Case Study: Distribution of METRO3 — the LSC London Region ESF newsletter

The European Social Fund (ESF) aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the EU, and within the UK to improve labour market opportunities and participation, develop skills and promote lifelong learning. Organisations must successfully bid for ESF funding, which is distributed to projects through the Learning and Skills Councils, Jobcentre Plus and other organisations. As these projects have developed, so has the need for organisations involved, or seeking to get involved, to have an up-to-date source of information about funding streams or the next tendering round, and how the LSC can help with the smooth running of ESF projects. It is also important to communicate best practice and offer advice and guidance when it comes to the marketing and PR of projects.

Since the ESF team had seen work undertaken by ABC for other arms of their organisation we were asked to propose a design and layout for an electronic newsletter that dealt with Objective 3 funding, which the team could begin distributing in a reasonably short period of time. First we were asked to brand the process, including a name for the newsletter. Working closely with the client we conceived the name METRO3 and then evolved a layout for the overall newsletter, involving masthead, grid, fonts and colour scheme. In parallel with this we needed to establish a subscriber database, based an initial list supplied by LSC. Since the newsletter was being distributed entirely electronically, by e-mail, it was necessary to capture e-mail addresses for those records that lacked this. Most importantly of all however was the need to invite prospective subscribers to ‘opt-in’ to receiving the newsletter, rather than blitzing recipients with something, whether they wished to receive it or not. Thus the project began with a postal mailshot but, rather than the more traditional coupon response, those individuals and organisations that wished to subscribe were directed to a web form, pre-populated with their existing details (since one of our guiding principles is ‘Never ask a question to which you already know the answer’).

The submissions from this web form were simultaneously acknowledged to the user by e-mail and transferred to ABC for processing, all automatically. Since we already held the database it was simple to pull the record up on screen based on their reference number and make any changes necessary (or simply verify the record as correct). A third option on the form gave users the opportunity to opt-out of receiving the newsletter.

Once this phase was complete, it was then possible to distribute the launch issue of the newsletter electronically. Since the subscriber database is already loaded to the web, and it takes only seconds to upload the signed-off newsletter alongside it and have the mail server ‘merge’ these together, the whole process only takes a matter of minutes, even to thousands of recipients. Each newsletter is personalised to the recipient, and can therefore contain a clickable link which takes them instantly to a screen showing their mailing details, which they can update at any time. The database is thus in a permanent state of readiness, unlike other low-tech solutions, where the mailing list has to be cleaned and made ready before each use. This has enabled other innovations such as brief, topical e-mail alerts to ESF’s subscriber base, for example announcing the latest tendering round.

Since the newsletter itself is entirely electronic, there is both little cost and little time wasted compared with a printed publication. In fact it is perfectly possible to cover an event with a digital camera and have its write-up, with pictures, on the web within the hour! To see a specimen issue of METRO3 click here. visit
http://www.esfnews.com/latest.cfm

Reflecting on the simplicity of getting this project up-and-running, Vicky Taylor, ESF Marketing & PR Executive said "We knew what we wanted to achieve and were looking for the most timely and cost-effective way to achieve it. ABC’s proposals were professional and thorough, and in our dealings with them they have clearly demonstrated that they can deliver. As this project has developed they have also been proactive in suggesting refinements which they have implemented quickly and efficiently."

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