The market research into current perceptions of St.Helens highlighted a consistent number of core challenges and opportunities to be addressed in order for us to achieve the brand vision.
The main focus of Economic Development marketing efforts to date has been predominantly outward-facing, however the research also highlighted the need to place much greater emphasis on targeting local audiences.
Hence the formulation of the five objectives identified below, which include both an internal (i.e. within St.Helens) as well as external dimension. These serve as the main frame of reference for all the Brand New St.Helens activities, materials and campaigns to be delivered.
Objective One:
"To raise the general profile of the Borough and its assets in order to put St.Helens “on the map".
Despite our excellent location and many business, leisure and lifestyle assets, there remains a lack of awareness of where St.Helens is or what it has to offer.
Linked to recent and imminent developments and place-shaping initiatives, our aim is to put St.Helens on the mental map of investors, intermediaries, visitors and the media alike, so that our location and assets are more readily associated and positively identified.
Objective Two:
"To continue to challenge perceptions and enhance St.Helens' overall image".
Many of those who are aware of where St.Helens is may not have not been for some time and/or have an outdated image of the Borough, while some key stakeholders and the media still perceive us as a "marginal" location with limited appeal.
As with Objective One, the aim is to use recent and pipeline developments and place-shaping initiatives to confound and positively transform people's pre-conceptions about the Borough, in order to improve our overall image in the longer run.
Objective Three:
"To encourage and increase investment and economic activity".
St.Helens is an attractive, potentially profitable, but in some quarters still undiscovered business location.
The Borough offers clear benefits in terms of our connectivity and catchment at the heart of the region’s motorway network, and midway between Liverpool and Manchester, together with relatively low costs, a skilled workforce and some of the best business support in the country. This applies for inward investors, local companies seeking to expand, and new start-ups alike.
Our aim is to promote these locational advantages in order to attract new inward investment and expansions, retain existing firms, and increase employment.
Objective Four:
"To encourage and increase visitor numbers and expenditure".
There remains a relatively low awareness of the increasing number of top class events and attractions within St.Helens, not to mention concerning our other product strengths regarding Sport, Business Tourism, Industrial Heritage and Rural Recreation.
Our aim is to increase familiarity with the Borough’s offer and assets in order to boost attendance and expenditure linked to events and attractions, certainly by visitors, but also by locals.
Objective Five:
"To encourage and increase local pride".
Most local people are proud of St.Helens' place in history - as a cradle of the industrial revolution, the birthplace of the railways, and linked to its long, worthy association with mining and glass. By the same token, contemporary references to success are mainly restricted to 'Saints' and Rugby League.
Our aim is to highlight to local people the many other things about St.Helens that they can be rightly proud of, past, present, and future, so that they feel positive about themselves and where they live and in turn communicate this to others.