The Broadway, Bradford has scooped two coveted Purple Apple merit awards for campaigns run by the shopping centre in 2019 that brought the local community together.
The ‘Eid Celebration Weekend’ and the ‘We are Bradford’ week-long activity were both commended by the only award body that recognises and rewards effective retail destination marketing within the UK retail property sector.
Ian Ward, general manager at The Broadway, said: “2020 has certainly brought its fair share of challenges to communities across the world and to a huge cross-section of industries. The retail sector in particular has had to adapt, flex and bounce back; at The Broadway we’ve focussed on providing a safe space for the people of Bradford and surrounding regions to shop in and our staff to work in.
“The merits for the two campaigns run in 2019 really showcase the hard work put into the events we hold, which unfortunately we haven't been able to implement in 2020. Eid is such an important celebration in Bradford and we wanted to mark the event by showcasing the city's wealth of diverse culture. The ‘We Are Bradford’ activity put the city on the national news agenda - it was designed to dispel misconceptions of Bradford and we did that by creating a hub to capture ‘real’ news from across the region.
“The Purple Apple merits are a sweetener as we draw close to 2020 and I’m delighted The Broadway has been recognised in these prestigious awards.”
The Eid celebration weekend injected an explosion of colour and culture into the shopping centre and was designed to celebrate Bradford’s diverse culture and raise awareness of Eid through free fun activities and entertainment. Henna artists, an arts and crafts area and dance performances from The Punjab Bhangra Crew encouraged the whole family to attend.
The heart of the We Are Bradford campaign was about creating conversations between the people of Bradford and the BBC. It was a first-of its kind experiment delivered by BBC News and BBC Yorkshire and whole-heartedly supported and implemented by The Broadway.
The Purple Apple awards acknowledge high standards and shows that retail destination marketing is effective and provides excellent value for money. The awards also reflect how marketers have to constantly adjust to changing times, from ensuring their budget goes further and works harder, driving retailer sales and harnessing new initiatives including digital marketing.
