, could you please tell me the following:
1. How much was your annual Marketing budget for the 2015/16 academic year?
2. What is the breakdown of this Marketing spend per general area (E.g. Advertising, Web, PR & Communications, Recruitment activities, Market Research, Publications, Events, etc..) for the 2015/16 academic year
3. Which of the above mentioned areas are conducted mostly in-house and which marketing activities are externalised?
4. How many members of staff work currently in your Marketing Department?

Yours faithfully,

Timea Demeter

Loughborough University Freedom of Information, Loughborough University

Catherine Smethurst
Freedom of Information Officer
Rutland Building, Loughborough University
Leics., LE11 3TU

Web: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/

27 July 2017

Name: Timea Demeter
Address: By email

Ref: FOI1286

Dear Timea,

In response to your Freedom of Information request dated May 2017, please find below information relating to your enquiry. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

For questions 1 and 2, we have taken the decision to withhold the information requested on the grounds of commercial interests, in accordance with Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it).) We believe that releasing this information would undermine the University's successful marketing strategy and impact negatively upon our ability to maintain a competitive advantage within the HE sector. We are satisfied that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Q3 - We do not use external agencies to undertake marketing activity.

Q4 - The total number of staff for Marketing and Advancement is 136 (not all full-time staff) but our areas of work cover a much wider spread than most in the sector. Marketing and Advancement teams span marketing, student recruitment, widening participation, fund raising, alumni, web, digital, internal and external communications, CRM, stakeholder relations and engagement, publications, events, web, photography, video, design, print and the International Office.

In most universities these areas are not under the same banner - ours is unique in the sector. We also include enterprise and research marketing, arts marketing and sports marketing in this. Again, this is very unusual. A high number of staff work in our Creative and Print Services (the wider team includes litho pre-press operatives, postal services, van drivers, receptionists etc.) so it is not a like for like comparison with other universities that have smaller and more discrete teams. Our Creative and Print Services team, for example, print all the University's exam papers and teaching materials as well as marketing and promotional materials . They also deal with student work and posters etc. as well as counter services including a parcels service for students.

I hope this information is useful but if you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

If, for any reason, you are dissatisfied with the way in which your request for information has been handled, you may invoke the following complaints procedure: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/policy/f...

Yours sincerely,

Catherine Smethurst

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