DEMA Explained - An Easy Read Summary
What is DEMA?
The creation of a Destination
Edinburgh Marketing Alliance was the purpose of the DEMA
Project. We brought together (and still develop) an alliance of
partner organisations, creating a team of the City’s best talents
to work together. We can use their knowledge
to compile information to enhance Edinburgh’s reputation as a
destination for those wishing to visit, invest, live or study
here. The resulting information has allowed the
Alliance to continue to deliver successful targeted destination
marketing activity.
Why do we need the DEMA project?
Edinburgh is well recognised as a Destination,
often being ranked in the top ten cities within a European
context. It has many unique assets, but it cannot
afford to be complacent.
Work undertaken in 2007/08 by the
Communications Group identified that while there was considerable
individual activity to promote Edinburgh and no shortage of
willingness to co-operate, there remained a
need to address a fragmented approach.
The report also highlighted that promotion of
the city was undertaken by a significant range of organisations
across a broad array of business sectors, and that to realise the
full potential of any promotion the relationships between the
different activities had to be clarified and ideally,
aligned.
There was a need for a common
purpose, with a clear statement of roles, remits and
objectives to form an integrated offer. There was also
a need for leadership, for a
leading individual/organisation to bring people together and speak
with one voice and champion destination promotion.
To tie these elements
together , there was a need for a
Destination Promotion Strategy which, having examined the
strong offerings Edinburgh has, clearly set out the actions that
will allow the city to capitalise on its assets and benefit
from cross-selling.
This led to the formation of
DEMA and put at its simplest, the
alliance aligns and connects the products, propositions and
promotion of - and for - Edinburgh.
Where does DEMA sit?
Marketing of the city is not the preserve of
any one organisation or business sector: it is a truly cross-sector
issue. This is why DEMA needs to be an alliance; a new form
of partnership reflecting the Scottish Government’s approach to new
ways of working by the public sector, at both local and national
level, with the private sector.
When was DEMA established?
The DEMA project was initiated in April
2008. The first deliverable was the Destination Edinburgh
Marketing Strategy in January 2009. The Alliance project
delivery vehicle, DEMA as it exists today, was
established on 1 April 2009.
Who is DEMA?
The DEMA Project is a public/private
collaboration facilitated by the City of Edinburgh Council.
The Project Board includes senior representation from the Edinburgh
Chamber of Commerce, Edinburgh Business Assembly, Denholm
Associates, Jones Lang LaSalle, Gillespie Macandrew, The Edinburgh
Convention Bureau, Festivals Edinburgh, and the Edinburgh Tourism
Action Group, as well as the Council, Scottish Enterprise, Scotland
Development International and VisitScotland. Representation
from the financial and higher education sectors is also being
sought.
A Delivery Group has been established beneath
the Project Board, with representatives from a number of these
organisations.
How is DEMA's strategy
delivered?
The study undertaken in 2007/08 by the
Communications Group identified a basic roadmap to delivery.
Firstly, there was the need to develop a Destination Edinburgh
Marketing Strategy, which explains the main propositions for
Edinburgh in relation to the themes of visit, invest, live &
study. Following agreement of this Strategy, steps were
taken to identify the most appropriate structure to support
the delivery of the Strategy.
The Edinburgh City Region Brand: ‘Edinburgh
Inspiring Capital’ is the consumer face of the Marketing Alliance,
with the Edinburgh Brand website focusing on the
business-to-business support, linking the propositions, promotions
and products required to further destination promotion
activities.
What does success look like so far?
Edinburgh is seen as an exemplar in
destination marketing, with DEMA providing the co-ordinating role
for all promotional activity for the city across the key visit,
invest, live and study audiences. It has brought together
existing public and private sector activity more effectively,
developed coherent links between Edinburgh and the national
marketing organisations, identified and addressed gaps in the
city’s promotion and exploited opportunities for cross-selling
between the key audiences.
A copy of this text is available as a PDF. View the PDF of the Easy-Read
Summary (opens in a new window).
