shmu Loves Local

Given the impact on the economy from the Coronavirus pandemic, local businesses need as much help as they can get at this time. In response to this an innovative new digital marketing project aimed at promoting Aberdeenshire’s town centres, supporting businesses and encouraging communities to ‘love local’ has been launched.  

The initiative is being led by Aberdeenshire Council and funded through an £80,000 investment from the Scottish Government’s Scotland Loves Local Fund which is managed by Scotland’s Towns Partnership.  

Monies will support businesses and town centres with a digital marketing programme to be delivered by shmu with VisitAberdeenshire delivering a high level region-wide town centre marketing campaign to encourage residents to stay local, recognise the importance of their local areas and discover the secrets Aberdeenshire towns have to offer. 

The programme has recently started and shmu is currently undertaking an online audit within each town and its business community to quantify the current level of digital marketing activity undertaken. This will then be shaped into a delivery plan to ensure the relevant level of support and training is made available. 

Digital support, training and business-to-business packages will also be available to assist any firms looking to gain insight on how to use digital marketing platforms more effectively.  

The project will showcase local suppliers including website design agencies, marketing agencies, graphic designers and printers which towns and businesses can work with to deliver their future marketing activities. 

Murray Dawson, Chief Executive of shmu, said “We are delighted to be involved in this project which will serve to consolidate a great deal of our recent work undertaken in creative and digital media, but also facilitate on-going work with Aberdeenshire-based employability partners in terms of providing support to businesses across the region.”