Campaign: Light Switch On Charity Concert
Client: Meadowhall
Timescale: September 2013-November 2013

Overview:

Meadowhall has always taken its commitment to making Christmas spectacular seriously, and its 2013 campaign was no exception. Playing host to Santa’s Magical Kingdom; more than 3,600 crystal icicles, 9,228m of crystal garland, 875,283 LED bulbs and 8kg of glitter; and a packed agenda of entertainment to keep shoppers feeling festive in the lead up to the big day.

This year, the Shopping Centre welcomed Union J, Little Nicky, The Vamps and 15,000 people to its annual charity Light Switch On concert – raising more than £16,000 for charity of the year The Children’s Hospital Charity.

Below is a short case study outlining MK’s role in making this event happen.

Brief and Objectives:

• To raise awareness of the concert through regional and local media, including broadcast, driving footfall to Meadowhall as a result
• To develop a comprehensive crisis communications programme should the need arise
• Manage all media present at the event – for celebrity interviews, photo opportunities and, most importantly Meadowhall positioning and key messages
• To deliver Meadowhall’s Christmas messages
• To build a buzz about the concert – stimulate and manage social media.

Strategy and Plan:

• MK targeted key local press titles and created excitement for the concert by releasing the name of the artists appearing at the concerts one by one
• MK maximised regional interest by promoting Meet and Greet competitions and final ticket competitions on social media and via the website
• MK championed the hashtag #MeadowhallLightSwitchOn throughout the campaign
• MK liaised with broadcast, of which ITV covered the event
• MK also offered the media exclusive interviews with the artists on the night.

Measurement and Evaluation:

• 15,000 people attended the Meadowhall Light Switch on 2013, travelling from all over Yorkshire and further afield to come and see performances from headline acts Union J, The Vamps, Little Nikki and a range of up-and-coming talent
• The Light Switch On achieved 33 pieces of coverage, locally and regionally including print, online and broadcast
• The coverage spanned a number of weeks as a result of a series of press initiatives, for example;
– The first headline act was revealed at the beginning of October
– This year saw the concert sell out in the fastest ever time
– Competitions were run in partnership with four local publications
• MK invited ITV along to the light switch on, who broadcast the event on the evening news and online
• During the week of the Light Switch On Meadowhall’s Twitter following increased by more than 1,250 followers, and more than 66,000 people were reached through Facebook.