18 June 2024
Bryan Kyle
By email: [FYI request #26883 email]
Tēnā koe Bryan
Official information request regarding advertising and marketing spend
I refer to your request for information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act)
dated 20 May 2024:
“I request under OIA, details concerning how much money has been spent by
VUW on marketing, promotions, advertising and such items, in the financial
year 2023-2024?”
The University financial year runs from 1 January to 31 December. The University has
identified a total of $4,283,000 of spending recorded against general ledger (GL) codes
associated with marketing, promotion or advertising activities in the financial year to 31
December 2023. This figure can be broken down as:
Advertising
$2,921,000
Sponsorship
$410,000
Printing
$952,000
However, these GL codes also record costs such as departmental printing that is not
undertaken for promotional or marketing purposes. An initial review of this expenditure
has identified $3,311,668 as being spent specifically on external advertising and
marketing related expenses. This analysis was only applied to cost centres that incurred
more than $10,000 in costs against these GL codes and does not include internal costs
such as staff salaries, building costs, depreciation etc. We have also not included costs for
technology subscriptions, advertising of vacant roles at the University or for advertising
or marketing of specific events such as conferences, art exhibitions, book publications,
theatre performances etc.
A further $170,000 (approx.) of spend has been identified through GL codes associated
with marketing, sponsorship or printing activities from cost centres that incurred less
than $10,000 in costs against these GL codes. However analysing this data (or other GL
codes that may have associated costs) to confirm whether these costs are associated with
marketing, advertising or promoting the University would require a substantial amount
of research that would interfere with the University’s ability to carry out its other
functions. Therefore this aspect of your request is refused in accordance with s18(f) of the
Act.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of the
decisions made regarding this request. Information about how to make a complaint is
available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact me at
[VUW request email].
Ngā mihi nui
Blair Doherty
Senior Advisor, Official Information and Privacy
Legal Services
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington