This is Edinburgh marketing campaign declared a £50m success

This is Edinburgh the marketing campaign that cost the city £1 million has been declared a success fifty times over.

During the two years that the campaign has been running average footfall in the city has grown by almost 3% which they say equals £50 million in economic impact for Edinburgh.

The campaign was launched in February 2014 following a disastrous first go which resulted in the Chief Executive of Marketing Edinburgh being replaced. Under the new boss, John Donnelly,  who came to the job full of enthusiasm after his involvement with the Commonwealth Games, marketing the city suddenly worked.

Many factors had led to fewer people visiting the city centre, but the main reason was down to the disruption caused by the tram works. The new initiative This is Edinburgh appealed to locals who showed their love for the city by signing up on social media and responding to the online campaigns. But not only that, the numbers of people who came back to the city centre businesses increased above the national average.

Some of the highlights included #ThisisEdinburgh24 when locals shared their knowledge of the city throughout one 24 hour period. There are now around 250,000 people following the social media accounts which Marketing Edinburgh believe gives them a solid base from which to promote the city worldwide. In addition 40,000 people attended Edinburgh Restaurant Festival, Fashion Week, Spa in the City or Film in the City all run in the city centre with the purpose of attracting footfall.

John Donnelly told The Edinburgh Reporter: “After two years of making the £1m investment work very hard, we are incredibly pleased with these results.  This is Edinburgh was about bringing a fresh approach that put the real city, its personality and hidden gems at the heart of the campaign, reigniting residents’ pride for their home.  Throughout we have been firm believers that Edinburgh is the greatest city in the world and it’s fantastic to see the people at the heart of this success enjoying their city again.”

Roddy Smith, Chief Executive of Essential Edinburgh said: “This campaign has shown how having a varied and exciting schedule of events created for locals can hugely benefit businesses within the city centre, reminding locals of everything that is great about their city and providing a tangible reason to come in. We’re thrilled to be building on that success with Edinburgh Fashion Week kicking off this year’s programme of events again in March.

“The success of the campaign shows the importance of cross agency partnership working, and illustrates the huge benefits that can be had from working together towards a common goal.

Councillor Frank Ross, Economy Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council,said: “Marketing Edinburgh is at the heart of the Council’s ongoing strategy to promote the Capital, attract city and town centre footfall and build support for local businesses.

“To have had such success with the ‘This is Edinburgh’ campaign is proof that city marketing brings real economic results. This campaign has gone above and beyond target, with footfall growth in the city centre almost 50% higher than we anticipated.

“It’s no secret that Edinburgh is one of the world’s best cities to visit and live in but I’m proud that together, we have been able to shine a light on some of our hidden local gems.”

Photo Jon Savage