We’ve put together several royalty-free playlists. Have a listen to them and let us know which ones you’d like to schedule.
We’ve collated some research, ideas and thoughts on how shopping centres may operate as lockdown eases and the new ‘normal’ emerges.
We’re officially into week 4 of lockdown. How are you hanging on in there?
There’s no denying that life has taken a different course for us all over the past few weeks and it’s been incredibly humbling to see such bravery amongst NHS and key workers. As an agency, we’ve been thinking about the little ways we can help to give back to show our gratitude for all those who have been doing their bit to keep this country safe. We’ve also been thinking about all the children who are stuck at home in lockdown, unable to see their friends…and of course their parents who are having to juggle childcare, home-schooling and work, whilst keeping their sanity at the same time!!…
That’s why, we’ve put together these fun little colouring activities for parents to download to help keep their kids busy…we’re really rather pleased with these, as not only will they keep little ones out of mischief for a while, but once they’re completed, and displayed at your window, they will prove to be a fantastic colourful way to thank all those people working so hard to look after us all!
If you would like to receive these images for free, just enter your email address below and we’ll email them to you.
We’d love to see your creations! Follow us on Instagram and tag us in an insta story showing us your kids’ work!
We thought we’d enjoy a little interlude from what’s going on in the mainstream news, to spread a little cheer and share one of our favourite campaigns from earlier this year.
Question for you…What do you get when you mix a shopping centre, a dollop of love, a spoonful of Whitney Houston and some clever radio marketing alongside a sprinkle of social media magic?
An interesting recipe right? Read on…
A bit of background
OnBrand’s history is deeply centred around radio, so much so that the whole company used to be called Centre Radio. And we’re proud to supply our most cost effective product, Centre Radio, to a wide range of different shopping malls up and down the country, with a variety of playlists and recorded messaging that can be updated and loaded quickly, especially in times when you need to react in a crisis.
We can make you feel good
We’re often reminding people that sounds can encourage a range of emotions. But did you know that positive feelings created by music can also help to increase both dwell time and sales in a shopping centre? You can read more about the science behind it here.
However, today we’re not going to talk about science. Here’s an update on how we used Centre Radio creatively to have a bit of fun this Valentine’s Day at The Baytree Shopping Centre.
What went down
The Baytree Shopping Centre wanted to launch a simple Valentine’s Day competition, but with a twist. Something that would make shoppers want to ‘dance with somebody’ and engage them within the centre and on social media channels.
Centre Manager, Dan Foley didn’t really need to look very much further than OnBrand. We got right to the heart of the brief, which would mix all the elements together… (any Whitney fans getting our references yet?)
The chart-topping idea
A week-long competition that encouraged people to listen out for Whitney Houston’s, ‘I will always love you’ and then message the centre’s Facebook with the time that they heard it, in a bid to win a Valentine’s Gift Bundle.
Working closely with our audio team to ensure the track was played when the ‘Clock strike(d) upon the hour,’ our social media gurus then set to work promoting this awesome competition on the socials.
With a tightly planned schedule, we created banner advertising, posts and fun teasers, encouraging people to go into the centre and listen out for the tune, while giving them clear instructions on how to apply for a chance of winning.
The results
We generated plenty of seasonal engagement around this awesome competition, with customers emailing us to let us know they had specifically visited the centre just so they could hear the song… footfall – tick!
Another customer was also so chuffed at the ‘creativity’ they mentioned it in their entry comment.
And let’s not forget how happy the winner is…
At Onbrand, we talk a lot about memorable experiences, happy customers and success stories… it just makes us ‘so emotional baby’!
Looking for a unique competition idea? Get in touch on sayhello@onbrand.co.uk.
We’re ‘saving all our (creative) love for you…..’
We’ve created new messages to help show support to NHS workers as well as some helpful messages to remind people to ensure they are properly socially distancing from each other. Have a listen to them below and then schedule them in your client area.
Thank the NHS #1
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all NHS staff, frontline workers and all of our staff working in the centre for your efforts in the current crisis to keep the country running.”
Thank the NHS #2
“We would like to invite all customers to join us at 12pm every Thursday in applauding all of the hard work and efforts made by all NHS staff, front line workers and staff working in the centre. Join us in clapping to show our appreciation.”
Thank the NHS #3
“We would like to invite all customers to join us in applauding for a minute to all NHS staff, frontline workers and all staff working in the centre in their efforts *CLAPS* Thank you for joining us in thanking all of those who are keeping the country running.”
Social Distancing #1
“We would like to remind all customers to be mindful of the social distancing rules that have been put in place by the British government. It is recommended that you avoid close contact with others and distance yourself at least 2 metres away from other people.”
