Airport City Manchester, the 5m sq ft landmark development around Manchester Airport, has started the year off by appointing two marketing agencies from the region to support its international and online strategies following a competitive pitch process.
Argent LLP was appointed as Development Manager across the Airport City scheme in October, following the scheme’s international launch in Beijing, and a specific key objective was to establish an international marketing strategy.
Angela Fielding, Project Director at Argent LLP said:
“As Airport City grows and develops we decided we needed to focus on a strong and impactful international strategy to take Airport City to key territories. The plan is to work with our selected agencies to develop the brand to ensure it echoes and rings true with key audiences from the likes of MIPIM, China, the Middle East and beyond.”
Start JudgeGill and theEword have both been appointed to work on the Airport City project and each will deliver a set campaign to assist the UK’s biggest regeneration project since the Olympics, creating a strong brand with a multi-channel presence.
Airport City Manchester – artist’s impression
John McHugh, Marketing Manager at MAG said:
“We are really pleased to welcome two well respected agencies with a Manchester heritage as part of the Airport City team. Both have a specific brief to bolster Airport City’s objectives and we have utmost faith each will deliver.
“When selecting and shortlisting agencies through a competitive process, we were keen to stay within the region, to help support, grow and utilise local talent from within the region, which Manchester has in abundance.”
Start JudgeGill has been commissioned to conceive and deliver a compelling international marketing proposition for the brand, to ensure it resonates across a range of different cultures, markets and territories. Work commenced this month and the finished campaign will be designed to appeal to a range of industries, and it will be unveiled when Airport City Manchester visits MIPIM, in March this year.
Start JudgeGill is a multi-channel brand experience design agency based in Manchester, London, Dubai and Hong Kong that has innovation and branding at its heart.
David Judge ECD at Start JG said:
“This is a big win for the agency in terms of its geography – it’s a global project with roots in Manchester. Airport City Manchester is a truly multi-channel project – the idea behind the brand is all about intelligence with excellence at its heart.”
theEword, based in Trafford Park, Manchester, has been retained to boost Airport City Manchester’s online presence through a dedicated SEO and link-building campaign to raise it up through the Google Rankings.
Formed in 2006, theEword is a specialist search marketing agency, focused on providing SEO, PPC and commercial web design solutions to improve clients’ leads and sales.
Daniel Nolan, theEword MD, said:
“We’re extremely honoured to be selected to work on a project of this scale. As a Manchester-born business, it’s very exciting to be working alongside an internationally-backed project which will continue to strengthen Manchester’s already fantastic reputation as a key international business destination. The appointment is a big vote of confidence for the agency and the team can’t wait to get started.”
Airport City will be the core element of the Government-designated Enterprise Zone surrounding the UK’s third busiest airport, Manchester. The objective of siting the zone around Manchester Airport alongside supporting sites in South Manchester was to help attract international businesses that could contribute an additional 16,000 jobs in the North West of England.
Outline planning permission for Airport City was secured at the start of 2013 and the Chancellor, George Osborne, announced its joint venture partners in October last year, with DHL announced as the first tenant a month later. It will provide 5m sq ft of development, a mix of offices, hotels, advanced manufacturing, logistics and warehousing.
For more information see www.airportcity.co.uk or follow the project on Twitter @AirportCityUK