Written evidence from the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office
FCO PUBLIC DIPLOMACY:
THE LONDON
2012 OLYMPIC AND
PARALYMPIC GAMES
1. This paper answers the Foreign Affairs Committee's
request for information on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's
Olympics Public Diplomacy Activity. A short annex which describes
the FCO's programme of wider activity is attached (Annex A) to
provide a broader view of the FCO's Olympic work.
2. The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will
throw a spotlight on the UK like no other sporting event in generations.
It is equivalent to staging world championships in the 26 Olympic
disciplines back to back. There will be an estimated global audience
of 4 billion. Around 14,700 participants will attend, with 120
heads of state, 25,000 journalists and 320,000 extra foreign visitors
to the UK.
THE GOVERNMENT'S
INTERNATIONAL APPROACH
3. London 2012 will have a profound impact on
the UK's international reputation. The Government is therefore
determined to ensure that the Olympics are a success and to seize
all opportunities which they present.
4. The Coalition Agreement makes clear that the
Government will "work with the Mayor of London to ensure
a safe and successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in
2012, and urgently form plans to deliver a genuine and lasting
legacy". The Prime Minister and Cabinet colleagues have begun
working closely together to make this happen. The Prime Minister
has said publicly that we must seize "the opportunity of
this great decade of sport - and especially the Olympics - to
deliver a lasting tourism legacy for the whole country and not
just London".
5. The Foreign Secretary is determined that the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office should play a full part in delivering
a successful games and tangible international legacy for the UK.
Overseas activity will concentrate on securing solid benefits
linked to our foreign policy priorities: security, prosperity
and strong bilateral relations and that these priorities will
fit within the broad coalition government Olympic priorities.
6. The Foreign Secretary and Jeremy Browne, the
Olympics and Public Diplomacy Minister, are giving priority to
this topic. They have looked carefully at the work which has already
been carried out. They recognise that some good foundations are
in place, but the FCO now needs to build on them.
7. In order to drive forward activity across
the FCO's network, Ministers have commissioned a structured 18-month
engagement strategy setting out priority countries and milestones.
8. This work is well advanced. We look forward
to sharing it with the Committee before Jeremy Browne's evidence
session on 10 November. Our current thinking on priority countries
is at Annex B. We will work with Diaspora communities in the UK
as part of this work. We will be focusing on the following objectives:
- National interest:
To contribute to UK foreign policy goals by using the profile
of the Olympics to promote British culture and values at home
and abroad. To cement Britain's reputation as a valuable bilateral
partner and a vibrant, open and modern society, a global hub in
a networked world.
- Prosperity: To bolster
the UK economy, increase commercial opportunities for British
business in target countries, and secure high value inward investment.
- Security: To enhance
our security by harnessing the global appeal of the Olympics,
particularly among the young, to reinforce values of tolerance,
moderations and openness.
- Cross-Government approach:
To work seamlessly with other Government Departments and partners,
mobilising the powerful asset of the FCO's unique network of Posts
to deliver the greatest international impact for our strategy
9. We will achieve government and FCO objectives
on prosperity, security and bilateral relations as follows:
PROSPERITY
10. We will work closely with UK Trade &
Investment (UKTI), on activities which reinforce our message of
Britain as an open, welcoming, creative and dynamic society with
unparalleled skills and expertise. We will use the Games to help
us drive up exports and create opportunities in wider markets,
particularly using the "Host2Host" agreements with other
hosting nations (Russia and Brazil) to deliver the growth/prosperity
objectives.
11. The Games will provide a catalyst for developing
new businesses, encouraging existing businesses to look to grow
and export to wider markets and as magnet for high value foreign
investment. As well as jobs, skills and growth created as a result
of firms supplying directly to the Games, there will be an opportunity
to project the capability of UK companies in delivering major
projects, on time and on budget, to the watching world. This is
key to a sustained business legacy as companies go on to compete
in international markets.
12. Throughout, we will prioritise activity designed
to project Britain, in the Foreign Secretary's words, as "a
home for enterprise, wealth creation, new ideas and opportunity".
This will include targeting relevant business audiences for exposure
to our film, created in collaboration with the Olympic Delivery
Authority, of the Olympic Park build. It clearly demonstrates
the passion, technical expertise and ingenuity available in the
UK. We will also instruct Posts to work with the international
UKTI network and with business contacts locally to involve them
in events, e.g. capitalising on the interest in London 2012 to
secure as much engagement as possible with key commercial contacts
by pursuing their involvement in key events or to provide sponsorship
to support Post activities.
13. We will keep special focus on UKTI's key
industry sectors (including low carbon, creative industries, life
sciences and advanced engineering) and 17 key markets, which are
reflected in our priority country list. Examples of activity could
include using the Queen's Birthday Party and other diplomatic
events creatively to spotlight innovative British companies active
in or seeking an entry to local markets. We will also arrange
for FCO Ministers to accompany senior foreign visitors to visit
the Olympic Park to see British construction and engineering expertise
at first hand.
SECURITY
14. We will work closely within the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office and across Whitehall to find ways to increase
the security of the UK. We will do this by confounding negative
and sometimes malicious stereotyping which can feed into radicalisation
and hostility towards us. This work plays into the Government's
"Prevent" counter terrorism strategy.
