Project: 1 | Marketing & Events

Let's make things happen and shout about them!

• You Said:

  Poole needs more high profile events that include the whole of the town and not just The Quay and to tell everyone about them.
  Poole BID Will:

  Within the first 3 years introduce an annual high-profile, regional event to raise the profile of Poole as a destination and attract footfall from the region and beyond.

  Enhance, develop and deliver an annual programme of events for the BID area throughout the year. This will include the key trading times of Christmas, Easter and the summer tourist season, as well as seeking opportunities to drive footfall at quieter times.

  Enhance the Christmas Experience in Poole town centre.

  Enhance customer experience of the BID area through a range of quality street entertainments and animation, and introduce an audition process for buskers.

  Develop a coordinated programme of all activities in the town so that customers can find all the information in one place.

  Develop a promotional plan that delivers a range of effective quality campaigns that visibly raise the profile and awareness of the BID area across the region and generate an increase in footfall.

  Prioritise the use of digital marketing as a means of promotion and communication through:

  Maintenance of a comprehensive website for consumers, giving full information about Poole events, offers, activities and a directory of businesses in the BID area to include pop-up webpages for all BID members.

  The introduction of Wi-Fi across the BID area to ensure all digital platforms are available to customers to include BID members’ special offers delivered via a smartphone or other mobile device app.

  Active use of social media platforms to regularly engage with and communicate to consumers

  Building up an e-mail database to communicate news, offers and events throughout the year

  Work with professional agencies to support digital marketing with traditional promotional activities such as pro-active PR with the media and above and below-the-line advertisements.

• You Said:

  The market offer needs to improve.
  Poole BID Will:

  Look to introduce a range of different markets to the BID area such as Surf and Turf, Artisan and Arts, Antiques, Maritime and Farmers’ Market and other themed markets appropriate to the town.

• You Said:

  We need to encourage shoppers to use the whole town and to know what is going on; lots of them get as far as the railway crossing and turn back.
  Poole BID Will:

  The railway crossing could be a great asset to the town if we use it as an opportunity to provide pedestrians with information about the town and what it has to offer. Each hour the barriers close at least 6 times for about 5 minutes, at a conservative average 50 people wait to cross each time the barrier closes. That means in an average 7-hour trading day there is an opportunity to speak to 2000 people for 3.5 hours. Over a 6-day week that is 12,000 people and 21 hours of captive audience time. What an opportunity!

  Install large LED screens each side of the rail crossing that will provide a changing programme of images of the town and the area, a weather and newsfeed service and information about what is on in the town to include events, activities and special offers and promotions that BID businesses want to publicise.

  Explore the opportunity to roll out the installation of additional screens in key locations in the BID area to reinforce the messages about Poole, to link
  the areas together and give businesses greater opportunities to publicise their offers and promotions at little or no cost.

• You Said:

  In our consultations with you, many people working in the BID area told us that they did not use the town, but preferred to stay at their place of work during their lunch breaks. If we can encourage more people to spend the £s they earn in Poole in the businesses in Poole that would provide a significant uplift in spending.
  Poole BID Will:

  Over the lifetime of the BID introduce a Poole Town Loyalty Scheme for all town users but particularly targeted at those working in the town. The scheme will be delivered through both a smart phone app and conventional loyalty card. This scheme will provide all customers with an incentive to use the town, and BID businesses with an opportunity to drive business through their doors with bespoke promotions.

  Wi-Fi provision across the BID area will mean
  that customers can take advantage of finding all the information they need about the town and its offer, and give reasons for customers to stay longer.