Marketing & PR
The role of the Marketing and PR department is to create and build awareness of the Centre and to encourage usage and spend by effectively communicating the Centre’s facilities, convenience and services to its core catchment population.
In order to put forward effective communication and marketing strategies, the marketing department evaluates the Centre’s performance and appeal to establish the greatest potential to make marketing spend effective.
Funding
Marketing and PR is jointly funded (50:50) by the landlords, Peel Holdings and the retailers via the service charge.
Retailer Involvement
A strategic overview of the marketing plan and current activity is provided at the monthly Retail Forum meeting. In addition the department regularly seeks retailer participation in promotional activities. Correspondence, as well as a regular newsletter called ‘Update’, is frequently distributed to Retail Managers to communicate marketing and PR activity.
In-house Team
The Marketing & PR Department at The Trafford Centre consists of three people with additional services outsourced to specialist suppliers. The team comprises of:
- Marketing Manager – responsible for the implementation and management of the Marketing and PR strategy
- Press Officer – responsible for the development and implementation of the PR plan
- Marketing & PR Coordinator – responsible for the planning and execution of a number of specialised areas within the department and to assist the Marketing Manager.
External Specialist Suppliers
It is necessary to outsource work relating to the marketing and PR department as there are a number of specialist areas/fields which cannot be undertaken internally at the Centre.
These include services for creative/media buying, print, graphic design and artwork, website design, photographic and video production, market research, reprographics, fulfillment and distribution.
Planning
It is necessary to look at the position the Centre is in, prior to devising the marketing plan by careful evaluation. This includes the following:
Visitor Numbers
These are monitored via the Centre’s vehicle management system (VMS). The VMS is a sophisticated vehicle monitoring system that enables the Centre to track the numbers of vehicles entering the Centre at any time of the day. By looking at the number of vehicles using the Centre, average party size and the percentage of customers using public transport facilities the Centre is able to make accurate estimates and compare pedestrian flow hour by hour, day by day, month by month and year on year.
Market Research
The Centre commissions an independent research agency – Swift Research - to undertake two exit surveys annually, one in an off-peak period (May) and the other in a peak period (end of November). This research enables the Centre to establish the profile of its customers in terms of age, gender, place of residence etc and also consumer behavior in the Centre in terms of spend, dwell time, visitor frequency and use of specific areas as well as awareness of advertising.
The postcode data collected from these surveys is provided to Experian, who undertake a MOSAIC classification analysis. This data gives detailed information on the lifestyles and types of people who use the Centre and also maps our frequent/infrequent customers in terms of their geographic residence to establish our target market and evaluate the Centre’s potential customer base.
Other research programmes include street surveys in various towns within the Centre’s catchment area to undertake a competitor analysis and to measure awareness and usage of the Centre as well as evaluating reasons for not visiting the Centre, or not using it frequently.
Focus group research is also conducted. This qualitative research is based on in-depth discussions with mixed groups in order to ascertain perceptions of the Centre and seek opportunities for further growth and general improvement.
To gain a more comprehensive picture of the Centre's customers, our regular research programme was modified to incorporate a segmentation exercise. This exercise enabled the research agency to split those interviewed into a manageable set of segments, which the Centre could use in future strategies.
Specifically, the visitors were segmented based on attitudes towards shopping in general and lifestyle and were then refined using demographics so that they were differentiated enough to be useable.
By looking at the demographics, behaviour and attitudes of each segment it helps the Centre define and understand the target audience to tailor communications more effectively.
Other Evaluation Analysis
- Retail quarterly turnover – retailers turnover figures provided quarterly and feedback from internal research
- Retailer performance – performance of retailers throughout the year in particular following a promotion
- Retail promotional evaluation – assessing the success of previous advertising campaigns
- Seasonal trends
- National trends and performance
Marketing Objectives 2008 – 2009
In a tough economic and competitive market (combined with the fact the Centre is firmly established as a mature Centre), effective marketing and advertising is required to:
- Retain core visitors from the Centre’s catchment area
- Increase frequency of visits to shops from the Centre's catchment area
- Encourage new visitors from the Centre's catchment area and also outside the Centre’s catchment.
- Increase the frequency of evening visits
- Increase frequency of both new and existing customers to use the leisure and dining facilities in the evening and during the day
- Create a set of strong, effective and quality led communications
- Maximise budgetary resources by targeting activity
- Promote 10pm weekday trading as this is a distinct advantage over competition and is therefore important to maintain high awareness of this convenience.
NOTE: The ‘catchment area’ is defined as a 45-minute drive time band of The Trafford Centre.
