Dear Mr Berger

Thank you for your email dated requesting information about an arrangement between Phantom Billstickers and Wellington City Council

Our team will manage your request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 which requires us to respond as soon as possible, but no later than 21 June 2019.

The reference number for your request is IRO-8546.

Please contact us if you have any further questions.

Kind regards

Jessica Hall
Assurance Services Coordinator  | Wellington City Council
| W Wellington.govt.nz |

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Hello Mr Berger,

Further to my colleagues email advising receipt of your request, I can advise you that the Council is in a position to provide you with a response.

The Council does not have direct contact with Phantom Billstickers. We engage a company who arrange for Phantom and other agencies to undertake work for the Council. All communication with Phantom Billstickers is by this third party.

I am sorry that we are unable to assist you further with this.

Kind regards

Chris
Chris Brown | Assurance Advisor | Complaints & Information Assurance | Wellington City Council
P 04 803 8368
E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |

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-----Original Message-----
From: Mr. Berger [mailto:[FOI #10371 email]]
Sent: Thursday, 23 May 2019 6:56 PM
To: BUS: Assurance
Subject: Official Information request - Arrangement between Phantom Billstickers and Wellington City Council

Dear Wellington City Council,

Please provide any agreement, contract or arrangement (‘Agreements’) between Phantom Billstickers and Wellington City Council.

Please provide any financial analysis, including cost-benefit analyses, for the Council entering into the Agreements.

Please provide any minutes of meetings where Phantom Billstickers or the Agreements are discussed.

Please provide any performance indicators relating to the Agreements.

Please provide the financial outcomes of the Agreements.

Yours faithfully,

Mr. Berger

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Hello Mr Berger,
 
Thank you for your patience. Please find the Council response to your
request as follows:
 
Please provide any agreement, contract or arrangement (‘Agreements’)
relating to Phantom Billstickers that Wellington City Council has. This
includes any agreement Wellington City Council has with a third party (or
any number of intermediaries) ('Third Party') that has a contract(s) with
Phantom Billstickers. This includes any agreement that directly or
indirectly gives Phantom Billstickers use of council property.
 
When we responded to your previous request, we centred on the Council's
'use' of Phantom Billstickers as a medium for promoting and advertising,
and this follow-up request is centred on the same lines. However, the
Council does have a secondary relationship with Phantom Billstickers, as
they have a contract with our Transport and Infrastructure team to allow
them the use of bollards and other sites on Council land to display their
posters. Please find a copy of the contract and schedule attached.
The easiest way to see all of the sites that Phantom use in the Wellington
are is through their own website -
[1]https://maps.0800phantom.co.nz/public/si.... Please bear in mind
that this also shows their sites that are on privately owned land and for
which Phantom will have a direct arrangement with the landowner.
 
Phantom's contract with the Council for the sites on legal road is managed
directly by the Transport and Infrastructure team, who meet quarterly with
Phantom to cover any issues that may arise and ensure that Phantom are
keeping to the terms of the contract. I have also attached a recent
example of the quarterly report Phantom are required to provide the
Council.
Please provide the name of any Third Party.
 
On the other side of the equation, where the Council is the purchaser of
services and Phantom is the provider, all of the bookings made by the
Council is done through a third party, previously OMD Media but now
through Strategy Media.
 
Please provide any financial analysis, including cost-benefit analyses,
for the Council entering into the Agreements.
Please provide the financial outcomes of the Agreements.
 
The Council does not hold any financial analysis, or financial outcomes,
on the use of Phantom Billstickers. We use a third party to book and
arrange the procurement of services of several physical advertising
companies, and the specific companies are booked dependent on what service
the Council is seeking.
 
Please provide any minutes of meetings where Phantom Billstickers, the
Third Party, or the Agreements are discussed.
Please provide all meeting minutes where the word 'Phantom' is in the
text.
 
There are no ‘agreements’ for the use of Phantom Billstickers by the
Council, and there are no meeting minutes relating to Phantom Billstickers
that are held by the Council, apart from that provided in response to the
first part of this request (above).
 
Please provide any performance indicators relating to the Agreements.
 
With regard to your question on performance indicators, we do hold some
post campaign analysis material. This highlights impressions and likely
views/foot traffic relative to specific sites and for different
communication campaigns, although it does include all media types used for
the campaigns. I have attached some of these for your information.
Please provide all emails to or from council addresses with 'Phantom' in
the subject line.
Please provide all emails to or from council addresses with 'Phantom' in
the body text.
 
You have asked for all emails to or from Council addresses with Phantom in
the subject line, or in the body text. While I am able to provide you with
some emails that meet the criteria (see attached) to give you an example
of the level of involvement, I am predominantly refusing this part of your
request under LGOIMA, s17(f) as to comply with it would require
substantial collation and research, and I would still not be able to
guarantee that all of the relevant communication could be provided. The
Council, through third parties, have used Phantom Billstickers advertising
placements for a number of years and there have been significant staffing
changes in the communications team during that time. It would be extremely
difficult to obtain and assess all relevant emails, to be able to provide
to you.
 
[If you disagree with this decision, you can apply in writing to the
Ombudsman to have the decision investigated and reviewed under section 27
(3) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.]
I want to understand the relationship between Phantom Billstickers and the
council, whether direct or indirect (such as via a third party, as
indicated in response to a previous request). I am open suggestions for
how I can refine this request to make it easier to fulfil, while still
giving me that understanding.
 
As explained, the Council’s direct relationship with Phantom revolves
around their contract to be able to use poster sites on the Council
administered legal road. Our relationship with Phantom for the display of
advertising or campaign media is indirect. This is carried out through a
third party agency who will have a direct relationship with Phantom.
 
I am more than happy to facilitate a discussion with those parts of the
Council who engage (directly or otherwise) with Phantom regarding aspects
relating to the Council’s relationships with Phantom with you in more
detail if you think this may assist your understanding of how these
relationships work.
 
 
 

References

Visible links
1. https://maps.0800phantom.co.nz/public/si...