15. An example of work in this area is
a short film we have produced about Mushtaq Ahmed, England cricket
coach and idolised in his native Pakistan. Mushtaq speaks positively
and powerfully about his experience of life as a muslim in the
UK. We expect this film, marketed over the internet, to reach
segments of Pakistani society - particularly a young male audience
- who would be hard to reach by other means.
BILATERAL RELATIONS
16. London 2012 offers an opportunity to convey
an image of 21st century modern Britain across the
world. London 2012-related activity will be prioritised in the
communications plans of Embassies in key countries. This will
involve working particularly with priority Posts to make sure
that we identify and implement projects which will help them to
target their key audiences and contacts with focused, clear messaging
about the UK, in line with their wider strategies for engaging
with their host countries.
17. We will take advantage of 2012-related initiatives
such as Pre-Games Training Camps to forge bilateral ties between
regions around the UK and the country of the national team coming
to train in that area (UKTI are already using this connection
to encourage better trade understanding and market knowledge and
to showcase what the UK regions have to offer). We will also create
bonds with countries which are part of the International Inspirations
programme, through which the UK aims to bring sport to 12 million
children in 20 countries.
18. Our plan will focus on concrete activities
in Embassies in certain key countries, as well as London-led work,
in particular with LOCOG. We will give particular attention in
our work in the UK to Diaspora communities and the powerful leverage
they can apply.
CAMPAIGN 2012: ACTIVITIES
TO DATE
19. In May 2009, the FCO approved the following
objectives for public diplomacy work on London 2012.
- To use London 2012 as a catalyst for changing
perceptions of the UK worldwide (see paragraph 20 below)
- To use London 2012 and these new perceptions
to increase the UK's influence, and thus to assist in the delivery
of the FCO's objectives (focussing sharply on the trade and prosperity
agendas in line with the new government's priorities).
- To support Public Diplomacy Partners in the effective
achievement of their own strategic objectives
- To energise and excite the FCO network with new
ways of working.
20. In 2009, the FCO's Public Diplomacy Group
reviewed all available research into the UK's reputation amongst
international audiences. We concluded that the UK's overall reputation
worldwide was strong - ranking 4th out of 50 in countries in the
2010 Anholt Nation Brand Index. The UK was seen as fair, innovative,
diverse, confident and stylish. However, negative images still
persisted which painted Britain as arrogant, stuffy, old-fashioned
and cold. We used these findings to identify the key themes about
modern Britain we wanted to project overseas in order to overcome
false impressions that acted upon our prosperity and political
influence. We want to showcase modern Britain as the open (welcoming,
diverse, tolerant), connected (through our involvement in the
UN and G20, politically, geographically, in terms of trade and
travel), creative and dynamic place it really is.
21. This research and strategy work led to the
development of the "See Britain (Through My Eyes)" campaign
- an exercise in soft power with the aim of delivering, through
our 243 Posts, a programme of public diplomacy events and activities
that invite audiences around the world to take a fresh and positive
look at Britain. This ongoing campaign will continue to promote
British values, showcasing the "Big Society" agenda
as well as positioning the UK as an ideal bilateral partner and
a nation with an enduring status in international affairs. We
will be able to refresh old relationships and start conversations
with new audiences and opinion formers.
22. This campaign was also an opportunity to
highlight best practice and encourage innovation in Public Diplomacy
work. Unlike other FCO communications campaigns which have focused
on particular policy issues or regions, to reflect this global
event, this was conceived as an initiative for Posts everywhere.
However, we identified a number of strategically-important countries
where we saw particular potential to pursue British interests
and where we aimed to work most proactively. This list comprised
countries which were influential at a global level and/or on particular
policy issues. It also factored in considerations such as levels
of trade and tourism, and how negative their view of the UK was,
measured by nation branding surveys. This list, along with emerging
priorities for the new government, provides the basis for our
current thinking on priority countries at Annex B.
23. We have created a series of 30 four-minute
films using people whose testimony about Britain will resonate
with local audiences. They feature UK residents like the heart
surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub and the Sudanese born newsreader Zeinab
Badawi, speaking about what Britain has meant to them. They are
being released through an online, digital campaign which began
in July but will also be used by Posts around the world as a focus
for events and activities. The first film to be released online
featured Japanese judo star Kosei Inoue. In addition to being
used by our Embassy in Tokyo as a focus for a major event, it
has secured over 5,000 hits on the FCO's YouTube channel. A list
of subjects for these films and DVDs of sample films are attached
(Annex C).
24. We have focussed on symbolic actions.
For instance, 55 Posts and a total of 3,800 runners took part
in the 2010 Sport Relief mile, raising money for local charities.
The run in Guangzhou, South China, raised enough money to build
a learning skills room for a school for children with severe learning
disabilities, and gained coverage on over 40 websites across China
and Taiwan with a combined readership of 40 million. In a separate
initiative, at very little cost, the Jerusalem Consulate sponsored
a female street car racing team in Palestine. The drivers sported
British branding, and the team was covered extensively on local
television, and in daily and monthly news and leisure print media
as well as online. It has gained a total audience in excess of
300 million at a cost of less than £10,000. A dual language
Facebook page has already gathered 2,500 friends.
