Client:
St Johns Shopping Centre
Year
2025
We began working with St Johns Shopping Centre in 2014 after a competitive pitch process.
Young people aged 16-24.
St Johns wanted to expand their audience reach and attract younger shoppers to the centre without alienating their core audience of local residents aged 45+.
A multi-faceted, multi-year campaign responding to changing, relevant trends and tailoring our methods of delivery (channel and format) according to developing insights.
We continually surveyed the target audience to understand their content consumption preferences, we reviewed readily available data (online and from the shopping centre’s database), and we tested and delivered content in a variety of formats and via a range of channels.
In the earlier years, this included embracing video content and combining in-person events and stunts with video coverage to expand online reach. This developed to include working with a number of relevant influencers to build trust and authority with new, relevant audiences.
In-centre and OOH advertising has highlighted the key brands relevant to students, that can be found within St Johns - raising their awareness of the range of products and services on offer when visiting the centre.
Most recently, TikTok has been a platform that we’ve grown with success – responding to trends, using a light-hearted and playful tone of voice (where appropriate) when replying to comments, and staying true to the voice of St Johns and its shoppers.
All activity was underpinned by consistent brand messaging and an integrated approach (digital advertising, OOH activity, PR, community events, activations and stunts) to continue to drive footfall to the centre, for all audiences.
Following the first year of activity targeting this specific audience, the centre saw more than 200,000 extra shoppers through the door in 2018 compared to 2017.
Against a national backdrop of declining footfall for similar shopping centres, St Johns Shopping Centre was able to continue to grow its footfall.
The TikTok account has organically grown a following of over 3,000 people in less than six months and amassed over 40,000 likes of its content, with a few videos reaching over 50,000 people and peaking at over 120,000 for one video.
Crucially, retailers reported consumers citing TikTok as the reason for them visiting the centre and buying specific products. Retailers - a key stakeholder for the centre - reported positive impact as a direct result.
This campaign work also provided us with the award of Best Digital Marketing Award: Retail in the 2019 Northern Digital Awards.
