Christmas 2016 Information for BID Businesses

This year’s Worcester BID Christmas campaign is built around a ‘Christmas in Worcester’ theme incorporating an illustration in a 3D pop up style visualising representing the city centre’s offer to shop, eat and play/celebrate. The core messages outlined on the posters are about the shopping offer, late night shopping Thursdays and the city centre food and drink venues to celebrate with more details on the website and social media.

With the aim of getting people to spend Christmas in Worcester and also keeping them in the city rather than journeying elsewhere, we are utilising:

• print advertising in local and regional papers and magazines, including the Metro (Birmingham), Live 24/7 magazine, Worcester News, Berrow’s Worcester Journal, Malvern Gazette, Ledbury Reporter, Evesham & Cotswold Journal, Worcester & Malvern Observer, Kidderminster Shuttle, Stourbridge, Halesowen, Dudley News, Redditch Advertiser, Bromsgrove & Droitwich Advertiser
• postcard door 2 door drop to targeted households in a 25-mile radius
• digital takeover of the news page on worcesternews.co.uk
• Telegraph (WM region) polywrap (26/11/16)
• outdoor advertising with impactful 6 sheets and 48 sheets at key locations on route to Gloucester Quays, near Merry Hill, along Stratford Road the Birmingham/Solihull commuter route, Harborne, Stourport, Blackpole and St Johns
• posters

This multi-channel marketing campaign will particularly focus on Worcester and neighbouring towns and cities including Malvern, Cheltenham, Evesham, Droitwich, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Redditch, part of the Black Country area, South Birmingham and Shirley/Solihull.*

Worcester BID is working in partnership with Worcester City Council and CrownGate to host a one stop Christmas website (www.christmasinworcester.com), facebook page and twitter account to promote all things #Christmas in #Worcester. Please follow and share posts on

• Facebook: facebook.com/christmasinworcester/
• Twitter: @ChristmasinWorc / twitter.com/christmasinworc

A related radio campaign with an advent calendar competition is run by our partners from NightSafe to promote the food, drink and Christmas party offer in Worcester.

Further channels such as in train advertising and bus sides are used by our partners to promote Worcester and its Christmas offer.

Take a look at www.christmasinworcester.com to find out about all things Christmas taking place at Worcester city centre this year.

To take a look at the individual campaign elements/artwork by Worcester BID, please click on the links below:

• Newsquest adverts published throughout November & December in the:
  – Worcester News
  – Berrow’s Worcester Journal
  – Evesham & Cotswold Journal
  – Malvern Gazette
  – Ledbury Reporter
  – Kidderminster Shuttle
  – Redditch Advertiser
  – Droitwich & Bromsgrove Advertiser
  – Stourbridge, Halesowen & Dudley News
• Worcester News Digital Takeover in November & December
• Worcester & Malvern Observer in November
• Live 24/7 Magazine in December
• Edge Magazine in December – full issue has been cancelled by the publisher
• Telegraph polywrap on 26/11/2016
• Metro in November
• Billboards on major roads in Worcester & neighbouring towns and cities, November – December:
  Worcester BID Christmas 48 Sheet
  Worcester BID Christmas 6 Sheet
• A4 & A3 posters – displayed at Worcester BID businesses & surrounding areas.
• A6 Postcards distributed to 30,000 households in & around Worcestershire:
• New Christmas in Worcester Website
• Christmas in Worcester – Facebook
• Christmas in Worcester – Twitter

 

Worcester BID is also proud to support the Story Time with Father Christmas at CrownGate to ensure a coherent Christmas activity drawing visitors into Worcester city centre, including:

• Giant Nutcrackers
• Nutcracker Trail Booklet
• Father Christmas Story Time

For details see www.christmasinworcester.com

 

To help BID businesses with information about Christmas in Worcester, we have collated a Frequently Asked Questions document, which was circulated at the BID Traders’ Meeting on 18th November. Questions answered include:

• When is the Arrival of Father Christmas?
• Is there a Santa’s Grotto / Story Time with Father Christmas in Worcester?
• Will there be a Nutcracker Trail this year?
• Will there be any Reindeers or Facepainting?
• When do Late Night Shopping Thursdays start?
• What are the Christmas opening times?
• Is there a gift wrapping service?
• When is the Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre?
• Are there any other Christmas events?
• How can BID businesses get involved and support the Christmas in Worcester campaign? (see excerpt below)
• What and when is Small Business Saturday? (see excerpt below)
• Are there any opportunities to get involved in Small Business Saturday? (see excerpt below)
• Are there any Christmas parking promotions this year?

