Comms drive for Worcestershire as region declares it is open for business

The local authority is working on an 18-month project aimed at businesses based in the region, or planning to locate in Worcestershire. 

The marketing and comms programme is set to run from November to June 2019, and will include a series of press releases and case studies, as well as social media activity and round table discussions. 

A spokesperson at Worcestershire County Council, said: "The marketing and comms campaign is designed to increase awareness and maximise take-up of the Worcestershire business support programmes and showcase successes.

"Building on the success of previous campaigns, the programme will be developed around the council's 'Open for Business' strategy and wider 'World Class Worcestershire' messaging." 

One of the key messages of the campaign is that the region is ‘open for business’, which is a part of a five-year plan for the area covering 2017-2022 and called Shaping Worcestershire’s Future. 

The campaign will promote the support available for businesses, including a range of workshops, grants and technical expertise, which are funded from the European Regional Development Fund, as well as county and district councils.

Some of the support schemes run by Worcestershire County Council include its Business Accelerator programme, which offers grants of £10,000-£20,000, as well as the Enterprising Worcestershire programme for start-ups. 

Other business programmes in the region include rural-focused schemes, and opportunities in innovation and low-carbon ideas.     

The council is planning to use a number of key metrics to monitor the effectiveness of the campaign, which will include social media followers and engagement of businesses with the programmes. 

Worcestershire County Council is working with agency F8 Creates on the campaign, and the spokesperson added: "The agency will work alongside the in-house team to support the rollout of the programme."

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