Holyrood Political Guide 2008-9

The Holyrood  Political Guide for the Parliamentary session 2008-09 will be the definitive guide to Scotland’s Parliament, its Committees and Commissions, Parliamentarians at Holyrood, Westminster, Brussels, the  Scottish Government,  NDPBs and Scotland’s Health and Transport organisations.

The Holyrood Political Guide 2008-09 will extend to 300 pages and will land on the desks of all key elected members and officials when The Scottish Parliament reconvenes on 1 September 2008. The Holyrood Political Guide 2008-09 constitutes a definitive and comprehensive listing of why, how and who your organisation should be making contact with.

The Holyrood Political Guide was first published in 1999 to coincide with the first Scottish Parliamentary elections and every year since. It has proved to be an essential tool for Parliamentarians, Scottish Government and the commercial and academic organisations that have grown up round Holyrood.

Since 1999 Holyrood Communications Ltd has been Scotland’s leading political publishing and communications organisation. Our flagship title Holyrood magazine has acquired an unrivalled reputation for objective, non-partisan and authoritative reporting on the Scottish Parliament, Scottish and UK Government and Scotland’s Unilateral Local Authorities. The annual Holyrood Political Guide shares the same values and perceptions as our fortnightly magazine.

Understanding the new political landscape

This is the first time your organisation has had to deal with a complete overhaul of administration in Scotland.

• In the Scottish Parliament we have the SNP in power for the first time and 38 new MSPs
• The  Scottish Government have been restructured under new Cabinet Secretariats and we have new Ministerial portfolios
• Scotland is experiencing power sharing in all but two Local Authorities and have no less than 488 newly elected local councillors.

Your organisation now faces the challenge of how to deal with this sea change in Scottish public administration. More importantly how do you stay one step ahead of the many others vying for the attention of these all important new audiences. The Holyrood Political Guide offers our commercial partners unrivalled coverage of the audience of decision makers in all public sector institutions.

Other Regional Assemblies

The Holyrood Political Guide 2008-09 will also include biographies and full information of all Members of the Legislative Assembly in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Executive, Members of the Assembly of Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government.

Editorial content

The Holyrood Political Guide 2008-09 is the only publication to pull together information on all the organisations and individuals responsible for the administration and governance of Scotland. It is split into the following sections, all of which have advertising and sponsorship opportunities:

Scotland’s Parliamentarians

The guide includes full biographies of all MSPs at Holyrood, Scottish MPs in the House of Commons, Scottish Peers in the House of Lords, and Scottish MEPs sitting in Brussels, complete with contact details and political and external interests.

The Scottish Parliament

All of the new Scottish Parliament Committees are listed, along with details of their conveners, members, substitutes, committee clerks and contact details.

The Scottish Government

The devolved government of Scotland has been restructured by the new Administration. Biographies of all key personal in the new Cabinet are provided and all posts are explained. There is also a full explanation of all non-departmental Public Bodies and Nationalised Industries, along with biographies of key personnel and contact details.

Health Boards and Organisations

A full listing of Scottish Health Organisations and their responsibilities is provided, with membership details and full biographies also available for Health Boards.

Transport Organisations

This includes the Scottish Government Regional Transport Partnerships memberships and their responsibilities.

Scottish Unilateral Local Authorities

An explanation of the political composition of each council in Scotland is included, listing council leaders, Lord Provosts and other key officials. All councillors and the wards and parties they represent are listed by council and region, as are each council’s committees, their conveners and other relevant groups. Each council listing includes every Chief Executive, Chief Officers and Head of Service.

Devolved Assemblies in Northern Ireland & Wales

Biographies and full contact information for all Members of the Legislative Assembly in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Executive, Members of the Assembly of Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government are listed.

Why advertise?

As we are about to enter the third term of the Scottish Parliament under an SNP-led Government, communicating your organisation’s message to hundreds of newly elected members and officials becomes essential.

Scottish Local Authorities are driving the spending for some of the largest initiatives and brokering some of the largest deals for solutions in areas of technology, finance, transportation, energy and delivery of education. Key local officials and elected members look to The Holyrood Political Guide for guidance and information from potential business partners to help provide solutions. The sea change within Local Government has created a unique opportunity to influence elected members at an early stage of their tenure.

Advocate your organisation's objectives

Advocacy advertising can present your organisation's perspective on legislation or  support public affairs activity.

Timing is key – many advocacy advertisements precede a vote in the Scottish Parliament, Scottish issues in Westminster, issues being discussed or evidence been given at Committee, Select Committee, Cross Party or All Party Group.

We reach the heart of Scottish decision making which is essential when communicating with elected members and officials within The Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government, the Palace of Westminster, Whitehall, the EU and Scottish Unilateral Local Authorities.

Advocacy advertising can:

• support and strengthen your argument
• raise the profile of response to Scottish Government consultations
• support evidence presented to Parliament and Local Authority Committees. See our clients advertisements.