25. Working through a core London team, we have
supported and encouraged local creativity by Posts and
Public Diplomacy partners overseas. The team provides central
coordination eg working to set up partnerships with other organisations,
liaising with Public Diplomacy Partners and Olympic organisations,
and creating and distributing material to use on the ground (films;
scripts and lines for use in press articles, blogs and websites
etc). We have created a range of methods to communicate with staff
and PD partners about the campaign, and to share good ideas and
best practice, included the dedicated "Collaborate"
extranet site. This innovative approach has attracted interest
from other Departments. It has over 800 members (Annex D).
26. Reaching the largest audiences for our
initiatives through carefully developed media and digital
engagement plans. For example, a social networking campaign around
the Shanghai Expo, featuring the British band Keane, achieved
double its targets with 169,000 visitors and 1m page views.
27. Using partnership to reinforce and further
extend our messages and audience reach. We have sought out
a wide range of non-traditional partners whose activities, messages
and potential audiences complement and overlap our own. Examples
include UK Sport, the Edinburgh Festivals, and the National Theatre:
Mexico City and Athens have run successful pilots using screenings
of live National Theatre performances as a hook to engage with
key local audiences.
28. Between autumn 2009 and April 2010, 117
initiatives were developed in 84 countries through 32 separate
grants. Further information on examples of campaign activity can
be found in Annex E.
NEXT STEPS:
THE PLAN
FROM NOW
UNTIL THE
GAMES
29. As we get closer to 2012, one of our core
"good news" stories that can be told is that of the
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games themselves. We have
worked closely with the London 2012 Organising Committee in our
preparations, and emphasised the specific opportunities and appetite
for the FCO and its Public Diplomacy Partners to spread messages
about the Games through our unique global network.
30. Planned initiatives with an explicit London
2012 link include:
31. A TV documentary on the building of the
Olympic Park, made in partnership with the Olympic Delivery
Authority, which was launched to UK public diplomacy and Olympics
partners by Jeremy Browne in September 2010 and will be publicly
launched by the Foreign Secretary on November 10th.
The film is being actively marketed to TV networks worldwide -
at the distributor's cost - to ensure that the remarkable story
of the sustainable master plan for the Park, and the spectacularly
successful progress on build, is told worldwide for the first
time. The potential impact on British reputation in engineering,
construction, design and sustainability is enormous. The expected
global audience will be between 150-300 million. We also intend
to continue to use this as a key promotional tool right through
2011, ensuring, for instance, that it is shown in our Embassies
to influential people from government, business, tourism and other
opinion formers.
32. The FCO team have also secured the ongoing
services of a trio of campaign Olympic Ambassadors. Sir
Steve Redgrave and Lady Grey-Thompson, as well as our leading
male Paralympian, blind swimmer Chris Holmes. In 2009 Baroness
Grey-Thompson toured Israel, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon on
an experimental ambassador visit. A full programme of meetings
with Government ministers, Paralympic associations, business audiences
and young people included a first ever debate on the rights of
the disabled at the UNESCO palace in Beirut. The highly successful
visit obtained media coverage on an international and local level,
with a total reach of over a million people (see Annex E). We
will seek to replicate this and aim to continue to make the most
of our Ambassadors' participation and energy. Lord Coe will play
an important role in delivering our 2012 messages abroad. We are
exploring how best to do this with him.
33. Pre-Games Training Camps also offer
opportunities to build bilateral activity, encouraging closer
links between the home country of a national team and the UK.
The Japanese team will be based in Loughborough, for example.
Our Embassy in Tokyo in conjunction with the regional UKTI team
has already been vigorously taking forward opportunities to build
links between Japan and the East Midlands Loughborough region.
We expect it to produce solid opportunities for Public Diplomacy
work around links between schools in the two countries and new
ways of promoting trade links.
34. We are working closely with UK Sport and
the British Council on public diplomacy work around the "International
Inspirations" programme. This formed part of London's
winning bid in Singapore. It pledged that a UK Games would "
reach
young people all around the world and connect them to the inspirational
power of the Games so they are inspired to choose sport".
It aims to give 12 million children in 20 countries access to
high quality and inclusive physical education, sport and play.
Countries where the programme is active include Azerbaijan,
Zambia, India Bangladesh, Jordan, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South
Africa.
35. We will use friends of the UK, eg
ex-Chevening Fellows and Scholars to build a body of authoritative
voices with strong links and motivation to become involved in
our efforts overseas. We will continue to consult with communications
specialists, seeking their expertise in no or low cost ways to
refresh and challenge our strategy.
36. Based on successful activities planned around
Beijing in 2008, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and, most
recently, in Tokyo and New York in July 2010 to mark the 'two
years to go' point, we will make greater use of regular events
such as Queen's Birthday Parties, receptions and trade events,
by effective media planning and strong prosperity and security
messaging. We will target guest lists for such events to make
the most of the Olympics impact.
