More details revealed of major marketing contract

It also emerged that one of the people on the evaluation panel was previously a director of Kindred, but that she had immediately made the Culture Company aware of that, and the panel, after considering the issue, decided that there was no conflict.

The revelations came as the body leading the city’s year in the spotlight as the first ever UK City of Culture outlined more details of the contract award.

The successful bidder previously provided support for the campaign to win the title of the UK’s first ever Capital of Culture.

A spokesperson for Culture Company confirmed that Kindred was the successful bidder for the Integrated Marketing Tender that was issued by Culture Company on September 10th.

Kindred will be partnering with local suppliers to provide marketing support for Derry-Londonderry’s 2013 UK City of Culture Celebrations.

The Culture Company said the agency was selected after an evaluation conducted by a panel of four, convened by Culture Company’s Business Engagement Manager.

The panel comprised City of Culture’s Marketing and Communications Lead, Derry City Council’s Marketing and Communication Officer, Derry City Council’s Procurement and Payments Manager and Culture Company’s Business Engagement Manager. There was also input from Culture Company’s Financial controller.

The Culture Company also said that the Marketing and Communications Lead, Fiona Kane, whose Strategic Investment Board profile on the internet lists that she was a former director of Kindred was not involved in the initial selection stage of the tender process but was involved in the evaluation of the candidates which made the shortlist and “immediately declared her previous involvement with Kindred”.

“However, the panel considered this and were of the opinion that there was no conflict,” said the Culture Company.

All submissions were evaluated against the criteria stated in the original document.

Kindred’s website boasts a considerable number of ‘case studies’ it has been involved with. Outlined in alphabetical order on a very professional website, these include a wide range of subjects, including many campaigns associated with health, education, business and culture.

It also says: “Every agency talks about being different. Every agency talks about going digital.

“Every agency talks about mastering social media. We’re not just talking about it, we’re doing it.

“We have put together specialists from advertising, PR and digital. We all sit together in one big room and focus this powerful collective energy on squeezing the greatest behaviour change possible out of our clients’ budgets. Our clients like what we do. It’s doing, not just talking that makes us Kindred.”