EXPERIENCE Project Communications and Marketing Manager

Role Responsibility

EXPERIENCE is an exciting €23million tourism project funded by the Interreg V Channel England France Programme. Kent County Council is one of 14 partners in France and England. The project will work with businesses and partners to develop new tourism products that engage visitors in the landscape in a way that supports and enhances that landscape. EXPERIENCE will promote new experiential tourism products through tourism fairs, media and communication campaigns.

Arriving at a crucial point in project delivery you will quickly assess, plan and prioritise a highly effective final year of project communications and marketing. You will need to quickly establish strong partner and team understanding of the vision, strategy and delivery tasks needed to consolidate and celebrate EXPERIENCE project sustainable tourism products and build a legacy through an enduring strong communication and marketing mindset within the Kent Downs and North Downs Way teams.

Working closely with colleagues in a highly skilled, multi-disciplinary team of six, part of the wider Kent Downs AONB Unit, this role will develop and deliver the EXPERIENCE communications and marketing strategy. You will ensure that the EXPERIENCE communications work complements and delivers a communications legacy for the Kent Downs AONB Unit and the North Downs Way. Working with the Communications Manager you will lead the Kent Downs AONB Unit to build the internal infrastructure and mindset to deliver modern and customer facing communication approaches and marketing systems for our organisational aims and objectives.

You will share responsibility with senior KDAONB team members to agree and develop new funding and finance opportunities to support this legacy, including identifying innovative funding and finance streams.

You will lead the EXPERIENCE team members through your focused communications strategy including a Project Manager, a Project Officer, a Business Engagement Manager, the Communications and Marketing Assistant, the North Downs Way National Trail Manager and the wider Kent Downs AONB team. You will work closely with the Kent Downs Communications Manager to achieve this.

The role may involve some travel in the project pilot regions which are Brittany, Pas-de-Calais, and Compiègne in France and Norfolk, Kent, and Cornwall in the UK.

The EXPERIENCE project is led by the Kent Downs AONB Unit and this role is part of that wider team. It is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg V Channel France England Programme, the North Downs Way National Trail, the Kent Downs AONB Unit and participating district and borough councils including Dover, Canterbury, Ashford, Gravesham, Swale and Kent County Council.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver an exciting and effective marketing and communications strategy for the final year of the Kent Downs AONB and North Downs Way (NDW) EXPERIENCE project.
• Develop a sustainable legacy plan for Kent Downs AONB and NDW EXP related communications and work with members of the EXPERIENCE team, wider AONB Unit and delivery partners to support this legacy plan. This should highlight key achievements and set up processes that will help deliver the legacy plan.
• Develop and agree a prioritized approach to Communication and Marketing activities delivered through the EXPERIENCE project work with the Business Engagement and Tourism Manager to agree a joint marketing approach to EXPERIENCE delivery and to support efforts to commercialise and generate income for the Kent Downs AONB and the NDW.
• Be responsible for the EXPERIENCE website presence and functionality.
• With the EXPERIENCE team, agree the most effective website strategy and management for the project duration and legacy. This will involve improved functionality and strategy for the Kent Downs AONB and the North Downs Way websites in relation to EXPERIENCE aims and objectives.
• Ensure that new and identified target audiences increase visitor numbers, increase engagement and deliver income growth, ensuring that all campaigns are cost effective and meaningfully grow audiences to increase reach and impact.
• Drive awareness and engagement with B2B and B2C target audiences.
• Work with the Kent Downs AONB Communications Manager to build a B2B and B2C database including regular reviews and reporting on project progress, where this aligns with the EXPERIENCE project.
• Design and implement fully integrated EXPERIENCE campaigns across all online and offline channels including the website, paid channels, social media, email newsletters, press releases, flyers, and posters.
• Develop and deliver the content plan for the Kent Downs AONB and North Downs Way EXPERIENCE project.
• Produce end of campaign analysis and reports.
• Undertake regular evaluation of all marketing and communications activity, producing detailed reports, analysis and advice on a regular basis to identify in-campaign changes if needed and inform future planning. Develop powerful summary reports for campaign impact to drive communication and marketing profile and importance within the Kent Downs wider team and partnerships.
• Develop and identify effective and appropriate routes to market for all EXPERIENCE products.
• Develop strong relationships with local, national and specialist media, establishing regular lines of communication in order to achieve regular coverage with target media. Ensure that this is developed in line with Kent Downs AONB objectives.
• Work closely with Visit Kent who are also a project partner, ensuring communications enhance and support each other’s work. 
• Build strong working relationships, regular monthly updates and future strategic plans with EXPERIENCE stakeholders, district and borough councils including Dover, Canterbury, Ashford, Gravesham, Swale and Kent County Council and other external partners to deliver joint objectives, which are mutually beneficial.
• Manage the Communications and Marketing Assistant.
• Manage an Events Manager if recruited during the final year of the project.
• Represent the EXPERIENCE team at key functions, including external events and exhibitions.
• Represent KCC and the Kent Downs AONB Unit at EXPERIENCE meetings in France and the UK.
• Ensure that all activities are carried out in a proper and accountable manner according to the financial and health and safety requirements of Kent County Council as well as other funding partners such as the Interreg V France Channel England Programme. Ensure all EXPERIENCE activity complies with EU and EXPERIENCE project rules by acting as the brand gatekeeper, advisor and being responsible for EU funding requirements relevant to the project ensuring all marketing and communications outputs are compliant, offering advice to team members and external partners as required.
• Any other duties that may be identified by the EXPERIENCE Project Manager to support the delivery of the aims and objectives of the Kent Downs AONB Unit.

Contact Details

For further information regarding this role, please contact:

Makala Thomas

Tourism Project Officer

makala.thomas@kentdowns.org.uk

07446625930

About the Company

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds and faiths, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note – if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.