NORTH LONDON WASTE AUTHORITY
REPORT TITLE:
Proposals for a Joint Recycling Communications Campaign 2015-18
REPORT OF:
MANAGING DIRECTOR
FOR SUBMISSION TO:
AUTHORITY MEETING
DATE:
12 February 2015
SUMMARY OF REPORT:
This report provides an update on the proposals for the next Joint Recycling
Communications Campaign and seeks approval for a longer term high level
communications campaign to support the Authority and seven boroughs’ ambitions
of achieving a 50% recycling rate by 2020. Each of the associated three years’ of
budget for the campaign would be in line with previous years’ annual budgets plus
inflation and accordingly an allocation for 2015/16 is included in the budget report
elsewhere on this Authority agenda.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Authority is recommended to:
1. Approve that the annual Joint Recycling Communications Campaign previously
delivered by the Authority be extended to a three year programme of activity;
2. Note that this campaign will be delivered by the Authority commencing
2015/16;
3. Delegate authority to the Managing Director in consultation with the Chair and
Vice Chairs to carry out a procurement exercise to appoint a consumer
creative agency to develop the campaign, taking account of the results of soft
market testing for the service, with the results of the procurement to be brought
to the June Authority meeting for contract award;
4.
Agree that the involvement of boroughs in the development of the campaign
should be as outlined in section 7.1 of the report and
5.
Note that any updates about the campaign will additionally be brought to
Members at the Members Recycling Working Group meetings to review the
progress of the campaign on an ongoing basis.
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SIGNED:
Managing Director
DATE: 3 February 2015
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1.0
BACKGROUND
1.1
The Joint Recycling Communications Campaign was launched in 2012
to address low recycling and composting performance across the
NLWA area; at that time a budget of £350k was allocated for the
campaign to support constituent boroughs’ promotion of recycling,
composting and collection services. The following year the budget was
dropped to £290k with the medium term budget projections for the next
three years at circa £300k. The budget for 2015/16 includes £305k for
a campaign.
1.2
In 2012/13, the Authority delivered a Joint Recycling Communications
Campaign with the constituent boroughs, called ‘R£CYCLE, CAN YOU
AFFORD NOT TO?’ The campaign ran continuously throughout the
period. The aim of this campaign was to motivate increased levels of
participation in dry kerbside recycling schemes across the seven north
London boroughs, using recognition of locality and civic pride.
1.3
During 2013/14, the second Joint Recycling Communications
Campaign with the headline ‘R£CYCLE HERE, BENEFIT HERE’ was
implemented, which strengthened the messaging from the previous
year about the savings from recycling. This focussed on the amount of
money saved by recycling a tonne of waste rather than sending it to
landfill and that the money saved could therefore be used for other
services in the community. This campaign was delivered in three
pulses of communications activity, each with a different theme;
recycling systems in the home, materials you can recycle (with an
emphasis on plastic) and then lastly, paper and card recycling.
1.4
The 2013/14 campaign involved an updated creative concept and
messaging and more targeted communications activity based on
segmentation research conducted during 2012/13. The campaign
consisted of wide reaching communications including cross borough
transport, cinema and press advertising and engagement activity such
as attendance at community and council run events.
2.0
IMPACT AND FEEDBACK ON THE PREVIOUS CAMPAIGNS
2.1
A review was carried out with borough officers at the end of the
2013/14 campaign to assess its value. Independent research carried
out with residents showed that awareness of the 2012/13 campaign
was good, but that the 2013/14 campaign did not lead to the same level
of awareness. The overall recycling rate for north London increased
from 30% in 2011/12 before the start of the campaign to 33% in
2013/14 at the end of the campaign, although it is recognised that this
increase is attributable to a number of factors, not least borough activity
(collection services and promotion) as well as operational
improvements such as the improvement in Reuse and Recycling
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Centre recycling rates and bulky waste recycling and the joint recycling
communications campaign.
