Barking and Dagenham Council has launched a brand-new advertising campaign to run across the borough encouraging residents to do their Christmas shopping locally this festive season. The campaign, which began this week, will run up until the New Year across all key retail points in the borough, including Barking Town Centre, Dagenham Heathway and Chadwell Heath.
The past 18 months have been difficult for the retail and hospitality industries in Barking and Dagenham, just as right across the UK. With this in mind, the council decided to celebrate and support local businesses that form the backbone of our high streets and shopping centres, and to encourage local residents to get their Christmas presents and essentials for the big day in their local neighbourhood.
As part of its message, the campaign also calls on residents to follow Government guidance on shopping safely during the pandemic and signposts them to find out more information. It has been launched under the key slogan: ‘Shop Local, Shop Safely, Shop Christmas’.
Cllr Cameron Geddes, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, commented: “It’s never been more important to support the local businesses, which are the lifeblood of high streets across our borough and, as a council, we are delighted to have launched this campaign to encourage people to shop locally this Christmas.
“Our local retailers and hospitality venues offer so much to tempt the festive shopper and I hope local residents see our campaign and decide to spend their hard-earned money locally. But with the recent rise in Covid cases, shopping safely is vital, and the council is committed to ensuring that people can have confidence when out and about around Barking and Dagenham this Christmas.”
Residents will see the three lead designs spread across shop windows and digital advertising screens in retail areas; on social media; at bus shelters across the borough; on key traffic routes; and in underground and rail stations.
The campaign has been put together with funding from the UK Government and European Regional Development Fund’s ‘Welcome Back Fund’, which aims to support the safe return to high streets and to help build back better from the pandemic. The fund, administered by the Council’s regeneration company, Be First, has funded a range of activities including additional cleaning, Covid Marshalls and the ‘Activation Station’ project.