2. - Industrial town
- Continues to enjoy strong growth
- One of the most affluent areas in UK
- Perceptions of Swindon are poor
- Town’s image has significant impact on all business
sectors: property, recruitment, retail, tourism
Swindon Background
3. - Easy rail and road links across to London and South West
- Diverse, healthy economy & plenty of employment
- One of the 10 fastest growing towns in the UK
- Surrounded by The Cotswolds, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
- Good mix of housing & choice of environments
- Strong retail mix
Strengths
4. - No “standout” attributes/ USP
- Lack of “ownership” by local community
- “Satellite” town layout
- No obvious “heart of town”, decaying car parks, unpleasant
pedestrian access routes
- Lack of leisure attractions, cultural offering & amenities
- Gateway driving routes are unattractive with bad signage
Weaknesses
5. - Investment in retail and leisure mix
- 16% of the residents are new to Swindon = a fresh audience
- Positive lifestyle proposition
- Rebrand the town as a dominant regional destination
- Utilise the “growth” aspects to Swindon in affirmative marketing
- High speed rail link
Opportunities
6. Current (confusing) situation
…..plus all the individual businesses, shopping centres, hotels, attractions
Multiple contact points & marketing sources..
7. Place Marketing
This is not about a new logo
This is not about a TV campaign or a new advert
Or a photo-shoot, or media stunt
This is about fundamentally changing how people feel about, see,
perceive, talk about Swindon