Category Archives: Nelson

Scott Dawson Advertising wrap up event season in their most successful year ever

Scott Dawson Advertising, the Burnley-based events and marketing agency, are celebrating the end of events season as their busiest ever year for large scale event management across Lancashire. Recent highlights include bringing Martin Kemp to Accrington and East 17 to Great Harwood, in what has been an action-packed event calendar for 2024.

People have visited town centres in their tens of thousands to celebrate together and get tills ringing as they shop and dine locally, with Scott Dawson managing events as diverse as the Accrington Food Festival, Nelson Food Festival, Accrington Soapbox Challenge, plus Christmas Lights Switch On events in Accrington featuring huge star Martin Kemp, and Nelson Lights Switch On featuring star DJ TeeDee. Three special run up to Christmas markets and events in Great Harwood ended with a big stage extravaganza featuring East 17. Scott Dawson have also provided marketing, social media and promotion for The Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival in Colne, and the iMEP Music Festival in Accrington featuring Grammy winning artist Jess Glynne.

Murray Dawson, founder and Managing Director of Scott Dawson Advertising, commented: “I’m really proud of all our team, we have pulled all the stops out this year and delivered some incredible events with record breaking turnout.

“We are unique in that we are turnkey operators, with all services and resources in house. When we’re contracted to an event, we handle everything from initial planning, concepts, budgeting, sourcing entertainment, security, health and safety, social media, promotion and PR right through to implementation and managing the event on the day and afterwards, including full reports on the event. Social media reach for the year is into the millions.

“We always get excellent feedback and have gone from strength to strength on events, we always create something spectacular and help people make memories – and get tills ringing as we always encourage people to #ShopLocal and eat locally, to give the whole economy a boost, not just the event. It’s a great feeling!”

Crucially, the events are always safely run and well managed, giving a great visitor experience even when town centres are packed. The local police force commented after the last event in Great Harwood, “It was great to see so many of you at the Great Harwood Christmas event this afternoon. It was great to be able to meet and talk to so many of you about the issues that matter to you.

“It was also fantastic to see such a family-friendly event and very little antisocial behaviour. Well done to all the organisers. We did reunite some small children to their parents whilst East 17 were performing but other than that it was a quiet, enjoyable afternoon where we were able to engage with many of you at a terrific event.”

Suzanne Haworth of Great Harwood Rovers, who was part of the High Street Accelerator Fund panel who commissioned the Great Harwood events, added: “Can I just say a massive thank-you to all of you from myself personally and on behalf of the club. You are all fantastic at what you do, your attention to detail is amazing and most of all your dedication is a credit to you all. 

“You are the ultimate professionals. Saturday was possibly one of the best days I have spent in Great Harwood, I was so proud of the club, the children and most of all of the community spirit and our town.”

Murray Dawson concluded, “Feedback like this is so good to hear and makes all the hard work worthwhile. The SDA team always go above and beyond to deliver. We can’t wait to see what next year’s event calendar brings, and how we can make events even bigger and more spectacular year on year, to keep our high streets buzzing!”

Scott Dawson Advertising are a full service marketing agency based in Burnley. They have over 30 years experience in marketing, with all of the services on offer in-house, so their highly skilled marketing professionals deliver the highest standard of work to each of their clients, from concept to completion. You can see more here: www.scottdawson.co.uk

Online videos help to promote Nelson businesses

Fifteen local businesses are now promoting themselves through short high-definition videos on a dedicated “Nelson Shops & Events” YouTube channel, with more being added all the time.

The featured businesses range from florists to cycle shops, hardware stores to hairdressers, butchers to bookshops and counselling services to cake bakers. The two things they have in common are their presence in Nelson’s thriving business community and their enthusiasm for embracing social media to showcase what they do.

The Nelson Shops & Events channel has been set up as part of a four-month campaign to promote Nelson town centre and its array of independent shops and businesses. It is spearheaded by Nelson Town Team, which appointed Burnley-based Scott Dawson Advertising to manage the campaign.

