SDA has kicked off a campaign to boost ailing Hyndburn businesses with the launch of an interactive flyer being distributed to 37,000 homes.

The flyer was launched to retailers, shoppers and councillors outside Accrington Market Hall as we unveiled a bus ad with Pilkington Buses, part of a campaign which will see ads running on the company’s Hyndburn Circular Route as well as selected Transdev routes.

Designed, written and printed by SDA, the flyer features short YouTube videos of more than 50 town centre businesses we approached to join forces for the campaign – all images and videos were shot by us.

Each business contributed a small fee to be included in the flyer, which also includes sections on the town’s history, leisure facilities and upcoming event’s in the social calendar.

It follows the success of our Oswaldtwistle leaflet, which saw retailers enjoy a 50% upturn in trade.

Cllr Clare Pritchard said: “We’re delighted to finally unveil the finished product to the public after months of hard work from everyone involved.

“It’s been inspiring to see a heightened sense of community and camaraderie among town centre businesses as they’ve come together for a common cause – reminding people what’s great about our town and enticing them back to see what’s on offer.”

A Twitter page has been set up to support the campaign – follow @AccringtonShops to stay up-to-date with the latest news or visit youtube.com/accringtontowncentre to view all of the videos.

Cllr Clare Pritchard joins some of the retailers featured in the flyer at its official launch in Accrington.

A study released this month by Pixability has revealed the extent to which the world’s top 100 brands use YouTube to drive marketing campaigns and elevate their business to the next level.

Did you know that YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine, after Google?

More and more of our clients are tuning in to the enormous marketing potential of video content – especially in relation to social media. Our videographers are busier than ever shooting and editing short, low cost content that’s designed to be social media-friendly.

Last month, we pitched successfully to run eight social media accounts for Hyndburn Leisure, which operates leisure centres and entertainment venues across Accrington and surrounding areas.

Video is set to play a huge role in the social media campaign – and we got started right away with this simple video showcasing all of the great facilities on offer at Hyndburn Leisure Centre:

We’re also being retained by Hyndburn Leisure to produce all of their artwork and marketing literature – already this week we’ve completed a full van livery with magnetic signage – if you spot the van out and about send us a snap and we’ll choose the best to win a prize!

To speak to us about shooting a video or planning a video marketing campaign for your business, call 01282 426846 or email zahida@scottdawson.co.uk

The birth of baby Cambridge is a massive moment for the UK – but it’s also a chance for big brands to get themselves noticed by capitalising on the public buzz about the new prince.

Here are a few of our favourite examples….

The Sun

The Sun

Never one to shy away from a pun, The Sun newspaper was renamed ‘The Son’ for one day only to commemorate the birth of the royal baby. This simple but clever ploy created a viral buzz on Twitter and kept the tabloid firmly in the public conscience (top marks to their crafty subs for the headline ‘The Regal Has Landed’ too).

B&Q

B&Q

B&Q’s Unloved Rooms campaign continues to gather pace – and this ad is a fun way to keep it topical. Changing the company’s strapline to ‘one can do it’ shows the DIY giants have their tongues firmly in their cheeks.

Gulliver’s Theme Parks

Gulliver’s Theme Parks

Children’s theme park chain Gulliver’s slashed the price of child tickets to the baby’s weight – so 8lbs 6oz became £8.06 – for online bookings placed this week for August visits, in a smart PR stunt guaranteed to garner media coverage and boost ticket sales across its three locations. 

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola

The birth of the royal baby gave Coca-Cola another opportunity to plug its ‘Share A Coke With Friends’ campaign – I wonder how many bottles they’re poised to churn out with the prince’s name on once Kate and Wills make the big announcement?

Ryanair

Ryanair

Budget airline Ryanair cashed in on the occasion by letting kids fly for free on selected days this week and placed newspaper ads to spread the word – picture from www.thedrum.com

Starbucks

Starbucks

Global coffee giants Starbucks never miss on a branding opportunity – they were quick to tweet out this cute picture as soon as the news was out.

We work with tons of brands across the UK on quirky and fun PR stunts like these – if you fancy a chat with us about unleashing your brand’s potential, drop us a tweet at @scottdawsonad or email claire@scottdawson.co.uk

And if you spot any other great royal baby PR moments let us know!