COVID advertising costs

1 April 2022

Dear

ATISN 16154 – COVID Advertising Costs

Thank you for your request to the Welsh Government for information under the Freedom of Information Act (2000) received on 11 March 2022.  You have requested the following:

1. The total cost of all television, radio, print, social media or any other form of interaction with the public for information regarding COVID 19 guidelines, rules or laws.

Our Response

The below figures cover the total cost of all advert and asset production, media buying, public relations, stakeholder and public engagement for the Keep Wales Safe (COVID-19 public information) campaign and Test Trace Protect (COVID-19 testing) campaign as paid for the Health and Social Services Department of the Welsh Government.

The integrated campaign and digital marketing contracts were let as a single contract to cover the Keep Wales Safe, Test Trace and Protect and HelpUsHelpYou (NHS access) campaigns to enable us to get the best price and allowed us to flex the available media buying space at short notice so that we could respond quickly to the ever-changing situation during the pandemic. Where possible, we have removed the costs related to the HelpUsHelpYou campaign but some costs for that campaign are still included.

These costs exclude VAT.

2020-21: £3,985,446.67
2021-22: £6,815,802.10

Next Steps

If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response. Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at:

Information Rights Unit, 
Welsh Government,
Cathays Park, 
Cardiff, 
CF10 3NQ 
or  Freedom.ofinformation@gov.wales

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office, 
Wycliffe House, 
Water Lane, 
Wilmslow, 
Cheshire, 
SK9 5AF

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process.

Yours sincerely