Communication is key to the success of destinations. Potential occupiers, residents and shoppers need to feel connected to a project to become truly invested in it. PR and marketing specialist Anna Coverdale explains the importance of customer-centric communication
We all recognise that a sense of place is fundamental to people everywhere – in every city, every town, every neighbourhood and every culture. With rapid migration into urban areas, people are seeking identity and community and, above all, an emotional connection with the spaces in which they live, dine and shop.
Enormous value can be added to commercial developments if we look beyond the technical ‘blueprint’ of the buildings themselves and towards the human experience of the shoppers and visitors. We need to ensure our vision is informed by everything that we know, and continue to learn, about consumer behaviour.
That is not to say that the design of the buildings themselves is secondary – far from it. But talk of ‘units’ and ‘square metres’ does little to acknowledge or inspire people. We need to use language such as ‘customer’, ‘retailtainment’ and ‘experiences’. Particularly pre-consent, we miss a trick if we fail to define a destination’s personality. We need to take abstract ideas and turn them into sensory realities for the people who will actually visit and use the space.
We should identify the unique qualities of buildings as well as their location, heritage, local stories and culture, in order to emphasise their character and individuality. This is really what ‘destination marketing’ is – communicating with customers to drive appeal, helping them to feel they have a personal stake in their local area, and maximising footfall.
There is an exciting opportunity here for the whole industry to take the long view and be strategic in its communications. Enlightened marketing drills right down into the things that motivate consumers – tapping into their lifestyles. It is no longer enough to treat consumers as a narrow set of demographic statistics. They want two-way relationships with brands, where companies respond to their needs and aspirations. After all, the term ‘public relations’ literally means relationships with the public; condensed to ‘PR’, this is often forgotten.
Working in destination marketing and PR, I see an unprecedented variety of ways to engage with consumers. Of course, the foundation of successful PR is a dynamic press office, which takes the time to get under the skin of a destination and generate stories that we know will captivate people and drive footfall. But there is also plenty of scope for further innovation, from hosting focus groups in spaces branded by target retailers and F&B operators, to cutting-edge 3D real-time digital apps to bring a scheme to life for stakeholders and prospective tenants and customers.
Partnerships with companies that have a specialist understanding of consumer behaviour and global retail trends is also vital if our clients want to stay ahead of the game. We have to recognise where it is best to bring in third-party experts.
Destination marketing and PR can be challenging, fun and sometimes contentious, but in the end we hope to come out with a broader sense of what communication – in the best sense of the word – can do for customers and communities.
Anna Coverdale is director of Coverdale Barclay.
• Join the discussion about the importance of place by tweeting anna at @AnnaCoverdale