37. We will continue to provide energetic leadership
to our Public Diplomacy Partners who meet monthly and include
representatives from UKTI, British Council, Visit Britain, UK
Sport, LOCOG, the Government Olympic Executive, and the Mayor
of London's office. An organogram showing the bodies involved
in Olympics Public Diplomacy work is at Annex F.
38. Digital diplomacy enables us to maintain
a simultaneous global and local digital presence. We will further
our use of social network media and viral marketing (eg through
dedicated twitter and facebook feeds). We will be uploading new
short films every 2-4 weeks, pegging particular subjects and themes
to milestones in the relevant country. This approach offers high
levels of interactivity and insight, fed back at a faster pace.
The global public can engage in two way dialogue - an approach
proven to generate trust.
39. We have worked across Government and with
LOCOG to agree a unique licensing deal for the Olympics logo.
This includes a "toolkit" of striking London 2012-branded
imagery and materials that reflect our campaign messages. It has
been approved for use by FCO, UKTI, Visit Britain and the British
Council around the world. It will be an essential component in
allowing us to harness the power of London 2012 to secure economic
advantages for the UK as host nation, build important tourist
markets, and boost British reputation.
THE WIDER
OPPORTUNITY: THE
GAMES AND
BEYOND
40. The Olympic legacy will not only provide
a springboard for British trade and investment for many years
beyond the games; the Games will also create a "soft power"
legacy, building a wide network of influential relationships and
will have a lasting effect on increased British influence.
41. 2012 is also the year of the Diamond Jubilee,
bringing even greater attention to the UK particularly from the
Commonwealth, but also from countries vital to British interests
such as the USA.
42. Looking beyond we will see Glasgow host the
Commonwealth Games in 2014, and potentially England hosting the
World Cup in 2018. We will be ready to make strong positive connections
between this and the London Olympics on 2 December when an announcement
is made in Zurich.
43. We will organise our work to exploit particular
opportunities and milestones, for example around 500 days and
one year to go to the 2012 Games, around the Olympic torch ceremonies,
as well as continuing to make use of and highlight non-Olympics
related activities which fit our campaign objectives. A plan of
these activities can be found in Annex G.
RESOURCING
44. The core FCO Public Diplomacy Campaign team
in London consists of a D6 (Home Civil Service Grade 7) Team Leader
position, a C4 (HEO) and B3 (EO) officer.
45. The FCO employed, on a short term basis,
a small number of outside specialists and a PR agency to help
set up the campaign. They provided expertise in pulling together
a strategic vision, messages and a central story around them.
They worked with film production companies to create powerful
audio-visual materials; set up partnerships and processes; and
helped us to manage virtual and online communities to build networks
among FCO and Public Diplomacy partner staff at Posts across the
world.
46. For FY 2009-10, the campaign was allocated
a budget of £1.7 million which was used to cover contractor
costs, agency fees, creation of collateral (especially films)
and was accessed by Posts to bid for funding to take forward local
public diplomacy activity. This separate funding stream was cut
as part of the FCO's contribution of £55 million of cuts
for the emergency budget in June 2010. The work stream continues
to have access to wider Public Diplomacy funds to support communications
work at Post but the accent is now very much on no or low cost
ways of doing business as well as increased use of commercial
sponsorship.
CONCLUSION
47. In coming months, we will build on the strong
foundations of our 2012 Public Diplomacy work to greatly increase
our worldwide efforts to provide strong delivery of our goals.
We are in good shape to do so.
48. Despite the current economic circumstances,
the London 2012 Games offer an exciting opportunity which we are
strongly placed to seize. We can use them to secure a lasting
legacy for British reputation overseas and a big fillip to our
trade and investment activity.
49. We welcome the Committee's interest in this
work and look forward to its recommendations.
Annexes
A - FCO Olympic Programme strands
B - Priority countries[1]
C - List of "See Britain" short film subjects
D - "Collaborate" site
E - Case Study examples of activity
F - Organogram of PD Partners group
G - London 2012 PD Project Milestones
Annex A
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
LONDON 2012 PROGRAMME SUMMARY
The London 2012 Co-Ordination unit (Senior Responsible
Officer: Sir Alan Collins) oversees the FCO's contribution to
the Games. It keeps FCO activity on track and provides assurance
to London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
(LOCOG) and Government Olympic Executive (GOE) of the FCO's ability
to deliver, through the London 2012 Board.
There are three significant parts to the London 2012
Programme: Direct Impact, Opportunity and behind the scenes work.
Games time operations are being developed to cover crisis management
and Communications.
The Programme
Jeremy Browne is FCO Minister for the London 2012
Olympic Games and Paralympics Games.
Sir Alan Collins, currently Director General for
Trade and Investment USA, former High Commissioner to Singapore
(instrumental in the original bid) and international adviser to
the London 2012 bid delegation, is the London 2012 International
Legacy Champion for the FCO, UKTI and BIS. He is also in charge
of strategic direction of London 2012 work in the FCO and UKTI.