 

How can BID businesses get involved and support the Christmas in Worcester campaign?

• Follow our Christmas in Worcester Facebook and Twitter accounts and share our posts
• Tag/mention us in your posts and we will share these throughout our social media accounts
  @ChristmasinWorc; @WorcesterBID; #Christmas #Worcester
• Email us your festive events, seasonal offers (Christmas, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday), Christmas menus, gift ideas, opening times, festive or success stories you would like us to feature on the website and in social media posts. Please email details including quality jpeg images to info@worcesterbid.com
• Sign up to the Christmas in Worcester window competition run in partnership with the Worcester News. To showcase the great creativity that has gone into these Christmas window displays and to reward the efforts made by businesses and their staff, city centre businesses now have the opportunity to enter their festive windows for the new Worcester News Christmas Window Dressing Competition. Business can win an advertising prize worth £600. £10 voucher prize needs to be donated to sign up, which will form part of the public prize fund. The public can vote by phone/text.
• Staff to dress up in Victorian costumes during the Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre (e.g. top hats and waistcoats for gentlemen and Victorian dresses, caps or aprons for ladies) in-store or on street for promotions
• Provide free sampling opportunities for Christmas shoppers and event visitors (on street/in store), hand out leaflets with offers for repeat visit or treat your customers to a mince pie or free hot drink
• In-store competitions promoted via social media accounts and the Christmas website
• Integrate the official Christmas in Worcester artwork in your own promotions, on social media and use the poster template for your own messages. You can download FREE logos, templates and more from our Toolkit folder on Dropbox

 

What and when is Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday UK is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities. The day itself takes place on the first Saturday in December each year, but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small businesses. In 2016 Small Business Saturday will take place on Saturday 3rd December.

 

Are there any opportunities to get involved in Small Business Saturday?

• On Saturday 3rd December 2016 local Worcester businesses can take advantage of having a stall at the Upmarket event in High Street and Angel Place to showcase their businesses.
  Stalls are offered at a special reduced rate of £10 for local businesses. The Upmarket is operated by local market operator LSD Promotions. Please download the booking form and T&Cs here:
  à Application form: https://archive.worcesterbid.com/event/small-business-saturday-in-worcester/attachment/application-form-worcester-small-business-saturday-2016
  à Market T&Cs & Arrival Information: https://archive.worcesterbid.com/event/small-business-saturday-in-worcester/attachment/market-and-event-terms-conditions-and-arrival-information-2016
• In-store competitions, activities, special offers, etc. on Saturday 3^rd December – promoted via social media accounts and the Christmas website. Please email details to Nadja – info@worcesterbid.com
• Register and advertise your business on the Small Business Finder for free! *
• Download the Small Business Saturday logos to use on your website or social media! *
• Send off for, or download (and print at home) the free Small Business Saturday marketing pack *
• If you’ve got any plans for the day, be sure to tell the Worcester BID team (Nadja – info@worcesterbid.com; 01905 731612) and Small Business Saturday team* about it, so we can give you a shout out via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Use #Worcester and #SmallBizSatUK or tag @WorcesterBID.

More resources can be found on (*) https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/

If you need some inspiration for activities, promotions and offers, take a look at the Totally Locally website: http://totallylocally.org/

Useful contacts to discuss your ideas:

Nadja von Dahlen-Andrews (Marketing & Events Manager, Worcester BID) – 01905 731612, nadja.vondahlen@worcesterbid.com
Helen Mole (Local Centres Officer, Worcester City Council) – 01905 722309, helen.mole@worcester.gov.uk
Janet Yates (Economic Development Officer, Worcester City Council) – 01905 722106, janet.yates@worcester.gov.uk
Dermot McGillicuddy (Director, LSD Promotions / Worcester City Markets) – 01384 877336, dermot@lsdpromotions.com

 

 

To view previous years’ Christmas campaign pages please click on the links below.