Social Distancing #2
“We would like to remind all customers to adhere to the government social distancing guidelines, by maintaining at least 2 metres of space between yourself and others whilst in the centre. This should include when queuing at checkouts and speaking to staff in our stores as well as walking through our malls. In addition, please be cautious and try to adhere to the social distancing guidelines when using any of our lifts and limit the number of people to an absolute minimum in each lift. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Coronavirus Option #1
“We would like to remind all customers to be mindful of maintaining good personal hygiene whilst in the centre today. Government advice recommends that we wash our hands for 20 seconds, catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue and dispose of it in a bin. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.”
Coronavirus Option #2
“We would like to remind customers that hand washing facilities can be located in our toilets throughout the centre. Please wash your hands with soap and water often or use hand sanitiser gel to help prevent the spread of germs”
Listen. Hear that?
If you’re in a city centre and all you can hear are raised voices and revving engines, it probably means there’s a good chance that something else has slipped past your radar. Music. As forgettable as they seem, the songs that play in the background of shopping malls and supermarkets are as much a part of the experience as your loyalty card or bag for life.
But how can something so important slip past us so easily? If we can barely tell it’s there, why bother, right? Maybe, we’re better off shopping in silence – they do say it’s golden after all.
Or maybe not. You don’t need to be a scientist to know that a shop with no music feels weird, but in case you were in any doubt, mood-setting music has been shown time and time again to work best for retailers when it’s there.
However, does anyone give it any notice?
It’s like the air we breathe; we only speak up when there’s a problem. Take it away though, and there’s no atmosphere.
When we think of shopping tunes, the first thing that probably pops into your head are upbeat top 40 bangers, those songs we hear played over and over until they become instantly recognisable.
Maybe the rationale of business owners putting them over the intercom is that familiarity is a way to fast track comfort. Popular tracks everyone knows will make people feel more at home, and a welcoming retail environment is more likely to create regular customers.
This idea hinges on people recognising the songs being played, so we know it sounds counterintuitive to be told it’s better for business when customers don’t recognise the music they’re listening to, but stick with us here: Several studies have proven that playing slower music causes shoppers to take longer in stores, and by not rushing, they end up spending more.
Spangenberg and Yalch (2000) found that playing music unfamiliar (and so less obvious) to customers, not only hardly changed its enjoyment, but it also had this time-stretching effect.
There’s lots of theories as to why this might be, but the prevailing one is that when we hear music we know, we feel time passing slower than normal. This makes sense right?
Who’s not listened to a favourite song and it felt monumental, when the run-time is only a couple of minutes? When all the background songs mush together, our body clocks have a hard time working out how long it’s been since we started doing something.
That said, having a whole load of people milling about might not always be the savviest sales option.
Maybe your aisles are getting a little over-crowded, or there’s a queue of families waiting for a table. The answer? Pick up the pace a little.
The good news for retailers is…
When we are under music’s influence, these studies consistently find we have absolutely no idea, even if it seems blatant on paper. Hargreaves, McKendrick, and North’s experiment in a wine bar (1999) found that buyers were more likely to go for French wines when ‘obviously French-sounding’ music was playing, with the same effect on German wines with ‘German-sounding’ music. Customers also spent more on wine when classical music played instead of pop; in neither case did they think the music had affected their choices.
So, let’s get controversial for a moment and make a bold claim:
If you want customers to stick around and spend a little more, maybe it’s time to call time on in-shop pop. Its bouncy rhythms and anthemic choruses might be enticing, but as far as research goes, all signs point toward less being more.
Hard to believe we know, but there’s nothing that makes us want to stay and blow our hard-earned cash than slow songs we haven’t heard before. We guess silence isn’t the only thing that’s golden.
Trying to figure out how to make your marketing budget work hardest for you during such an uncertain time, may feel like quite the conundrum.
What’s absolutely certain though is, that whatever you do, make sure you’re investing in engaging with your audience. Let’s face it, you’ve worked long and hard (and quite likely spent a few £s!) in developing your audience so far. Now is not the time to stop talking to them…in fact, it’s the perfect opportunity to turn those good relationships you have with them, into great ones!
How do you do this?
You should be thinking about how you shift any planned marketing expenditure on things such as future trade shows, advertising or conferences etc. to channels which will help you stay open for business. Think SEO, PPC and of course, Social Media. The brilliant thing about apportioning additional budget to these channels is that, within days, they can be up and running, quite often with immediate payback…a bit of a no-brainer no?
Let’s Talk a bit more about Social Media…
It may feel daunting as to how you get social media right during a pandemic. Yes, it’s vital to show sensitivity and empathy towards the status quo, however, what’s really important is to remember that your audience are sat at home scrolling through their phones for content that resonates. Now is the time to connect with them and add value to their lives whilst in lockdown.
