B2C • RETAIL, Leisure

Merry Hill

Shoppers take on the QRious Quest

MISSION:

The leading West Midlands shopping destination, Merry Hill, invited visitors to take on a treasure hunt with a difference over the summer months: the ‘QRious Quest’, a brand-new interactive experience to shoppers of all ages, providing a fun and engaging mix of QR code discovery, AR games, and daily instant-win prizes.

Challenging  visitors visitors to explore Merry Hill through an interactive app, the activation offered the chance to win thousands of pounds worth of prizes and discounts from the centre’s retailers. Gaming enthusiasts were also invited to enjoy three AR games - Face Splat, Giant Groove and Merry Hill Invaders - at the centre’s exclusive event hub.

With the aim to drive awareness and footfall among key target audiences, our strategic three-month PR campaign was designed to secure high-quality regional  and national media coverage, and position Merry Hill as the place to visit for a free family day out over summer.  

Approach:

Our announcement targeted national and regional listings, while competition placements helped to further promote the event among target audiences.

Broadcast coverage was a strong focus for our PR activity and we were able to secure on-air mentions for Merry Hill on local radio stations, including BBC Radio WM, helping to bolster awareness and engagement throughout the campaign period.

We also crafted a bespoke survey story, which explored the juggling act that parents face during the summer holidays, with many eager to create lasting memories while keeping a close eye on costs. Our exclusive research was framed to showcase how free activities such as QRious Quest can offer budget-friendly fun for every age.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Delivering big impact within a short timeframe, our creative PR campaign went beyond expectations, exceeding KPIs for broadcast, national and regional media coverage.

Over the summer period, we secured 35 pieces of coverage with a reach of 9.5m, including high-quality placements across media including Birmingham Live, Sunday Mirror and Black Country Radio.

Through our strong regional relationships and proactive press office activity, we successfully delivered a strategic PR campaign that met every objective. By securing on-brand media coverage in target titles, we were able to engage core audiences, drive awareness and footfall, and further position Merry Hill as the ‘go to’ destination for families, friends and gaming fans in the region.