As a business, should you be wearing your city on your sleeve?
As a business based in Greater Manchester, the past few years have been a total whirlwind. Since the horrific event at the M.E.N Arena on 22nd May 2017, the identity of the city has been thrown centre stage. As a city that has always thrived on community and an innate sense of pride, business has always flowed here. Since being labeled as the beating heart of the industrial revolution, we have always done things differently here and now, with much of the praise going to the fast-fashion power hitters based within the city.
So, where to begin? Well…If we talk marketing and Manchester it is impossible to steer the conversation away from Umar Kamani. The fast-fashion guru behind Pretty Little Thing, knows his way around the city and everywhere he goes he and his fantastically forward-thinking marketing team, leave a trail of pink in their wake. From dusty pink buses to hot pink billboards and the odd thousand taxis they pass, everything is bigger, pinker and prouder than it was before.
Why is a localised marketing campaign important?
Firstly, it’s important to point out, having a multi-national company based within the city produces capital, this is filtered back into the city in countless ways. From taxes and rent paid by the company itself, or the jobs created for those living in the area, who then in turn eat, drink and sleep within Manchester.
Brand recognition and brand value within the localised areas targeted are often increased when a campaign is well received by those living in the city. In our city, we are blessed to have a naturally biased opinion of how great it is to be here, so the re-enforcement of this fact as seen in the recent HSBC campaign, ticks a box in the hearts and minds of those within the city.
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It’s vital to assess brand value and home pride as well. For example, if you buy a Versace shirt do you pay way above the actual value of the shirt purely because the brand tells you to? Or do you actually pay for the story, and the hours sacrificed to get the brand to the recognisable level it is at today? Customers and clients, inevitably buy into brand value, sometimes without even realising they are doing so, the fact of the matter is, everyone wants to feel like a part of something. Localised campaigns allow brands to tell the story of a specific city, which in most cases those who witness the marketing will already feel a part of.
External marketing does come with some risk factors. Firstly if your campaign is not relatable or memorable enough it can quickly become a very expensive process, yes it’s true that you can’t put a value on brand recognition but we would suggest using less expensive forms of marketing if you are not converting business.
Opportunities to localise your campaigns can be limited due to the premium space in city centres being highly sought after, so planning is key before execution. Finally, we would always advise doing your homework, the trends in cities move a lot quicker than they do on a national level, keep your finger on the pulse, run constant surveys on the culture and vibe of the city and make sure that your target audience will buy into your story.
Let’s talk about your marketing requirements today, we have a fantastic marketing team ready to take on your project.
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