• What is DEMA?
  • Easy Read Summary for DEMA
  • Destination Marketing
• Why create a DEMA?
• Destination Promotion Strategy
• Business Plan
• DEMA Activity
• Working with us
• DEMA successes
• People behind DEMA
• Edinburgh Research

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• What is DEMA?
• Easy Read Summary for DEMA

DEMA Explained - An Easy Read Summary

What is DEMA?

The creation of a Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance is the purpose of the DEMA Project. The current stage of the project is charged with developing an alliance of partner organisations, bringing together a team of the City’s best talents that can work together. By capturing their knowledge, they will enhance Edinburgh’s reputation as a destination for those wishing to visit, invest, live or study in Edinburgh. This will inform the next stage, where the Alliance will begin to deliver the 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 be complacent. 

Work undertaken in 2007/08 by the Communications Group identified that while there is considerable individual activity to promote Edinburgh and no shortage of willingness to co-operate, there remains a need to address a fragmented approach. 

The report also highlighted that promotion of the city is 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 have to be clarified. 

There is a need for a common purpose, with a clear statement of roles, remits and objectives to form an integrated offer.  There is 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 is a need for a Destination Promotion Strategy which, having examined the strong offering Edinburgh has, clearly sets out the actions that allow the city to capitalise on its assets and benefit from cross-selling.

Put at its simplest, the alliance needs to align and connect the products, propositions and promotion of - and for - Edinburgh.

Where will DEMA sit?

Marketing of the city is not the preserve of any one organisation or business sector: it is a truly cross-cutting 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.  The final form the Alliance will take has yet to be determined and is one of the key objectives of the Project.

When will DEMA happen?

The DEMA project was initiated in April 2008.  The project has a target date for establishing the Alliance delivery vehicle by the 1 April 2009.  The first deliverable is the Destination Edinburgh Marketing Strategy, due by January 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 and 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 will DEMA be delivered?

Work undertaken in 2007/08 by the Communications Group identified a basic roadmap to delivery.  Firstly, there is 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, the next step will be to identify the most appropriate structure to support the delivery of the Strategy. 

The Edinburgh City Region Brand: ‘Edinburgh Inspiring Capital’ will be the consumer face of the Marketing Alliance, with the work focusing on the business-to-business support, linking the propositions, promotions and products required to further the destination promotion activities. 

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).