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Minutes

Kansas Workforce Investment Partnership
Marketing Task Force
February 8, 2001

In attendance: David Brennan, Local Area II; Val DeFever, KSDE & KWIP; Kathy Ketchum, KDHR; Shirley Martin-Smith, KWIP; Vernon Nikkel, Local Area I; Jon Pettus, Local Area V; Al Rolls, Local Area III; Cindee Stratton, KDOCH; Marcia Webb, Local Area III; Barb Reavis, KWIP staff

Ketchum described the status of kansasjoblink.com. It has had a number of enhancements to make it easier to use but the service component still has some bugs that need worked out. National jobs hotline funding is being used to co-brand with Kjl.com. It is still unknown whether the hotline will continue under the new US DOL Secretary so materials are being printed to last only until October 2001. Sanders is planning to incorporate Unemployment Insurance registration into kjl.com and has promised marketing funds to accompany that change to the IT system.

Reavis reported that service mark registration application for Kansas Job Link has been made with both the federal office of trademarks and the Kansas Secretary of State. The total cost was $350 to protect the name and deter others from using the name.

Ketchum reported that on 1/26 the KWIP Council approved the Marketing Task Force's recommendation for branding the system Workforce Network of Kansas. The item drew considerable discussion with business members seeking more information about how this method of branding would actually play out. KWIP approval was given "to this point" with instructions to this task force to flesh out a plan and bring it back. Ketchum relayed that Steve Jack has a strong opinion that ideas from an external advertising agency will help to craft a plan and sell it to the KWIP.

Reavis said Ketchum, Stratton, Jack and she had met this week. They identified sources of funding for marketing and four of the most immediate priorities to roll out a marketing strategy for Workforce Network of Kansas. KDHR has a $50,000 grant for marketing from US DOL that must be obligated by June 30. The priorities they identified include: final a logo, develop and draft graphic standards for use of the logo, review and advise on the marketing plan Ketchum drafted several months ago, and develop and draft a brochure to promote the Workforce Network of Kansas.

Stratton described the results of the conversation she had with Fran Welch, the Division of Purchasing. After task force discussion, it was determined that Stratton and Ketchum would work quickly to pull together the outline for letting an RFP for an ad agency. Members present felt it was important to write the RFP in such a way we could maintain a multi-year relationship with the chosen agency so work could be continued as funding became available.

The question was raised about whether some of the US DOL $50,000 could be used to assist local areas with promotional costs. Ketchum will check on that possibility. Rolls reminded us that we might need to consider bi-state marketing efforts also.
The KWIP Leadership Team will meet February 23. Jack and Reavis will report at that meeting on the current status of the RFP effort and seek approval to proceed. Under the best circumstances, working through the bid process, there probably won't be any work done until May.

Old Business:
** Nothing had been done on drafting logo use recommendations pending the selection of a brand. We would expect the ad agency to undertake this issue once an agency is selected.
**Most of the partner agencies forwarded their acronym list to Reavis and an intern pulled them all together. This list needs to be edited further and then could be useful as an internal tool for cross training.
** On the topic of public presentations available for others to use, Reavis will send to KWIP members and the Marketing Task Force the outline she has used to explain KWIP and WIA to civic clubs and legislative committees. People can use it as a basis if they are making public presentations.

New Business:
Reavis shared a draft graphic of the Workforce Network of Kansas and asked for suggestions about whether it represented the structure and how it could be made more understandable. Members offered helpful suggestions that Reavis will incorporate and seek feedback from people with little or not familiarity with the system.

The next Marketing Task Force meeting is scheduled for March 8, 10:00-noon and will be held at Topeka Workforce Center, 1430 SW Topeka Blvd.