I have, over the years, had the great fortune to work with some of the biggest and most exciting destinations in London. As a Londoner this is the dream job, getting to promote my great city and create campaigns and moments that are memorable, visible, and shareable.
The key to building a great place is collaboration [front and centre!] along with passion, enthusiasm, creativity, stress testing ideas, thinking the impossible and working out how to make it possible – and of course learning from mistakes.
Over the last 10+ years I have had the GREAT pleasure of getting to work with the team at New West End Company to shape and build a narrative for one of the greatest shopping Streets in the world – Oxford Street [and also the wider West End]. Over that time, we have together worked to build innovative campaigns and moments to build that all important, awareness, footfall and investment.
Oxford Street is an iconic UK destination, it is that street that we all knew and grew up with, a street that has the pulling power to officially mark the start of the festive season with its Christmas lights and spectacular windows. But roll back the clock 12 months and the story of Oxford Street that wasn’t being told was the massive transformation that it was undergoing. New store openings, low vacancy rates and the imminent arrival of incredible brands such as Moco museum [now open!] and Ikea and the return of the beloved HMV. To tell this positive story to the industry we worked with New West End Company to concept and then launch the Oxford Street 2030 report. The report explored how Oxford Street is leading the shift from transactional to immersive retail, backed by a comprehensive public realm programme. The report led the conversations at Mipim and has become an asset for agents and owners alike to promote the opportunity of Oxford Street, it also demonstrated the power that PR has in transforming the perception of a place.
Over the year to keep people shopping our campaigns have spanned major fashion moments to installations that celebrate all things Pride. I have worked on 12+ Christmas lights switch on marking the official start to Christmas in the capital. In 2020 when emerging out of our first lockdown, we knew that there was a need and an appetite for people to get out and shop and experience again in real life. We came up with the campaign Only in the West End, where six of the biggest west end partners – New West End Company, Heart of London, The Crown Estate, Shaftsbury, Grosvenor and Capco – came together in partnership to deliver a campaign that promoted the offer of the West End as a whole to both domestic and future international markets. We launched the world’s first West End wide switch on which saw footfall boom 20% in the first weekend post switch on – our simple message: ONLY IN THE WEST END.
Another favourite London pocket has to be the Fleet Street Quarter. Covering a massive 53 hectares of the City of London with Fleet Street at its heart. The small but mighty team who are responsible for putting this cherished part of London on the map, have in as little as three years implemented some very ambitious arts and culture programmes which we have been very exciting to be involved with. We started working together three years ago and, in that time, launched the biggest Coronation street party the city has seen; collaborated with the beloved ‘Snowman’ to create a trail at Christmas for little Londoners and visitors; launched the first of its kind creative arts space, Fleet.Studios a bespoke studio space for artists, painters, poets and musicians to showcase their art and share their skills. This part of London also had a story to tell, a £5 billion development pipeline that will transform the once journalist heartland into a major centre for business. Again a story that simply had to be told, we interviewed over 20 developers, investors and occupiers and pin-pointed to this landmark moment.
And when you think of passion, enthusiasm, innovation and courageous attitude in place creation, King’s Cross is the destination that springs to mind. This perfect place is very close to my heart and I have had the joy of working creatively with the Argent team for the last four years to shape this beautiful and extraordinary part of London …. Read part 2 to find out more ….