Stakeholders: There are four main London 2012 partners
who together comprise the Olympic Board: the London Organising
Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG); the Greater London Authority
(GLA); the British Olympic Authority (BOA); and HMG. Government
work on the Olympics is co-ordinated by the Government Olympic
Executive in DCMS. Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture,
Media and Sport (supported by Hugh Robertson MP, Minister for
the Olympics), oversees the work of the GOE and sits on the Board
for HMG.
The FCO London 2012 Board sits on a bi-monthly basis
and is chaired by Sir Alan Collins. Stakeholders and the OGC sit
on the board as do those responsible for delivery.
Direct Impact Role
The FCO plays an important role in the delivery of
the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games. The London Organising
Committee of the Olympic Games and the Government Olympic Executive
rely on the FCO to receive and manage an estimated 180 heads of
state for the opening and closing ceremonies. Indirectly the FCO
will, through posts overseas and UKBA, deliver visa services to
Olympic tourists and Olympic Family members who fail to obtain
their accreditation for a variety of reasons.
The key departments responsible for these activities
are:-
Protocol Department:
- Protection arrangements for Heads of State/Government
(current estimated maximum of 180) and logistical support for
many other VIPs who have their own country protection staff but
are not receiving UK close protection
- Managing Diplomatic Co-ordination (ie LOCOG,
Protocol and GOE)
- Engagement with security partners to scope the
requirements for the security of the Heads of States/Government
and ensure appropriate delivery
Migration Department
- Communicating entry requirement at political
level to posts and to government
Liaising with UKBA on the accreditation process and
entry into the UK
We also work in close collaboration with:
UKTI
- Promoting UK PLC in collaboration with UKTI -
an important area of work. More detail given at the end of this
annex.
Behind the Scenes
Press Office
- Passing on Games related information to
the foreign press
- Handling media around the intensive international
engagements/meetings that will take place in the run-up to and
during the Olympics
Counter Terrorism Directorate
- Stakeholder engagement with the Met and Home
Office, to ensure the international angles are fully covered on
counter-terrorism and security
Estate &Security Directorate
- Ensure protective security of staff, buildings
and information leading up to and during the Games
Geographic Directorates
- Engagement with relevant internal and external
stakeholders to ensure international communities concerns/requirements
are addressed e.g. co-ordination of bilateral meetings with Protocol,
discussion of visa concerns with UKBA etc.
Business Continuity
- Protection of the FCO's critical work to ensure
resilience within directorates for Games
Games Time Operations - Crisis/Incident Management
During the Games the FCO will have an incident management
team in place to cover all eventualities that have an International
angle to them. Planning is at an early stage but developing well.
In preparation for Incident/Crisis management the
FCO has been building strong relations with the Metropolitan Police,
LOCOG and GOE to ensure that the flow of information from the
Games Time Communication Centre is timely and accurate. The FCO
has a secondee based in the Metropolitan Police who leads on security
and policing at major international events.
The incident management team will be based in a designated
crisis management area within the FCO and has access to dedicated
technology and communications.
We envisage there being a need to keep senior officials
and ministers and up to date on incidents that take place and
ensure good communication links to our Heads of Missions.
To ensure that this important piece of work is realised
the FCO are building on their crisis management experience overseas.
The crisis management teams will consist of members that have
crisis management experience and are able to add context geographically
and politically. It is intended that these teams include the Press
Office and communication specialists.
Trade and Investment Activity
Trade and investment is an important part of the
economic legacy of the Games. The international spotlight on the
UK offers significant potential for promoting the UK as an attractive
place for high level investment, international growth, and as
a trading partner for years to come.
The Games and the international exposure they will
attract will help drive inward investment into the UK and deliver
new business partners for UK firms through highlighting UK expertise
in delivering international events of this scale The Australians
successfully enhanced this sector's ability to promote itself
internationally and win supply contracts at global events such
as Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
UKTI's Host2Host programme is helping to develop
trade links through MOU's (essentially trade agreements) with
host and bid cities of Olympic Games and other major sporting
events. The programme aims to increase supply opportunities in
global markets and offer opportunities both for increasing investment
in the UK and Increasing UK exports. Current Host2Host partners
include Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Canada and Singapore; other
partners are being pursued.
We know from Sydney that hosting the Games can provide
a tremendous incentive for high value inward investment: New South
Wales attracted Aus$600 million in new business investment from
the Sydney Games in 2000. Similarly, the Canadian Government believes
that its hosting of the Winter Games has created, and will continue
to create, a significant boost to inward investment into the country,
though it is too soon to put a figure on the value of this.
Many of the 2012 sponsors are overseas owned and
employ a significant number of British workers in the UK. Such
companies include GE, Coca Cola, Panasonic, Samsung, McDonalds,
EDF, UPS, Adidas, Atos Origin, Omega, BMW and Cisco. This
demonstrates the value of FDI into the UK, not purely for the
support of the Games but for the longer term sustainable employment
that overseas owned companies create.
Lancaster House: UKTI/FCO are planning a business
hub at Games time to promote UK industry and inward investment
and are looking at various venues which would resonate with target
audiences.