Going quiet on social media is a BIG MISTAKE
Whilst we all get used to this new world we’re all living in, it may be tempting to stop posting across your social channels whilst you work out how to keep your business afloat. Quite understandable, but it’s not going to help you in the long-term. In actual fact, consistent posting to show your customers you’re still there for them is vital in order to retain them. In recent days, social media usage has been up by 50% – your customers aren’t switching off, so neither should you!
You may be a business that previously relied on having a shop front. What we all need to acknowledge, however, is that the world has become more digital than ever before. Content is King and it’s your job to ensure your brand/business evolves to inspire, build your community and drive value online.
We’re proud to have a team of digital and social media experts, with years of industry experience behind us. If you need a helping hand to create engaging and authentic content or need strategic guidance on how to evolve your social media channels, get in touch with our friendly team of marketing superstars:
Email us: sayhello@onbrand.co.uk
Give us a call on: 03333 220022
We’re all in this together.
Many retailers, shopping centres and businesses alike; open, closed or partially closed are seeing a rise in web and social media traffic as customers search for the answers they need.
- “Are you open?”
- “Are you offering local delivery”
- “Can you offer an online consultation?”
- “When will you next be receiving stock?
- “Hello, I have a retailer specific enquiry…”
- “Are the car parks open? Are they free for NHS workers?”
- “What opening hours are you or your retailers trading etc”
Whilst your physical service may be dropping, your customer service shouldn’t.
OnBrand can help manage your customer enquiries while you focus on running your business.
Our brand new Live Chat service will integrate with your website and your social media channels and we’ll manage your increased customer demand for you.
We can respond with pre-agreed customer messages and up to date business information and our experienced response agents will offer helpful & polite responses to your customers, maintaining your customer SLAs and fielding the main volume of repeat questions on your behalf.
The service is easily set up and can be live in a matter of hours.
Set-up is only £250+vat, with monthly costs from £199 for 4 hours agent time a month (additional hours charged where required on an hourly bases @ £45 per hour)
Act now, and we have help save a potential future headache.
There’s no doubt about it. Times have changed.
We all need to stay home, but now isn’t the time to be shutting down and switching off. Customers who can no longer visit you physically, are still going to need to reach you. In fact, even in these early stages of lockdown, we’ve seen an increase in customer queries across our retail clients’ websites and social platforms.
It’s time to get creative and look at how you can best drive the messages which are truly going to help and support your customer base during these challenging times.
How, you ask?….Don’t worry, we’ve already done the thinking for you, and have put together a list of approaches you may find worth your while…
- Live Chat – This is a new service we’ve built in response to the corona outbreak, and it’s a great little tool to provide your customers with instant help and reassurance. Customers who visit your website will be invited to chat live, through their keyboard, to a team member.
- Social Media – Who is talking to you or about you? How do you reach a wider audience and what are the right messages to be sharing to authentically engage your customers during these time? Our team of social media superstars can help with everything from social media listening to content creation, to paid media.
- Website Management – do you have the time, ability and resources to manage updates to your website? OnBrand can step in and step up your customer communication.
- Managing the media/press – press statements, contingency messages, fielding press enquiries, organising video statements and providing the right message to the right people are all things we’re experienced in helping with.
- Creative & Design – need a fast turnaround of a poster, banner or a piece of comms? Ask us – we’re here to help.
- Ideas – want to know how to keep your brand in front of your shoppers? Want to position yourself as a trusted voice in the community? Want to provide positivity? Engagement with gamification? We’re creative problem solvers and ready to brainstorm!
Not sure where to start? We’re offering FREE 15 minute calls to any business who needs Marketing advice or guidance during these uncertain times. No challenge is too big or too small – download your problems and we’ll help you find a solution!
We’re here to help you get through this.
Get in touch:
Email us: sayhello@onbrand.co.uk
Give us a call on: 03333 220022
The world as we knew it just a couple of weeks ago, is now a completely different place. Not only are we having to make significant changes to the way we approach our day to day lives, but we’re also having to make big decisions about how we evolve our businesses.
Whilst this might, quite rightly, feel daunting, we’re here to help you communicate your new business approach & help your retain those customers you’ve worked so hard for.
Whilst it’s true that getting your comms right at a time like this is crucial to the survival of your business, it’s important to remember that you’re not in this alone. Our team are experts in understanding consumer behaviour and are experienced in helping tailor messaging to reflect public sentiment. We’re here to be an extension of your team and lend a helping hand to ensure your messages have cut through, add value and are broadcast across the right channels for your business.
Be safe in the knowledge that there is an extra pair of hands who can help you write a press statement or act quickly to craft a social media comms plan.
Whatever your PR & Comms needs, we’re here to help get you through this.
Get in touch:
Email us: sayhello@onbrand.co.uk
Give us a call on: 03333 220022