Creative Communications
The management team’s objective is to build on the very positive image people have of the ambience, the range of the retail offer and particularly its uniqueness compared to other destinations predominantly focusing on its convenience factors.
The Trafford Centre has a range of unique selling points [USPs] which need to be communicated via the advertising media.
The Trafford Centre’s USPs
- Free parking
- Designer brands
- Flagship stores
- Opening hours i.e. till 10pm every weekday and The Orient open later
- Safety and security
- Children’s facilities
- Clean
- Undercover
- Stunning architecture (pleasant environment)
- Customer Services i.e. staff, Mobility Services
- Combined shopping and leisure experience
The Trafford Centre Brand
As the Centre matures, it is important to evaluate the perceived brand characteristics, and the qualitative research will enable us to establish this.
It is important however that various brand characteristics are incorporated into the creative execution:
- Caring
- Quality
- Exciting
- An indulgence
- Relaxing
- Friendly
- Stress free
- Comfortable
- Stylish
- Leading-edge
- Inspirational
- Aspirational
- Unique
Marketing Plan 2008 - 2009
Target Audience
- Primary - ABC1, 25-44 age group within 45 minute catchment especially ‘fashion loving spenders’* and ‘time starved affluents’*(see Figure 1 below)
- Secondary - All adults within 45 minute catchment
- Tertiary - All potential shoppers who may visit independently or as part of a tour or group visit. The Centre uses all elements of the marketing mix, using different messages.
Figure 1
‘Fashion loving spenders’ are:
- Mainly ABC1
- Will travel to shop
- Fashion conscious
- More likely to be female
- Pre children
‘Time starved affluents’ are:
- Highest volume spend
- Married with children
- ABC1 dominant
- Time is of the essence
The Trafford Centre Website
Prior to the opening of The Trafford Centre, it was felt that a website should be built providing information for those seeking details about the Centre via the Internet.
As the Centre matured, more and more information was incorporated onto the site and it has grown considerably from having minimum information to becoming a comprehensive and interactive site.
The website is now a very important medium within the marketing mix, and budgets are set aside each year to ensure the site is regularly refreshed and effectively utilised to promote the Centre in a variety of ways.
Literature
An important function of the marketing department is to design and produce a number of Trafford Centre leaflets for customer information purposes - these are available in the mall, and also to mail to existing and potential customers within the catchment area.
The Trafford Centre Fountain Fund – Charity
Another function of the Marketing & PR department is to implement and manage the Centre’s charity strategy.
In order to raise funds for charities and generate positive publicity, the Centre actively organises fundraising events and the Centre’s fountains are used to collect coins. Since opening, customers have thrown loose change into the numerous fountains within the Centre. The amount of money raised through the fountains and fundraising activity totals approximately £50,000 per annum.
Research with customers was undertaken to establish a charity strategy for the Centre relating to the type of charity/s customers would prefer the money to be distributed to, how regularly that should be reviewed and the number of charities that should benefit each year.
Following this research, a Charity Committee was set up with representation from a cross-section of staff members from the Centre and also third parties such as retailers.
The Committee proposed a strategy based on the findings from the research. The selection of charities was also guided by the findings and various charities have benefited from over £170,000.
Sponsorship
During the last few years, the Centre has been approached on a number of occasions from organisations seeking sponsorship support.
The Centre has become involved in a number of joint initiatives with other organisations, which have generated many publicity and advertising opportunities.
As opposed to providing a financial contribution, the Centre has offered these organisations a partnership proposal. This involves providing advertising opportunities at the Centre in return for becoming a brand partner.
PR
Public relations activity is an essential component of the marketing mix. The main objective of the marketing department is to communicate the Centre’s brand values and PR and press activity is an important element of this process.
Each year a PR plan is developed and implemented following an evaluation of the key areas on which to base the communications strategy. The plan is in place to ensure regular coverage of The Trafford Centre is generated in both broadcast and print media regionally and nationally.
The Trafford Centre has become a popular location from which to broadcast programmes. TV and radio organisations frequently seek approval to use the Centre as a backdrop for a variety of programmes as well as record news items, either live or pre-recorded.
Entertainment Department
The entertainment department plans events and entertainment in different areas of the Centre throughout the year.
The team has mounted an extensive and successful programme of events to suit all ages, both in The Orient and elsewhere in the Centre.
There have been live appearances by popular artists including, Westlife, Girls Aloud, McFly, Hayley Westenra, Donny Osmond, and Russell Watson and the Centre has played host to UK film premieres, which have attracted a large number of celebrities. In addition, there are live bands every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening, weekly tea dances, which are immensely popular, and frequent performances by street entertainers.