Synopsis

When the government announced a nationwide lockdown in March 2020 following the growing Covid-19 pandemic, we had to rethink the entire social media strategy for the UK’s largest shopping centres. As Digital Content & Social Media Manager, I led the development and execution of a new approach to our social channels; focusing on engagement and entertainment instead of reach and footfall.

Our new approach kept the overarching ‘Destination Westfield’ campaign alive by showcasing how our centre team and retailers were supporting key workers and vulnerable neighbours, Alongside this was the addition of content geared towards ‘Destination Home’, featuring activities for kids, cooking classes, living room workouts and more to keep our audience entertained and engaged. We also leveraged Instagram Stories, with bi-weekly shopping themed games and quizzes designed to keep Westfield in mind as a must-visit destination once the restrictions lifted. Following record breaking engagement rates, we extended the format to communicate centre updates and safety measures in a fun and engaging way, resulting in industry press coverage praising our approach,

Overall results saw an increase in engagement rates, audience growth and new storytelling strategies that resumed once restrictions lifted.