Let's start listening to our High Streets.

It struck me during the first High Street Positives community meet last week - the people who care most about the high street aren’t waiting around for someone to save it.

They’re doing the work. Quietly, consistently, and creatively.

These new online sessions are designed to bring together an incredible mix of people: retail experts from independent, national and multinational brands, business stakeholders, place-makers, local authority leads, BID teams, strategists, commercial property developers and investors, town and city planners - and a few of us from the brand and marketing world.

It wasn’t a polished presentation or a public policy roundtable. It was better than that, honest, energising, and full of practical ideas.

What united everyone there was a belief that the high street and local business still matters.

Not as a nostalgic concept, but as a living, evolving part of everyday life.

Something worth investing in, shaping, and sharing.

Too often, national strategies overlook what makes each high street unique.

That gap between central thinking and local reality is where real potential is lost but also where real opportunity lies, for people, places and brands of all sizes.

As someone who works with national and global multi-location brands and marketing leaders every day, I believe the future of retail, service brands, and even public sector organisations will depend on how well they connect at a local level.

It’s relational, not just transactional.

Of course marketing can’t fix the high street alone. Marketing alone can’t solve the challenges facing the high street, but as part of a community of committed experts, We Are Acuity helps lead the conversations that drive real change.

I'm grateful to have joined the High Street Positives network and look forward to contributing more as the community grows. With over 90 founding members already involved - from local independents to multinational retail leaders - it’s an inspiring space for sharing ideas, case studies, and fresh thinking.

Membership is open to anyone passionate about shaping the future of our high streets. Benefits include early access to events, networking with industry peers, sharing case studies, and a digital badge to show your support - all for just £100/year or £10/month.

If you're working in retail, service, or place-based marketing and trying to get closer to your customers on the ground, I’d love to hear how you're approaching it and would be happy to share a few ideas.

Let’s stop trying to ‘save’ the high street. Let’s start listening to it instead.

Thank you to the brilliant people behind the first High Street Positives community meet-up. Ideas, honesty, and energy in spades Laura Harris, Jose Davies, Rob Pearson, Esther Worboys FIPM, Leigh Sparks, Julie Holden, Nadia Martini, Kim Dodd.

And this is just the beginning!

Feeling like your local marketing efforts are missing the mark? Whether you are a DTC, franchised, or multi-site brand it’s not about doing more - it’s about doing it smarter. Discover how to build local relevance and make your brand truly resonate with local communities in our new interactive guide!: HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR DIGITAL REACH.

You can learn more about the services we offer by clicking here, or if you’d like more detailed advice, schedule a FREE 30-minute discovery call.