Other elements include a co-ordinated social media campaign, promoting Nelson through popular social networking sites Facebook (www.facebook.com/nelsonshops) and Twitter (twitter.com/nelson_portas).

Lara Oddie is vice-chair of Nelson Town Team and owner of one of the local businesses featured on the YouTube channel, Oddie’s family bakers and cake makers.

“Having the video on YouTube is a new way for us to let people know what we do and about the range of goods and services we offer,” said Lara.

“It was very straightforward to make the video, working with Scott Dawson, and good fun too. I’m very pleased with the results.”

The four-month campaign will culminate in a special event, the Nelson Food and Drink Festival, on Saturday September 19th. Featuring a host of local producers and food businesses, alongside a Continental Market and live cookery demonstrations by celebrity chef Richard Fox, the festival also has its own evolving website at www.nelsonfoodfestival.co.uk

Banners promoting the festival will go up in the town centre for the weeks running up to it and a festival brochure highlighting all the attractions will be distributed to 25,000 local homes.

To view the promotional videos simply search under “Nelson Shops & Events” on YouTube. Other local shops and businesses wanting to get involved in the promotional campaign or the Food Festival can contact Sue Lawson at Scott Dawson on 01282 423846 (email: sue@scottdawson.co.uk) to discuss the various options.

Oddie’s on board for bumper food festival

Renowned Nelson-based family bakers Oddie’s has been confirmed as a key sponsor of the town’s Food and Drink Festival on Saturday September 19th.

Established 110 years ago and with 16 shops across East Lancashire, Oddie’s is a local institution and a firm favourite with generations of folk who appreciate top quality locally baked bread and cakes and delicious pies and pasties.

Lara Oddie, the fourth generation of her family to run the business, commented: “We’re delighted to get on board with the Nelson Food and Drink Festival and really looking forward to a bumper day for the town, with something to suit all tastes.”

The festival is the culmination of a four-month campaign to promote Nelson’s town centre and its array of independent shops and businesses. It is the brainchild of Nelson Town Team, which appointed Burnley-based Scott Dawson Advertising to run the promotional campaign.

A dedicated website (www.neslonfoodfestival.co.uk) is already up and running and will evolve throughout the campaign. A “Nelson Shops & Events” YouTube channel has been set up, featuring a dozen short videos showcasing local shops and businesses, with more being added all the time.

A social media campaign is under way to promote the town through Facebook (www.facebook.com/nelsonshops) and Twitter (twitter.com/nelson_portas), banners will go up in the town centre and a Food Festival brochure highlighting all the attractions will be distributed to 25,000 local homes nearer the event.

Key attractions will include a host of food stalls in the town centre ranging from traditional Lancashire produce to Asian delicacies and a Continental Market section. There will be live cookery demonstrations hosted by celebrity chef Richard Fox, who starred in ITV’s “Men Brewing Badly” alongside actor Neil Morrissey, plus street entertainers and activities for children.Print

Part of Oddie’s involvement is to sponsor a “Cakelicious” children’s cake decorating competition by donating hundreds of delicious plain buns and all the materials to decorate them. Oddies is also sponsoring a town centre banner and advertising in the festival brochure.

Earlier this year Scott Dawson Advertising ran a similar food festival in Accrington, attracting more than 10,000 people into the town centre and market hall, where businesses have felt a sustained benefit.

Lara Oddie, who is also vice-chair of Nelson Town Team, added: “Oddie’s got involved in the Accrington Food Festival by sponsoring a face painter outside out town centre shop. It really gave a boost to Accrington as a town and to a lot of businesses ever since, so I had no hesitation in getting involved with the Nelson Food and Drink Festival in the hope it will do the same here.

“Sponsoring the cake decorating competition is right up our street because it’s what we’ve been doing in Nelson for over a hundred years!”

Other Nelson shops and businesses wanting to get involved in the campaign or the Food Festival on September 19th can contact Sue Lawson at Scott Dawson on 01282 423846 (email: sue@scottdawson.co.uk) to discuss the various options.