In line with David Cameron’s Big Society plans for a partnership government, the COI said it will work with civic groups to cut costs. It has also identified digital media as a key area of opportunity.

The move comes as the COI’s annual report reveals that the previous Labour government spent £531m on marketing and communications through the COI in 2009/10, down £9m on the previous year.

Expenditure on advertising accounted for £193m, compared to £211m in 2008/09. However, digital marketing spend was up from £39.9m to £44.1m.

The news that spend decreased last year will be welcomed by the Coalition Government, which has vowed to slash marketing spend. However, it’s not known how much individual government departments spent on campaigns, such as the Department of Health’s Change4Life initiative.

Departmental spending over £25,000 now has to pass strict criteria to be cleared by the Cabinet Office.

Mark Lund, CEO of the COI, said, “In our new world of less money, empowered citizens and a government keen to pass power to the individual, it’s the way we must go forward.”

The COI is also working on a ’shared evaluation service’ for marketing communications across government departments to determine return on investment and effectiveness.

Lund said, “We’re living through the most rapid changes ever seen in media as digital comprehensively disrupts traditional methods of communication and behaviour. In the public sector, we’re also facing a period of financial constraint not seen for a generation. That means, in partnership with our clients across government, we have to be continually more innovative to be more effective.”

The COI will also look to use digital media and the “new opportunities for democratisation and accountability” it brings. It says it’s “developing more innovative ways” to use digital channels, such as mobile.

The Government has already signalled its intention to draft in companies to help pay for the cost of public health campaigns.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley recently announced that the food and drinks industry would help pay for the anti-obesity initiative Change4Life.

This story first appeared on marketingweek.co.uk