The Brief
To continue to intrigue and entice visitors to London’s iconic Leadenhall Market with an innovative strategy to engage shoppers and customers, creating a buzz for a diverse programme of events in the media and on social media.
Insights and Approach
Creativity is central to our strategy to engage shoppers and customers. Since 2021, we have reimagined the use of the outdoor space with an innovative events programme designed to complement and contrast with the Victorian architecture and create shareable content to maximise digital engagement to reach new audiences.
Through partnerships with a range of cultural destinations such as Museum of London, Guildhall and Gods own Junkyard, as well as supporting tourism and community initiatives from the Greater London Authority, Little Amal, Sadlers Wells, the University of Arts London, London Youth Choir, Tourism Ireland, ECBID and Destination City, we have used the public space and any vacant shop units for an ever-changing programme of workshops, art and museum exhibits, music and dance productions. Our impressive 8-metre-tall Christmas tree and decorations regularly feature in media’s best trees in London.
Along with our own unique brand of quirky, interactive pop ups including a stress-busting Screamatorium, Jubilee Corgi Cam, Dogstagram photobooth, neon film set exhibition and Halloween tentacles, we continue to encourage new and existing audiences to visit, extend dwell time, recommend and return.
We run a proactive press office for Leadenhall Market, working regularly with local, national and international media, using behind the scenes visits, interviews and bespoke opportunities for journalists. We also run the website and social channels for the iconic destination, collaborating with tenants and partners on campaigns and working with influencers to bring Leadenhall Market to new audiences.
The Outcome
We have taken the market from having a reactive, low level media presence in 2021 to a strategy that delivered (by April 2023):
- 1,080 pieces of print, online and broadcast media coverage in high quality outlets including key London titles, national and international press, with opportunities to see (OTS) of 5,369,279,012
- An 89% increase in social media followers across all platforms from 16,096 in January 2021 to 30,517 in December 2023, with particularly strong follower growth on Instagram at 116%.
By raising the profile of Leadenhall Market as an iconic venue, we have seen enquiries from world class brands such as Burberry interested in hosting a fashion show, to high profile TV and film companies wishing to use the location. The market even featured in the 2022 Christmas edition of The Radio Times as the backdrop for its popular double page TV quiz.
The market has also seen multiple new tenant openings, including eight new food and beverage outlets in 2023.
1080
pieces of print, online and broadcast media coverage
89%
increase in social media followers across all platforms
5
billion
opportunities to see
