PRESTON – It Smiles Better….24/7 – 365.
A new campaign is being launched to promote Preston city centre as a round-the-year attraction to visit and enjoy.
The city’s Business Improvement District (BID) will target more than 250,000 homes across ‘old’ Lancashire and Greater Manchester between now and the end of January to encourage more visitors to the city centre.
It follows a major investment in the city centre over the Christmas period which included the festive market, Alpine bar and ice rink which attracted throngs of visitors to the city centre.
BID Chair, John Boydell, said the campaign would run from Monday, December 29 until the end of January.
He said: “This is about showing that Preston is a great place to shop, dine, party, explore, do business and, above all, enjoy whatever time of year it is.
“This Christmas we have shown people who have visited Preston what a vibrant city centre offer we have and now our ambition is to bring them back and keep them coming back.
“Yet again our city centre traders have shown what they are all about by delivering the best products and customer service to those visiting.
“But, even when the seasonal furore dies down, we'll still be focusing on supporting our local businesses by promoting our city centre.”
The campaign will include advertising on satellite television (SKY TV) as well as being shared across social media networks, including YouTube, in a bid to target a wide range of audiences.
The BID has been the driving force behind a £125,000 investment in the city centre over Christmas, including £60,000 pumped in to new festive lights which have lit up more of the city centre than ever before.
It also commissioned a regional television campaign broadcast in the Granada region of ITV which promoted Preston as a place to visit for Christmas shoppers.
The BID is operated by the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce to promote and support businesses in the city centre.
It is funded by a one per cent levy charged to traders which is ring-fenced and spent on a range of activities, including events, promotional campaigns, free training, street washing and much more.
The BID is the driving force behind a number of initiatives aimed at bringing shoppers to Preston city centre including the three-times-a-year Lancashire Market and the Alive After Five campaign to boost the city’s night-time economy.
A preview of the advertisement can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOQrP5Jh4gc&feature=youtu.be
Ends.