myuk

1
myuk redefining regions and exploring local
identity
2
myuk introduction, methodology background the
role of regional media the importance of regional
media future trends
3
myuk methodology

• Geographically representative sample of 2500
• in-street interviewsJuly August 2003
• Eight focus groups Wallington, Ilford,
  Peterborough, Birmingham, Stoke, Monmouth,
  Newcastle Dundee

4
Composition of the groups

• Wallington 35-50 Children living at home ABC1
• (but were born elsewhere)
• Ilford 50-65 No children living at home C2DE
•  
• Peterborough 35-50 Children living at
  home C2DE
• Birmingham 50-65 No children living at
  home C2DE  
• Stoke-on-Trent 35-50 Children living at
  home ABC1
• Monmouth 25-35 No children C2DE
• Newcastle-upon-Tyne 25-35 No children ABC1
•  
• Dundee 50-65 No children living at home ABC1

5
NS Publications
6
People adopt a portfolio approach to their
identity Organisations and businesses need to
adopt a similar portfolio approach in
communicating with people across the UK Regional
and local belonging provides an important
source of attachment identity within this
portfolio Key trends demonstrate that this is
likely to increase in importance
7
Objectives of the project

• To better understand the nature of regional
  identity
• as distinct from local and national identity
• To move beyond institutional and economic
  definitions of regionalism and put the social
  (and people) back into regions
• and regional analysis
• To discover what are the most important building
  blocks for
• creating thriving regions
• To examine the relationship between local,
  regional and
• national brands

8
who express complete satisfaction with life
and weekly disposable household income, by region
who claim to be completely satisfied with
their life
Weekly disposable household income, per week
Source The British Household Panel Survey
(2000) Office for National Statistics, Family
Spending (2001-2) The Future Foundation
9
Attachment to geographical territories
who feel strongly or moderately attached
Source 'Changing Lives', nVision Base 1000
adults 16, Great Britain, 2001
10

who want to live in the same local area or the
same region region in the future, by region
Base 2,566 adults 16
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
11
How much freedom people feel they have to live in
another part of the country
Base 2,566 adults 16
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
12

Aspects that people think make the biggest
contribution to the strength of a regions
identity
Base 2,566 adults 16
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
13
The region and the home
The externally-given region
The self-created region
Source The Future Foundation
14
of people who think their regional boundaries
have been changed by the government / local
authorities in the course of their lifetime, by
region
Base 2,566 adults 16
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
15
myuk The role of regional media
16
Importance of elements in contributing to their
regions identity
Base 2,566 Adults 16
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
17
Importance of a regional newspaper in
contributing to a regions identity
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
Base 2,566 adults 16
18
Importance of local commercial radio in
contributing to a regions identity
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
Base 2,566 adults 16
19
Importance of local BBC radio in contributing to
a regions identity
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
Base 2,566 adults 16
20
Importance of a regional newspaper in
contributing to a regions identity
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
Base 2,566 adults 16
21
Importance of a regional TV station in
contributing to a regions identity
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
Base 2,566 adults 16
22
Importance of a regional newspaper in
contributing to a regions identity
Whether live in same region that grew up in
My region is central to my sense of identity
and who I am
How long lived in current location
Source Redefining Regions, The Future
Foundation/BBC/Newspaper Society/Worthington's,
2003
Base 2,566 adults 16
23
myuk Why the importance of regional media ?
24
The role of local newspapers
Local people
Jobs, property cars, bargains
Local politics/ voting
Police/ services
Local press
Entertainment (in/out)
Planning purchases
Shops services
Education
Sport

• The heart of the local community

25
Life is local
Figure relates to secondary school. Primary
school is 1.3 miles on average.
HOME
HOME
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Source DETR/ ONS/ Newspaper Society / The
Future Foundation
Average no. of miles travelled
26
Proximity and Predisposition
Brand awareness
Far
Advertising
Uncertainty
Buying position
Media
PROXIMITY
Detail
Local Press domain
In the market
Direction
Broadcast / Mass
Buyer
Referable media with detail
Local
Near
No interest
Level of PREDISPOSITION to making a major purchase
About to buy
27
myuk future trends
28
of waking hours spent neither at home nor at
work
Source Jonathan Gershuny, BBC/ ESRC/ONS/The
Future Foundation

29
Rising household spending on domestic services,
1992 to 1999 (constant prices) Window
cleaning, gardening, child minding, cleaning
services, home help and other forms of domestic
service
Million, constant 1995 prices
Source Consumer Trends/ The Future Foundation
2000 Q4 1999 is a projection
30
Out of home leisure expenditure in the UK
At constant 1995 prices Future Foundation
forecast
Source ONS/The Future Foundation
31
who agree that what interests them above all
are things that happen in the city or town where
they live
Base 1525-1012 adults 16
Source 'Changing Lives', The Future
Foundation/Taylor Nelson/AGB
32
Attachment to geographical territories
Mean score representing how emotionally attached
to selected territories respondents are, by age
Source 'Changing Lives', nVision Base 1000
adults 16, Great Britain, 2001
33
Percentage increase in number of people,
2000-2020 UK, by age group
Forecasts based on 2000 figures
Source ONS/nVision
34
who agree that it is important to fit in rather
than be different from other people
Source 'Changing Lives', nVision Base 1000
adults, Great Britain, 16
35
Every effort should be made to prevent the
disappearance of local differences e.g.food
and dialects, by region agree
Source 'Changing Lives', nVision Base 1000
adults, Great Britain, 16
36
myuk conclusions
37
Conclusions

• People have multiple attachments to geographical
  locations
• The local is easier to define than the
  regional, but this is not reflected in strength
  of attachment
• 71 want to continue living in the same region
  and 62 of people who were not born in their
  current region want to stay there
• This it seems is an active choice as 69 feel
  free to leave the biggest barrier to this is
  family commitments
• The term region has multiple meanings for
  people, with the main distinction between the
  internal self-defined region and that externally
  defined by government, employers and programmers.
  

38
Conclusions

• The majority of people (56) define their region
  by the activities they undertake regularly in
  their lives, with only 22 opting for external
  given boundaries
• Changes to external given boundaries have
  effected regional perceptions and led to
  confusion
• Self-defined regions have also evolved according
  to the changes in the way people live their
  lives, however, and differences within regions
  were also mentioned across the board

39
Conclusions

• People make the biggest contribution to the
  strength of a regions identity according to the
  majority (55) of the population
• Within this, however, the key contribution of
  industry and the regional media was emphasised
• 65 of the population thinks that regional
  newspapers make an important contribution to the
  strength of a regions identity
• Multinationals are local employers but doesnt
  guarantee an affinity with the local population
• More people think that regional products are more
  likely to reflect their tastes (39) than
  national and international products (31)
  although 30 are unsure

40
Conclusions

• London had the most recognised attributes
  across the regions, closely followed by Yorkshire
  and the Humber which was viewed in the most
  positive terms
• Hard-working was mentioned most frequently as
  the number one attribute across the population
• There is a noticeable difference between how the
  country perceives UK regions and how UK regions
  perceive themselves
• Key drivers of increased regional identity going
  forward include the growth of the third space,
  the ageing population, increased liberalisation
  and individualism and globalisation

41
myuk thank you very much