DD2197 Brandwatch social media listening tool

1.1. Since March 2014, GLA Marketing and social media channel managers across the GLA have been using social media management software, Sprout Social, to assist with collaborative working and reporting across the GLA’s suite of official social media channels.

1.2. In addition, the GLA has been using Spike, a social media news engagement monitoring tool, since September 2016 to help identify the best performing news content and trending news stories amongst London’s social media users. This tool helps the GLA get a real-time view of the popularity of stories from major news websites on social media, which helps to improve the digital communications output the GLA offers to Londoners by finding breaking stories faster, understanding how news stories will perform and informing content planning.

1.3. The GLA ran a competitive tender with three companies to meet its social media listening requirements and complement its other tools. Brandwatch’s comprehensive social listening will enable the GLA to better Brandwatch will enable the GLA to better understand how much its target audiences on social media understand about its policies and what their perception is of such policies. This will help to ensure the GLA’s content continues to be relevant so it can drive awareness, increase understanding and increase engagement with the Mayor and City Hall’s work.

2.1. The GLA aims to raise awareness, increase understanding and open up the ability for Londoners to access and influence the work of the GLA. To effectively meet its objectives, the GLA needs to be listening to what Londoners are saying about the work that it does. This will help to ensure its content continues to be relevant to Londoners. Brandwatch will enable the GLA to create meaningful dashboards and reports, highlighting key issues discussed on social media and overall sentiment. This information will help to inform the GLA’s digital communications strategy.

3.1. The general duty to promote equality arising from the Equality Act 2010, which requires the Mayor to have due regard to the need to “encourage people who share protected characteristics (which there are nine; age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; and sexual orientation) to participate in public life or in other activity in which their participation is disproportionately low”. This sits alongside the Mayor’s duty, set out in the Greater London Authority Act 1999, to have regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity, eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote good relations between different minority groups.

3.2. The construction of all GLA marketing and communications activity is to take into consideration the audience for which the activity is aimed at. In every case, materials are assessed to ensure they are fully accessible and in line with the public sector equality duty.

4.1. Key risks and issues

The success of the GLA’s social media operation relies on collaborative working, prompt and helpful responses to Londoners and compelling and engaging content. The risk of not deploying Brandwatch is not having a clear picture of what Londoners think about the work of the GLA, which will hinder its ability to meet its objectives.

4.2 Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

External Affairs’ priorities in the GLA business plan 2015-17 include:

o Deliver an effective and efficient public information service to support the Mayor’s and the GLA’s communication with Londoners (p71)

o Deliver integrated marketing campaigns utilising both digital and traditional marketing assets, which allow the Authority to promote its work effectively and listen to Londoners’ opinions and concerns. (p72)



4.3 Impact assessments and consultations

A competitive procurement process has been carried out and Brandwatch meets the GLA’s social media listening requirements. Licencing of the tool for one year is cost prohibitive, however economies of scale can be achieved via a three-year contract, which offers good value for money.

5.1. The total cost of up to £72,000 for this 3-year contract (£24,000 per year) will be funded from the existing Marketing Programme budget held within the External Affairs Directorate. As the contract duration is from the 30 December 2017 to 30 December 2020, costs will span 4 financial-years from 2017-18 to 2020-21.

6.1 The foregoing sections of this report indicate that:

6.1.1 the decisions requested of the Director concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the statutory powers of the GLA to do such things as may be considered to be facilitative of or conducive or incidental to the GLA’s discharge of its principal purposes; and

6.1.2 in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:

(a) pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;

(b) consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and

(c) consult with appropriate bodies.

6.2.1 The GLA must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to:

(a) eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010 (“the Act”);

(b) advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;

(c) foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

6.2.2 Having due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to:

(a) remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are connected to that characteristic;

(b) take steps to meet the needs of persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are different from the needs of persons who do not share it; and

(c) encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate in public life or in any other activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.

6.2.3 The steps involved in meeting the needs of disabled persons that are different from the needs of persons who are not disabled include, in particular, steps to take account of disabled persons' disabilities.

6.2.4 Having due regard to the need to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to: tackle prejudice; and promote understanding.

6.2.5 Compliance with the above duties may involve treating some persons more favourably than others, but that is not to be taken as permitting conduct that would otherwise be prohibited by or under the Act.

6.2.6 The relevant protected characteristics are: age; disability; gender reassignment; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation.

6.2.7 A reference to conduct that is prohibited by or under the Act includes a reference to a breach of: an equality clause or rule; or a non-discrimination rule.

6.2.8 To this end the director should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

6.3 Officers must ensure that the relevant contract documentation is put in place and executed by the successful bidder and the GLA before the commencement of the services.