2.2
Note that the Authority has used a figure of a 32% recycling rate for
communications about the Authority’s proposals for a replacement
energy recovery facility at the Edmonton EcoPark as this was the
2012/13 recycling rate in place at the time when modelling and
communications materials were being developed. The 2013/14
recycling rate of 33% had not been finalised at the time.
2.3
At the end of the 2013/14 campaign, borough officers in general
reported that the joint communications activity was valued. Boroughs
supported the continuation of the campaign to help achieve crossborough targets on recycling, particularly as there was at the time
relatively limited borough activity on motivational campaigns to
encourage existing recyclers to do more, which was the focus of the
joint recycling campaign.
Feedback suggested that borough
campaigns at the time were more targeted at encouraging nonrecyclers to take part.
3.0
2014/15 ACTIVITY
3.1
In July 2014, the Authority went out to tender with a view to appoint a
creative design agency who could build on the previous campaign
messaging, but develop and deliver innovative and engaging campaign
ideas to further build on the success of the previous two campaigns.
However, the Authority officers did not receive responses which met
the requirements of this tender process.
3.2
In September 2014, in a bid to increase the level of creativity received
for this campaign, the Authority decided to go out to tender once again,
allowing for a fresh approach to the previous campaign by not
restricting applicants to using the previous slogan, but keeping the link
between recycling and saving money. Agencies were asked to create a
new campaign, which was visually distinct from our previous
campaigns, highlighting the financial messages for the community,
without making a direct link between savings from recycling being
available to other individual services. Again, the Authority decided not
to appoint based on the submissions received.
3.3
Borough communications officers were nominated by boroughs to be
involved in the development and delivery of the joint recycling
communications campaign and to form the ‘Joint Recycling
Communications Group’.
Officers from the Joint Recycling
Communications Group were involved in all stages of both tendering
processes, provided with regular updates through bi-monthly
teleconference call meetings and were part of both evaluation panels.
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3.4
Following the tendering process, a meeting was held with the Joint
Recycling Communications Group in October 2014, in which the Group
fed back the following points:




Overall borough officers felt that the tender approach used for
the selection of a creative design agency was acceptable.
In general, borough officers were happy to keep the financial
messaging of the campaign, but some were less supportive of
the corresponding implication of financial benefits being
attributable to specific services.
Additionally, officers recognised that as the Authority moves
more and more waste away from landfill, comparisons of the
cost of recycling versus the cost of landfill may be less relevant
over time.
Some Borough officers also wanted to focus on the quality of
recycling and non contamination of waste possibly incorporating
a message about not using black sacks for recycling.
3.5
On consideration it was also felt that a long-term agency contract for
the campaign would probably work better than an annual tendering and
contract process as has happened in the past. Feedback suggests that
a longer-term contract would be more attractive to bidders and would
also enable agencies to develop a campaign to build brand recognition
over three years.
3.6
The only element of the joint recycling communications campaign that
is being delivered this financial year is the work in schools, together
with preparation for the next campaign. The focus of the schools work
is consistent with the 2013/14 campaign to promote dry kerbside
recycling and the key themes of the range of materials you can recycle,
including plastic, paper and card and recycling systems in the home.
The work is taking place in primary schools, in partnership with
EcoActive who were successful in bidding competitively for the work.
3.7
EcoActive will be visiting a total of 28 schools (4 in each borough) to
promote recycling to parents and guardians through coffee mornings
and family recycling competitions, and children through assemblies and
follow up sessions over the next few months. In the absence of joint
recycling communications materials EcoActive has been provided with
the relevant borough communications materials by borough officers.
3.8
The reduction in planned activity on the joint recycling communications
campaign has been allowed for in the third budget review and this
remains the case in the budget report elsewhere on this agenda. The
money returned to balances as a result will assist with the balances
carried forward to 2015/16.
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4.
FUTURE CAMPAIGN APPROACHES
4.1
There has been no review with boroughs as yet about a proposed
2015-18 campaign, however NLWA officers consider that an NLWA
campaign can add value to boroughs’ service related communications.
