The marketing concept of the federal statistical office of Germany

The marketing concept of the Federal Statistical Office of
Germany
Sibylle von Oppeln-Bronikowski
Statistisches Bundesamt
D-65180 Wiesbaden, Germany
E-mail: [email protected]
In the past few years, the market for statistical products and services in many countries has
seen new and very dynamic trends. While, on the one hand, the demand for statistical products,
information services and consultation has generally grown and is today expressed by many different
groups of users, on the other hand, the range of products offered has become considerably wider,
more sophisticated and modern compared with previous years. The information market is
increasingly characterised by a growing demand for relevant information and competent
consultation. The German Federal Statistical Office has set itself the goal to serve in public as a
competent and reliable information provider and consultant whose work is tailored to the needs of
the users of its data.
The new marketing concept of the Federal Statistical Office is aimed at both fulfilling the
Office’s legal obligation to publish statistical data and meeting the data requirements exceeding this
"basic supply". The basis for this work is a marketing model (Figure1) which encompasses the
following three levels: Basic information provision, Standard provision geared to demand and target
group, and Customer-specific data preparation/consultation.
Basic information (outer circle) is offered free of charge. It is aimed at fulfilling the needs of
the general public and provides citizens, politicians and also those residents of other countries who
are interested with the right and opportunity to obtain neutral and objective information.
Products and services which go beyond the basic information supply (middle circle) and are
specifically requested by special target groups like universities are provided in the form of standard
products that are prepared in advance (CD-Rom, disks, online-services) and are sold at market
prices.
Basic information
Standardised
products &services
user specific
public
target
groups
folders
press
releases
brochures
specific
costs
tailor made
print / electronic
publications
information - service
library
)LJXUH
market
prices
fairs
Internet
free
of
charge
To fulfil user-specific information needs (inner circle), special and detailed statistical
information has to be compiled. In this respect, the statistical offices function as service enterprises
who carry out orders and charge their customers for their services.
The marketing model of the Federal Statistical Office shows the chance of marketing
statistical information representing public property and also the extent to which it could and should
be marketed. The transparent and well-structured model approach helps to answer the frequent
question of the legitimacy of marketing that information (Why is statistical information marketed
though its production is funded from taxes?): In addition to ensuring the democratic right of all
citizens to be provided with basic information, marketing additional services is legal. This sort of
marketing eases the budget burdens, improves resource control and excludes the possibility to
subsidise individual user groups at the expense of the general public.
RÉSUMÉ
Le modèle marketing de l'Office fédéral de la Statistique fait ressortir qu'il est possible et
nécessaire dans une certaine mesure de commercialiser des informations statistiques comme
marchandises publiques. L'approche du modèle transparente et structurée permet de répondre à la
question souvent posée en ce qui concerne la légitimité de la commercialisation (Pourquoi des
informations statistiques sont-elles vendues, puisque leur financement est déjà assuré moyennant
des impôts?): Outre la garantie du droit démocratique à l'approvisionnement fondamental de tous
les citoyens en informations, la commercialisation de prestations complémentaires est légitime. Elle
a pour conséquence une décharge du budget, améliore la gestion des ressources et fait éviter que
les besoins de certains utilisateurs ou groupes d'utilisateurs soient subventionnés à la charge de la
collectivité.