Raise your corporate profile and image

Corporate and image advertising is the most efficient route to key decision makers and product specifiers within the public sector in Scotland.

We reach all the top management teams, procurement departments, IT and communications officials in Scotland offering the correct environment to sell and promote your products and services.

Holyrood offers the most effective platform for non-government organisations, trade associations and voluntary organisations to raise their profile and communicate their areas of interest. Holyrood is read by all political journalists, news desks, specific interest correspondents and editors of press and broadcast media in Scotland and further afield.

In today’s new political environment, post McClelland, where there is a sharper focus on best procurement practises and shared services, Holyrood magazine is proven to be the number one media choice. See our clients advertisements.

Educate your audience

Advertising in Holyrood magazine can educate and showcase best practice.

One of the greatest challenges within the public sector is dissemination of information. How many projects and directives are successfully completed but don’t achieve the coverage they deserve?

Advertising will assist in:

• Creating a platform for Ministerial or Local Government announcements
• The launch of a new, reformed or updated policy, Bill, White Paper, framework, directive, review or strategy
• Implementation of Scottish, UK or European legislation or compliance with new regulations, directives or guidelines
• The launch of a new Government Agency or organisation, especially one created by the Scottish Government or by the Scottish Parliament.
   

Advertising with the correct response mechanism can be:

• An efficient collection of information 
• A call to action to information provision stakeholders
• Part of a formal consultation exercise
• Collect views on legislation or policy implementation in practice. 

 Keep others informed:

• To mark an anniversary or cultural occasions
• Discussion on topics where there is a high level of media or public attention but a limited direct Scottish Government involvement on policy
• As a  demonstration of engagement. See our clients advertisements.

Advertising and sponsorship opportunities

The Holyrood Political Guide 2008-09 offers advertisers unique access to the audience of decision makers at Holyrood, Westminster and Brussels on political and business policy.

Display Advertising

Display advertising can take the form of a double page spread, full page, half page or a third page advertisement.

Full page advertisements

Full page advertisements offer a chance to communicate with your audience without distraction. Your organisation is able to exert powerful control over the way our readership uses and interpretates your message.

Large space impact

Double page spreads are more than just big spaces. The wide rectangular space is ideal for products or services of a prestigious nature or an all important intimation.

Small space advertisements

Fractional advertisement spaces, half and third pages, are an integral part of the magazine and always appear under or beside editorial matter, never under or alongside any other advertisement.

Positioning

Your display advertisement can be positioned in specific sections of the magazine, subject to availability. The most sought after are the cover positions and early front pages which have a price premium attached to them.

Policy Briefings

Policy briefing advertisements deliver a more complex message than a display advertisement. Text based with a minimum number of images, logos and photographs they are close to the magazine.

Policy briefings can be a summary of your organisations view,  manifesto, intimation of a new directive or to support a specific campaign. Readers appreciate the extra content if it is informative, relevant, timely and useful.

Policy briefings are clearly marked as such and use a different font and style. Your Holyrood contact will advise on the number of words and images to be supplied.

Policy briefings can be used as part of a public affairs, communications or contact programme depending on your objectives.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship is an especially effective way of tapping into the reader’s relationship with The Holyrood Political Guide, naturalising your organisation’s position and benefiting from perceived involvement.

In The Holyrood Political Guide 2008-09 we can now offer sponsorship and commercial association with the six following sections.

• Scotland’s Parliamentarians and The Scottish Parliament
• The Scottish Government and Government Agencies
• Health Organisations and Boards
• Transport and Regional Transport Partnerships
• Welsh Assembly and Government
• Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive

We can place your logo, branding or corporate statement on all editorial pages relating to the sections you have sponsored for the 12-month shelf life of The Holyrood Political Guide 2008.

In each of these sections the package would open with a strip advertisement on the opening page followed by your corporate statement and logo on each page.

If you do not have an in house design facility or do not have sufficient resources or time available when confirming your supporting organisation agreement our production team can advise on the design and lay out and positioning of your logos and corporate statements. This service is free of charge.

All clients who confirm by the end of September 2008 will qualify for a Holyrood website hosted free of charge on www.holyrood.com for the duration of the parliamentary year.

Free holyrood.com website

All clients who confirm an advertisement, series or sponsors a section of the Holyrood Political Guide 2008-09 will qualify for a Holyrood website which will be hosted free of charge on www.holyrood.com for six months. For more information click here.

Free production facilities

If you do not have an in house design facility or have sufficient resources or time available when booking your advertisement our production team can advise, design and layout your advertisement for you. This service is free of charge.

Advertising and Sponsorship rates

Advertising rates

Sponsorship rates

Holyrood magazine circulation and readership

Holyrood magazine readership 

Holyrood magazine circulation