Annex C
LIST OF SEE BRITAIN SHORT FILM SUBJECTS AND
PROPOSED DIGITAL LAUNCH DATE
Name | Nationality/Country
| Profession/Sector | See Britain messages/themes
| Date of Launch + Reason |
Kosei Inoue | Japanese |
Olympic Judo Gold Medallist | Multicultural
Tolerant
Forward Looking
| 27 July 2010
2 years to go |
Jonathan Mills | Australian
| Director Edinburgh International Festival |
Modern
Dynamic
Multicultural
Fun
Arts and culture
| 16 August 2010
First weekend of Edinburgh festival
|
Mushtaq Ahmed | Pakistan |
Cricket Legend
Spin Bowling coach of England Cricket team
| Multicultural
Multi- faith
Tolerant
Democratic
Sport
| First week of September
[postponed due to Pakistan floods]
|
Lucelia Taranto Rodrigues | Brazil
| Architecture Lecturer Nottingham University
| Warm/welcoming
Open/modern
Sustainability
Green Energy
Forward Looking
Tolerant
Multicultural
| 28/29 September
Coincide UKTI trade event in Rio (sports)
|
Andre Camara | Brazil | Photographer
| Resilience
Equality/Democratic
Respect
Multicultural
| 28/29 September to coincide with Trade Event
|
David Sable | US | Director NT Live
| Accessible/Democratic
Creative
Dynamic
Multicultural
| October 2010
Start of NT Live new season
|
Sir Magdi Yacoub | Egyptian
| Heart Transplant Surgeon | NHS
Democratic
Egalitarian
Medical Innovation
Forward Looking
| End of October |
Michel Taride | France |
CEO Hertz Europe | Multicultural
Cosmopolitan
Tolerant
Creative
| TBA |
Major Ajor Nana Twumasi- Ankrah | Ghana
| Squadron Leader Household Cavalry UK Military
| Modern
Egalitarian
Commonwealth
Democratic
Freedom of Speech
Multicultural
| TBA |
Giovanna Tinetti | Italy |
Astrobiologist | Scientific/Innovation
Modern
Forward Looking
Multicultural
Meritocratic
| TBA |
Troika fashion designers
Sebastien Noel
Conny Freyer and Eva Rucki
| SN - France
CF - Germany
ER - Germany
| Designers | Fashion expertise
Innovation
Sustainability
Open
Modern
| TBA |
Bonnie Greer | USA | Playwright/social commentator
Vice Chairman British Museum
| Multi-Cultural
Open
Connected
International Hub
| TBA |
Reem Alasadi | Iraq | Fashion Designer
| Sustainability
Innovation
Fashion pioneers
Multicultural
Open
Cool/Modern
| TBA |
Zeinab Badawi | Sudan | Newsreader
Journalist
| Freedom of expression
Internationally focussed
Strong Democracy
| TBA BBC events
World Press Day |
Raymond Blanc | France |
Chef | Pro-business
Open-minded
Opportunity
Multicultural
Innovative
| March/April
Launch of new TV series |
Camila Batmanghelidjh | Iran
| Social Entrepreneur
Charity head | Eccentric
Open Minded
Caring/warm
Egalitarian
Compassion
Opportunity
| TBA |
Mona Siddiqui | Pakistan |
Academic
Theologian | Multicultural
Forward Thinking
Multi-faith
Tolerant
Opportunity
Freedom of Expression
| TBA |
Ching He Huang | China |
Chef
Businesswoman | Embracing Change
Multicultural
Open-minded
Compassionate
Humorous
Opportunity
| TBA |
Carlos Acosta | Cuba | Ballet Dancer
| Creative
Welcoming
Multicultural
Cosmopolitan
| TBA around one of his productions |
Dr Claudia Bausewein | Germany
| Palliative Care Doctor
Rehabilitation |
Expertise
Leading research
Caring
Modern
Innovative
| TBA |
Manoj Badale | India | Businessman
| Entrepreneurship
Sport
Connected
Equal opportunity
Tolerant
| UKTI Announcement of Business Embassy? |
Prince Seeiso | Lesotho |
Ambassador in UK | Warm/Friendly
Welcoming
Multicultural
| TBA |
Sir Anwar Pervez | Pakistan
| Chairman Bestway | Equal Opportunities
Entrepreneurial
Respect
| TBA |
Shadia Mansour | Palestine |
Hip Hop Artist | Multicultural
Freedom of Expression
Creative
Open
| TBA |
Alina Ibragimova | Russia |
Violinist | Multicultural
Freedom of Expression
Creative
Welcoming
| TBA |
Polly Courtice | South Africa
| Director Cambridge Programme for Industry |
Sustainable Development
Open minded
Forward Thinking
| TBA |
UK personalities |
Kwame Kwei-Armah | UK | Actor/Playwright
| Energetic
Multicultural
Creative
| TBA |
Sir Steve Redgrave | UK |
Former Olympian
Rowing Ambassador | Success
Achievement
Motivation
Dedication
| TBA |
Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson | UK
| Paralympian | Equal Opportunities
Forward Thinking
Multicultural
Dynamic
| TBA |
Annex D
THE SEE BRITAIN COLLABORATE SITE
A password protected extranet community for our staff and Partners'
staff to access materials, share ideas and showcase achievements.[2]
Both the number of members and amount of activity on the collaborate
site has steadily risen since it went live in November 2009. It
now boasts an online community of 782 members where staff showcase
their achievements and draw inspiration from See Britain activity
taking place worldwide.