As an example through the use of cross-borough transport and cinema
advertising NLWA can add value, because the Authority is able to use
media that individual boroughs could not justify on the basis of cost or
coverage alone. For example an individual borough may not be able to
justify advertising on a bus which is routed through three north London
boroughs including their own on the grounds that is not good value for
money, whilst NLWA may be able to justify this cost because its area
covers all three boroughs involved.
4.2
In other cases the cost of production of a promotional approach may be
too great for a borough to warrant but may be justifiable by the
Authority e.g. the cost of producing a cinema advert that appears in
only a few cinemas in a borough, may not be justifiable, but if NLWA
produces the advert which is then shown at multiple cinemas
throughout the seven boroughs then the cost of production relative to
the impact of the advert (simply because it is shown in more places)
may be justifiable. Animated videos produced by the Authority can also
be used by borough communications teams if appropriate.
4.3
Authority officers therefore consider that the most useful elements of
the campaign, in terms of both message delivery and activity may be
those elements that boroughs themselves may not currently be in a
position to carry out, such as high level advertising and activity with
schools. Outreach work (attending community events and talking to
people face to face), which was part of the previous two campaigns, is
also potentially a valuable element going forwards, particularly if it can
be delivered alongside NLWA’s existing waste prevention activity and
so bring economies in commissioning and delivery.
5.
BUDGET AND OBJECTIVES OF THE 2015-18 CAMPAIGN
5.1
Officers propose that a three-year joint recycling communications
campaign is planned and delivered going forwards as this would have
the benefit of both being attractive to agencies bidding for the work and
allowing continuity in planning and delivery.
5.2
The budget for this campaign would be no different from the current
budget with an inflationary increase.
However, the benefit of
committing to a three year programme of activity is that it would
formalise the approach enabling the Authority to tender once for the
work and thus avoid an annual tender cycle and associated ‘stop-start’
approaches to the campaign if the contractor changes as has
happened to date.
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5.3
Strategic objectives
The Authority’s current recycling rate figure is 33.2%, and the Authority
and the seven boroughs have the following agreed joint strategic
objectives of:


Achieving a 50% recycling rate by 2020 and
Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill to 35% (of 1995
amounts) by 2020.
The joint recycling communication campaign needs to support the
above strategic objectives.
Future campaigns may also need to communicate that, subject to a
successful DCO application and operation of the proposed energy
recovery facility, that in practice, this will see virtually no waste direct to
landfill, an approach which is consistent with the Mayor of London’s
policy which seeks to achieve zero municipal waste direct to landfill by
2025.
5.4
Campaign aim and objectives
The proposal is for the successful agency is to develop a bigger,
bolder, more innovative campaign than in previous years, with a longer
term brand identity, complementing borough activity and our strategic
vision of reaching a 50% recycling rate for 2020.
Further work to refine the objectives, including quantified improvements
that the campaign is expected to deliver, will be undertaken over the
forthcoming weeks.
6.
PROPOSED APPROACH FOR COMMISSIONING THE 2015/18
CAMPAIGN
6.1
Following discussions with the Joint Recycling Communications Group
and some additional borough officers who attended a review meeting
on 23 October 2014, it was felt that an output based specification would
be the best way of commissioning an agency to develop a campaign
which:




Encourages behavioural change – communicating that
‘everybody’s doing it’ ;
Ensures that recycling is viewed as ‘part of the norm’ of
everyday life;
Encourages more whole families or households to recycle, and
Which reduces contamination
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6.2
Officers also consider that it would be useful to conduct some soft
market testing prior to going out to tender and to have some external
input/assistance with the procurement process.
6.3
Therefore, prior to going out to tender for the consumer creative
agency, officers propose to commission the support of an external
campaign adviser to assist us in procuring the creative agency to
develop and deliver the Joint Recycling Communications Campaign,
over a three year period. The costs of the external campaign adviser’s
support will be contained within the already approved 2014/15
corporate communications budget and the forthcoming 2015/16
corporate communications budget for which approval is sought
elsewhere on this Authority agenda.
