A while back the Primark Building in Belfast burnt down…. according to the media, Belfast City Centre has suffered.
To assist the local economy and visitor numbers Belfast City Council has joined with Belfast Chamber, Belfast One and Visit Belfast to announce a range of projects aimed at continuing the regeneration and development of the city centre, one year after the Primark Fire.
A marketing campaign Make it Belfast, funded by a
£300,000 council investment. Led and delivered by Visit Belfast, the campaign is
designed to promote the unique attractions and benefits of central Belfast to
shoppers and visitors, and highlights the unique mix of retail on offer, from
independent shops to international brands.
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor John Finucane
said: “It’s been a year since the Primark fire and it has been a challenging 12
months for our city centre traders, particularly those who were directly impacted
by the necessary cordon and road closures that resulted.
“I’m pleased that our city centre is largely
reopened again, and we have undertaken a lot of work in recent months with our
city stakeholders and partners to get the message out there that Belfast is
well and truly open for business; but we can’t take our foot off the pedal.”
At www.marketinginIreland.com we would suggest Belfast City Council also explores car parking costs in the City to encourage more visitors, maybe look at addressing the traffic issues coming in and out of Belfast City at the weekends (subsidise the park and ride services), also maybe some new creative events in the City
We may never know if £300k makes a significant difference or generates marketing value for money for the public – maybe will try to find out in the future. It would have been interesting to learn more about the branding, what does ‘Make it Belfast’ actually mean and what is it’s significance to the audience? Regardless, good luck to Belfast City Council with this promotional initiative.
