Where is Scotland?

Scotland is at the end of the road – to a Roman, the ‘Ultima Thule’, but to us Celts, we just call it ‘home’. Point yourself North and keep going – you can’t miss it. Scotland has a population of five million potential donors, broadly similar in numbers to Norway or Finland. It has an indigenous national media, with its own particular character. If you don’t understand the Scottish media, we can do it for you – it’s why we’re here!

If you know the difference between the Sunday Mail and the Mail on Sunday; know the Press and Journal sells more than the Scotsman; know that if the sales of the Sunday Post were extrapolated on a per capita basis across the UK it would outsell the News of the World by 50% with 5.5million copies; and finally, know that the Herald sells more copies every day in Scotland than the Telegraph, the Guardian and the Times put together, you probably don’t need us. Unless that is, you don’t know how to actually get the coverage you want in these papers. (All data from ABC) www.abc.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=nav/abc&noc=y

Above all, Devolution has changed the media landscape. The presence of a Scottish Parliament and Executive has given more weight to an independent Scottish media agenda. With increasing confidence, the Scottish press, radio and television run stories because they are relevant to Scotland - not because they’re following London. This trend to divergent agendas means it’s simply not possible to generalise from a London perspective as to what will run in the Scottish media. But, because we know what’s going on in Scotland, we can judge how best to make your story part of that Scottish news and features agenda.

And by the way… for English persons and organisations hoping to do well up here, please note Scotland is a country – never a ‘region’ or ‘county’ - with a proud capital city, Edinburgh. Scotland has its own Parliament – reconvened 300 years after being undemocratically betrayed out of existence - never to be described as an ‘assembly’, or, the ultimate double crime – a ‘regional assembly’. And don’t forget which nation invented the Enlightenment, penicillin, the telephone, television, etc.

Saville-Ferguson are very Scottish. However, Richard did seven enjoyable years in London, so understands the difference between North and South of the river - now he’s a ‘returnee’, but is more than happy to pop down for meetings as required. Gillian is a native lass who warmly welcomes imports from England - like Harvey Nichols. If you want to reach the five million people that live in Scotland with your policy and fundraising messages you will have to work with the media in Scotland, so why not let Saville-Ferguson show you how?

Talk to Richard about his lack of an identity crisis - 0131 346 8007, 07909 527 629 or email Richard@saville-ferguson.co.uk