6.4
It is proposed that the external campaign adviser will help the Authority
by providing market and procurement advice and write a specification
that will attract a consumer creative agency which has experience of
working with household brands, with a track record in behavioural
change, to respond to the campaign tender. The external campaign
adviser will also assist with evaluation of tenders received.
6.5
Once the external campaign adviser is in place, officers propose to
conduct soft market testing around budget and communication
mediums in order to establish how to engage these agencies. This will
also include reviewing the audiences the Authority should be targeting
for maximum impact. Delegated approval is sought for the Managing
Director in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chairs carry out a
procurement exercise to appoint a consumer creative agency to
develop the campaign, taking account of the results of soft market
testing for the service, with the results of the procurement to be brought
to the June Authority meeting for contract award.
7.
BOROUGH INVOLVEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
CAMPAIGN
7.1
The Authority intends to involve borough officers at the following points:




When the external campaign adviser is appointed – so that
borough officers can hear from the adviser about their
recommendations, prior to going out to tender for the creative
design agency;
Offering three places for borough officers from across the Joint
Communications Group on the interview/assessment panel of
the creative design agency tender;
When proposals have been received from the winning creative
design agency, but prior to letting the contract.
Regular updates will also be provided at the officer Partnership
Group meetings.
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7.2
Regular progress updates will be provided to Members at the
Members’ Recycling Working Group.
8.
SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES
8.1
The sequence of anticipated activities is as follows:
Key actions
Commission the services of an external
campaign adviser to assist with the
procurement of a consumer creative agency
With the support of the external campaign
adviser carry out soft market testing for
creative services
Develop a proposition for a consumer creative
agency to deliver the joint recycling campaign
Carry out a tender process for recruiting the
creative advertising agency
Commission the winning creative agency to
develop the campaign following Member
approval
8.2
It is proposed that this work takes place over the following months with
a view to commissioning the winning creative agency in June 2015.
9.
COMMENTS OF THE LEGAL ADVISER
9.1
The procurement of an external campaign adviser and of a consumer
creative agency will be carried out in accordance with the relevant
procurement law and with the Authority’s Contract Standing Orders.
The procurement process for both appointments will depend on the
value of the respective contracts. Services contracts over the value of
£172,514 must be advertised in the Official Journal of the European
Union and contracts below this level which could still be of interest to
the wider EU market should also be advertised widely to comply with
the procurement principles of transparency and equality.
9.2
Depending on the timing of the procurements for an external campaign
adviser and for a consumer creative agency, new national procurement
legislation may be in place which would require advertising on the
government’s website Contracts Finders and prohibit the use of prequalification questionnaires. The government consulted on the Draft
Public Contracts Regulations 2015 late last year and it is expected that
the new regulations will come into force early this year. The regulations
are the national implementation of the new EU procurement directives
which came into force in April last year.
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10.
COMMENTS OF THE FINANCIAL ADVISER
10.1
The report seeks approval to give structure and certainty to a
programme of Joint Communications Campaign activity. Funding is
currently approved annually, however, in order to give greater
effectiveness to campaign outcomes and an opportunity to secure
better value for money it is proposed that a three-year programme is
approved. This will avoid the current ‘stop-start’ approaches to the
campaign. The 2015/16 draft budget includes an amount of £305,000
for this activity and is included in the Authority’s medium-term budget
forecasts.
Local Government Act 1972 - Access to Information
Documents used: None
Contact Officers: David Beadle, Managing Director
Sunita Trehan, Senior Communications Officer
Barbara Herridge, External Relations Manager
Berol House, Unit 1B
25 Ashley Road
Tottenham Hale
N17 9LJ
Tel: 020 8489 5730
Fax: 020 8365 0254
E-mail: post@nlwa.gov.uk
REPORT ENDS
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