Failing to capitalise on film ‘would be a big own goal’

Deputy Green has called upon Economic Development to reveal its plans for promoting the island off the back of the film and has submitted written questions to the committee as a result of his concerns.

He said he was partly prompted by a recent Guernsey Press opinion column by former Commerce and Employment minister Kevin Stewart, who said the entire island needed to get behind the film and ‘sell, sell, sell’ Guernsey.

‘I rather agreed with most, if not all, of the sensible points that Kevin Stewart was making,’ said Deputy Green.

He said that while he was sure that the members of Economic Development realised the golden opportunity the film presented for marketing and promoting the island, and he had faith in them to deliver, he wanted to seek ‘real clarity and transparency from the committee on this so that members of the public and deputies can feel properly reassured that practical plans are in place to capitalise fully on the film’.

‘The film version of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a big deal for this community,’ he said.

‘It is therefore eminently reasonable to ask members of the relevant committee to be very clear about what plans are afoot to make the most of this great opportunity.

‘To fail to grasp the opportunities on this would be an own goal of massive proportions, so let’s fully understand what the realistic game plan is.’

As well as asking for details of its plans and if it was likely to be requesting any extra funding to help enhance the marketing of the island, he asked if the committee had a detailed plan to encourage the island’s community to get involved in promoting the Bailiwick via social media and more generally.

If it did not have such plans, he asked if the idea could be explored further by Economic Development.