Grocery store chain, Lidl is currently working to secure planning permission for a new store in Grove and Wantage. At present, the area only has a Sainsbury’s and a Waitrose store which are often considered to be too expensive and limiting the amount of choice for residents.
To drum up support from the Grove and Wantage community, PLMR devised a locally-targeted Facebook advertising campaign for men and women aged 30 and up, that would promote the benefits of a new store to residents most likely to be affected and/or positive about the plans. The messages included the creation of new jobs, greater choice for local people, and investment in the area. The adverts were run over three months with a budget of just £300 for the whole campaign.
Across the course of the three sets of adverts (changed each month to reflect changes in the planning application process), we reached 28,992 people and received 1,589 clicks through to the planning website for the development, resulting in a cost-per-click of just £0.19. In addition, 170 people either liked or commented positively on the advert, many of whom agreed with our sentiment of more choice for the area and applauded the potential plans. This positivity was then reflected in an online poll, that showed 73% of respondents voting “Yes” to the new store plans.
PLMR’s crisis communications experience is second to none, and includes pre-emptive and reactive work across traditional and social media channels. We work with a range of organisations to offer critical communication support when they are faced with difficult and challenging scenarios.
