Edinburgh’s dedicated campaign to encourage people back to the city as part of Covid-19 recovery efforts has been recognised with awards success.
Shortlisted in a very competitive category at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Awards - featuring communications campaigns by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh Playhouse, Heehaw and MuckleMedia - the jury were clearly impressed with what the city’s destination marketing team at the Council have achieved with partners.
Our ‘The Story Never Ends’ campaign, which has received exclusive endorsements from globally renowned residents Sir Ian Rankin OBE and Alexander McCall Smith, is behind a new ‘Local Kids’ guide to Edinburgh’, a local music Reviewer In-Residence (amplified by the city’s first ‘Edinburgh Live Music Map’) and a film of Hamish - a highland terrier exploring Edinburgh’s dog-friendly venues which has reached over one billion people.
Delivered by Forever Edinburgh, the campaign won the award for Excellence in Digital Marketing at a ceremony attended by over 600 people at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) last night (Thursday 9 March).
As in previous years, the Council sponsored the Responsible Business Award. This year the accolade went to Edinburgh College for their cost of living support programme, which includes providing free breakfasts for all students. This has not only reduced dropout rates but also employed students and de-stigmatised cost of living issues. The programme also included the innovative and highly relevant ‘Go Green Project’, with community hubs providing food support, and swap shops diverting from landfill.
City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day said:
“This is brilliant news for the Council team behind The Story Never Ends. They have worked incredibly hard to drive footfall back to our high streets after a difficult few years during the pandemic. Forever Edinburgh continues to deliver excellent value to Edinburgh’s visitor economy through campaigns like this and I think I speak on behalf of businesses of all shapes and sizes as well as everyone at the council when I say this is a truly well-deserved award.
“I was also really pleased to see Edinburgh College recognised for their successful Cost of Living Support programme and we are a proud supporter of this Responsible Business Award. As one of seven winners who pay the real living wage, it was a great night for recognising and celebrating good employers. These are the impressive people and places which make up our resilient business community and add so much to the ongoing vitality of our Capital city and local economy.”