Future Stockport
Public Consultation campaign – Future Stockport for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
In October 2004, Stockport Council appointed SKV to launch its £500m 10-15 year ‘Town Centre Regeneration Masterplan’ to transform the town centre.
Working with the council’s marketing and communications teams, the agency was tasked with hitting a demanding range of targets in editorial media, branding, integrated marketing and devising innovative public consultation.
Key to the success was the creation of a recognisable brand identity and logo for ‘Future Stockport – Share the Vision’.
The logo’s associations with heritage and modernity highlighted the town’s positive and best-known attributes – the Viaduct, the River Mersey and Co-operative Bank’s pyramid building.
The agency suggested a mobile consultation unit called ‘The Stockpod’ – a 50sqm inflatable mobile exhibition centre designed to encourage public participation and engagement while touring the borough.
Proactive targeted news releases to local, regional, national media and trade/specialist press were combined with creative news story idea ‘Stockport reclaims the Mersey’ – offered exclusively to The Guardian, page lead coverage.
Public Consultation: Two-week public consultation exercise where the ‘Stockpod’ toured the town centre, district & local centres:
- ‘Stockpod’ contained display panels and artists impressions. Manned by fully briefed promotional staff, an 8 page ‘Workbook’ summarised the different aspects of the Masterplan and asked for comment
- 50,000 ‘Future Stockport’ postcards distributed across the borough, providing information and FREEPOST feedback form.
- Two-week local radio advertising campaign with Imagine FM, ‘Glimpse the Future’ – directing people to the consultation
- Full colour DPS advertorial in the Stockport Times East & West with 100,000 run for distribution across the borough.
- Dedicated webpages (www.stockport.gov.uk/vision). Publicised Masterplan information and contact details.
- Property sector briefing on 24th November attended by over 70 developers, funders and property agents.
The agency sourced the Stockpod and played an integral role in selection of photography that would capture the town’s key features for use on the exterior of the pod. Creative marketing tools were employed to ensure the Council obtained the feedback it desired and we agency acted as conduit between supplier and the Council to ensure smooth running of the events across the borough.
Results: Launch coverage included 30 pieces of editorial coverage including all major property and regeneration titles. The editorial campaign secured coverage with AVE: £112,991 across national, regional, local and specialist media.
700 people visited the Stockpod during November, and over 1,000 people commented via questionnaires, letters, postcards and email during November and December. 45% respondents thought the proposals ‘excellent’ and 41% stated ‘good’. Webpages received 4000 hits reflecting local and national interest in the plans.