- A central repository of 'See Britain' material, films, image
libraries, toolkits
- 5mins 26secs - average time spent on site
- 69% return visits
- 34 discussion groups
Annex E
CASE STUDY: SPEED SISTERS[3]
BACKGROUND
Speed Sisters is a project conceived and managed by the British
Consulate in Jerusalem with funding and support from the See Britain
Strategic Communications campaign. Car racing is a relatively
new but hugely popular sport in Palestine while Britain is recognised
as a country that has real expertise and credibility in this area.
Our Consulate in Jerusalem spotted the opportunity to support
a project in car racing and so reach out to a different Palestinian
audience and show the UK in a different light ie as a modern,
cool, relevant, inclusive and collaborative country with citizens
who share similar values and passions to Palestinians.
OBJECTIVES
- Challenge negative perceptions about the UK in Palestine (recent
results from the Gallup World View survey state that 70% of Palestinians
disapprove of UK leadership).
- Present the UK as socially inclusive, open and collaborative.
Capitalise on improved perceptions of the UK brought about by
our support for the Speed Sisters project, to re-frame policy
conversations and enhance the UK's reputation.
- Support objective 1 of the Occupied Palestinian Territories
country business plan - specifically to 'Implement an engagement
and communication strategy that enhances the UK and international
community's reputation as honest brokers'.
- Support wider campaigning for MENA Partners for Progress.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience is young Arabs particularly those involved
in rally driving and motor sports and Arab women.
ACTIVITY
During 2010 the See Britain campaign provided financial and practical
support to a female Palestinian car racing team who had struggled
to compete due to a lack of funding. FCO support funded improvements
to a donated car, provision of a racing kit and a training event
in which two world class female rally drivers visited Palestine
to train the Speed Sisters and share knowledge and expertise.
This training was an important aspect of the project as people
from different cultures and backgrounds united in their passion
for motorsport. UK sponsorship was made clear from the start with
British flags adorning the team's car and helmets.
IMPACT AND
EVALUATION
The Speed Sisters have competed in three races so far, which have
been well-received by the media with coverage on all major western
and Arab news channels, in British and Arab women's magazines
and over 1,000 online and print articles. "Look", a
UK female glossy magazine, with a circulation of over 300,000
also featured the story. Media coverage has been entirely positive
and has reached an audience in excess of 300 million. The two
face book pages "UK in Jerusalem" and "Speed Sisters"
have attracted over 3,000 friends and continue to grow. There
is a constant flow of positive commentary (approximately 300 interactions
per week) and thanks for British support.
We have also funded a documentary that is still in production
but will be shown on UK and Arab television and will be distributed
digitally.
The project has impacted on post relationships with local interlocutors.
The Governor of Ramallah, the head of the Olympics committee and
the Minister of Sport and Youth have attended racing events and
expressed support. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is aware of the
project and thanked the UK at the Queen's Birthday Party. The
project has opened up a more nuanced, rational and reasonable
discussion with Arab youth, whose previous attitude to the UK
was dogmatic and uninformed. This change in perception contributes
in part to the re-framing of policy conversations around counter-terrorism
and conflict resolution.
CONTINUING ACTIVITY
The team have completed the planned races but momentum and interest
in the Speed Sisters continues to grow. Palestinian businesses
have offered further sponsorship to help guarantee the project's
future but the FCO intends to remain involved in this project
and maximise the dividends for the UK's reputation.
CASE STUDY: SPORT RELIEF[4]
BACKGROUND
Sport Relief, the sporting branch of Comic Relief, is a global
initiative, which harnesses the power and passion of sport to
raise money to help vulnerable people in the UK and the world's
poorest countries. The 2010 Sport Relief Mile involved hundreds
of thousands of people across the world, running one, three or
six miles in aid of charity. Sir Steve Redgrave, Ambassador for
the See Britain through my eyes campaign, challenged the FCO and
Public Diplomacy Partners to take part: "I can't think of
a better way for Britain to show how much it cares about the world
and its problems than for those who represent us overseas - all
of YOU - to take part in this year's Sport Relief mile in March".
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Sport Relief mile were to:
- Enhance perceptions of the UK worldwide, challenge stereotypes
of Britain as cold and stuffy and present the UK as innovative,
dynamic, lively and passionate about international partnership
- Present the UK as charitable on an international and local
level
- Energise and excite the FCO network with new ways of working
by holding a worldwide event which involved all Embassy staff
and contributed to the FCO's "One Team" approach
ACTIVITY
55 posts participated in the Sport Relief Mile between 19 and
21 March in a variety of weather conditions - colleagues in Kazakhstan
ran in the snow whilst those in Oman ran along the beach in a
temperature of 30 degrees.
Posts received a Sport Relief Mile 'event pack' which included
information on how to organise the event, some equipment such
as start and finish banners and advice on how to maximise press
coverage.
Posts collaborated with Public Diplomacy Partners including the
British Council, UKTI and Visit Britain in organizing their event.
