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Minutes

Workforce Network of Kansas
Marketing Task Force
December 19, 2001

In attendance: Caleb Asher, SRS; David Brennan, Local Area II; Glenn Fondoble, WESTCO; Natalie Fondoble, WESTCO; Nancy Guthrie, WESTCO; Kathy Ketchum, KDHR; Keith Lawing and Jim Swarzenberger, Local Area IV (by telephone) and Barb Reavis, KWIP staff

Self-introductions were offered.

Local Areas I, II and IV participated in the meeting and agreed to do a coordinated promotional effort the week of January 21-25. The WNK Board will be meeting in Topeka Thursday of that week; partners will be participating in Kansas Award for Excellence applicant training on Friday of that week. To support the efforts of the Local Boards, Reavis and Ketchum promised to assist in the following ways:
Ketchum: develop generic media release, send media contact lists, send success stories she has gathered from around the state
Reavis: request Governor's column on Wednesday, January 23 to be about WNK
Ketchum and Reavis: pursue getting the brochures which are currently in the design stage at Fleishman-Hillard so Local Areas will have them by January 18

Ketchum reported the KDHR telecommunications expert had been swamped and unable to gather the cost information necessary to discuss a possible 1-800 number versus the cost localized phone listings. The potential exists again for USDOL to end the nationwide toll free number they have had in place for the past several months. Toll free phone referrals will return to the agenda in January.

The issue about protecting the Workforce Network of Kansas brand was discussed. Reavis reported that Secretary Beyer told the Joint Committee on Economic Development that KDHR recognized not all unemployment clients were comfortable with using the phone or internet claim processes. He indicated the agency planned to address that by improving the face-to-face service for those clients when they go to workforce centers or job service centers. Reavis raised the question about whether a state-level MOU would be a benefit so Local Areas would know what, at a minimum, they might be able to expect from local offices of state agencies. Members expressed concerns about whether that would be any help but agreed they wouldn't mind seeing what one might look like. Reavis will work on that.

Ketchum reported on the promotional efforts to roll out the online unemployment claim process. News conferences were held in KC, Wichita and Topeka. Online usage spiked ten percent in the first two days and about 24 percent of the claims are coming through the Internet now. Full marketing efforts will begin on December 31. At that time several hundred TV ads will run for two weeks on WIBW, KAKE, KMBC and KODE. Between those stations, the state will be covered. Billboards will go up in those three areas the first week of January. One hundred-forty daily and weekly newspapers will run display ads for three weeks at a total cost of $750/week.
Ketchum had an informal conversation with former Secretary Wayne Franklin. He is now with Southwestern Bell and wondered about providing an insert in bills to business customers to promote the workforce services. Members brainstormed about other inexpensive ways to promote services. UtiliCorps and Department of Revenue might be avenues for such efforts, as well as mailings made by SRS and other agencies. A question was raised about whether we would face an ethics issue if getting this kind of support from a non-governmental organization. Reavis will pursue that issue.

The next Marketing Task Force meeting is scheduled for January 9, 10:00-noon and will be held at Topeka Workforce Center, 1430 SW Topeka Blvd.