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TMS said the continual changes in the personnel involved in marketing the STGA, the lack of any single point of marketing contact with the association as a whole, the lack of a properly resourced national marketing strategy and budget, and the informational rather than promotional design and content of the members’ list had all hindered marketing effectiveness despite the best (and voluntary) efforts of the people involved. ‘Marketing should therefore be a core skill of the new STGA member of staff and she/he should draw up a detailed marketing plan in consultation with client representatives and the STGA national council once the new strategy, budget and structure are in place. In addition, TMS proposed the creation of a new central booking system to replace the four branch booking agents in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. We see strong arguments in terms of market development, customer service and equitable allocations of bookings among STGA members in favour of a national system, which would be operated by the new STGA member of staff,’ it said.
Commission varied from branch to branch with Edinburgh not charging anything at all.
TMS said five per cent commission would generate £20,000 a year which the STGA could allocate to marketing including the cost of running and publicising the booking system and an element of the salary of the new member of STGA staff. The members decided to follow the recommendations of the consultant and become a limited company and employ a member of staff, who was to be given the job of a Business Development Manager. Sally continued: ‘We received funding from the Scottish Tourist Board, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise to start us off, with the proviso that we must look for ways to generate income and support ourselves.’
The STGA’s first employee was Morag Bevan who was previously area secretary for the National Farmers Union. She worked part-time from her home in Stirling. ‘The sheer volume of work that hit us took us all by surprise,’ said Sally. ‘The early days of the STGA were characterised by all day meetings at Morag’s home with Christine Wade’s home-baking and Morag’s soup as we tried to collate and sift through 20 plus years of paperwork that had been gathering dust in the lofts, garages and offices of the 22 original National Council members.’
In 1996 the STGA published its first newsletter after the formation of the new company which looked after the interests of 316 ordinary members and 7 associate members.
The executive board of management comprised five members, nominated by the five branches Aberdeen & Grampian; Dundee, Angus and Fife; Edinburgh, Lothian and the Borders; Glasgow, West and South west Scotland; and Highlands and Islands.
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