A Sport Relief group on the London 2012 hub 'Collaborate' was
set up, which attracted over 180 members, and which provided a
discussion / advice forum and other supporting materials.
OUTCOME AND
EVALUATION
Based on data received from posts, £43,000 was raised for
55 charities, involving 3,871 participants. The event attracted
major media attention, with tens of millions of people potentially
able to access information about the event through newspapers
and websites. Charities to benefit included Sport Relief, Animal
Friends League, Abdullah Children's Hospice, the Norwegian Red
Cross, Ronald MacDonald House and the Chilean earthquake appeal.
INDIVIDUAL EXAMPLES
- In Guangzhou, South China, the mile raised enough money to
fully furnish a living skills room for disabled children in a
local project.
- In Kuwait, the event raised £1,080 and received unprecedented
media coverage for a public diplomacy initiative from major Kuwaiti
papers and the daily news bulletins of three TV broadcasters.
Post estimate 222, 000 people received information directly from
these sources.
- In Seoul, South Korea, the event was covered by Yonhap News
(the Korean equivalent of Reuters), the only state-run wire news
service agency in Korea.
- In Beirut, Lebanon, the mile was covered by most of the major
daily papers, including Al Mustaqbal newspaper and Al Massira
magazine, with a combined circulation of 10,000.
- In Colombo, Sri Lanka, the event attracted the attention of
two TV channels and three English language papers and raised £1,724
for the Foundation of Goodness.
ENERGISED, ENTHUSIASTIC
NETWORK
The Sport Relief Mile resonated with posts and prompted a surge
in activity and enthusiasm worldwide. Posts commented that the
event encouraged them to explore new ways of engaging with locals
and prompted further See Britain activity. It also raised staff
morale being a voluntary, fun activity held out of the office.
Many posts plan to hold a second Sport Relief event in 2012, which
would tie in to London 2012 activity.
Posts used the See Britain collaborate site to showcase their
events. This increased use of the site and further increased See
Britain's exposure and audience.
CASE STUDY: DVD: ROAD TO LONDON, PRETORIA[5]
BACKGROUND
The South African Sports Confederation and the Olympic
Committee approached the British High Commission in Pretoria,
seeking a venue to launch the eight corporate sponsors for their
London 2012 Paralympic Team. Post capitalised on the visit by
the Lord Mayor of the City of London to host an event with UKTI
for business leaders and local media contacts. The event was themed
the "Road to London" during which the sponsors' logos
were revealed by the SASCOC President on the windows of a replica
modern London bus.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the visit were to:
- Challenge the perception of Britain as a being
outdated, old fashioned and steeped in colonial baggage
- Maintain the UK's "market share" of
influence with South Africans,
- Promote the UK as open, creative, connected and
dynamic
TARGET AUDIENCES
In line with its broader Communications Strategy,
post targeted the following sectors:
- Business leaders - highlighting that the British
economy was open for business, hungry for creative new activity
and connected to wider European markets
- Media network - illustrating that the UK is a
dynamic world leader in sporting excellence and the proud host
of a range of major events
- Youth- promoting the core values of the campaign
- General public - challenging existing media perceptions
that regularly portray the UK as a dated, colonial master rather
than a "Premier League" partner.
ACTIVITY
In partnership with UKTI and Visit Britain, post
worked with a local production company to mix dynamic images of
the UK with an inspiring soundtrack to create a bespoke promotional
DVD of the UK. The aim was to produce a balanced portrayal of
contemporary and ancient Britain - the soundtrack was classical
with a modern twist. The DVD, branded "UK, be a part of it"
had a sporting theme promoting British excellence across all parts
of the UK.
The DVD can be viewed at: http://ukinsouthafrica.fco.gov.uk/en/news/press-centre/080-Media-library/video-gallery/uk-be-part-of-it
The event was compared by Carol Manana, co-host of
the FIFA World Cup 2010 Draw, and was attended by approximately
150 guests. The President of SASCOC, the Lord Mayor of the City
of London and South African Paralympic athletes Hilton Langenhoven
and Natalie du Toit (inset) attended the event.
OUTCOME AND
EVALUATION
Feedback on the DVD was positive with respondents
commenting that they felt more patriotic having watched it. In
response to the question "Has the DVD made you think differently
about the UK?" 60% of respondents answered "no",
but said that the DVD reinforced what they already knew to be
true of the UK. It is hoped that subsequent events, involving
a different audience demographic, would bring an 80-90% positive
response.
The media coverage produced a solid impression of
a modern dynamic Olympic event. All of the TV coverage used footage
from the DVD. The Mayor of London and swimmer Natalie Du Toit
were interviewed in front of the DVD branding. Approximately 60%
of all print coverage had some reference to the DVD .
The DVD and associated pocket guide cost just over
£7,000 while reception and other costs were borne by other
parties.
CONTINUING ACTIVITY
Since the premiere of the DVD in March 2010, it has
been put on the post's website and on You Tube. It was shown at
functions ahead of and during the 2010 World Cup. Post will continue
to use the DVD and the images/design in other appropriate events
/ contexts.
Annex F
Annex G
LONDON 2012 PD PROJECT MILESTONES

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