Watford Town Centre BID.
A record-breaking digital campaign drives a return to the high street.
The festive season brought We Are Acuity another opportunity to help bring consumers back to the High Street, encouraging them to shop and spend locally.
We’ve had the privilege of creating assets to promote the Watford Gift Card for Watford Town Centre BID for many years. This fantastic initiative supports over 140 shops, restaurants, salons, and businesses across the town.
Following the success of the previous Christmas campaign, we knew there was a strong appetite for town-centre spending, one we were determined to build on even further.
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Challenge
The festive period is a critical time for town-centre economies, with many businesses relying on strong Christmas trading to support them into the new year.
Our challenge was clear:
- Maximise awareness and sales of the Watford Gift Card, available as an E-card or physical card, during the lucrative Christmas shopping period.
- Deliver a campaign that was fresh and engaging, while maintaining strong brand recognition.
- In the final week before Christmas, switch the focus of the campaign to the digital E-card, highlighting it as a last-minute gift solution that could be purchased instantly from home.
Not only is the Watford Gift Card the perfect gift for those who want choice while supporting local, it’s also a really convenient option for those who’ve left their gifting to the last minute!
Solution
- Phase 1: Early Awareness & Physical Card Promotion (December Weeks 1-3)
• Encouraged early shoppers to purchase a physical gift card in-store, reinforcing its value as a thoughtful, flexible gift.
• Built awareness and engagement through visually striking digital creatives and compelling messaging.
- Phase 2: Last-Minute Push with the Digital E-Card (Final Christmas Week)
• Shifted focus to the digital E-card as the ultimate last-minute gift — quick, easy, and purchasable online from home.
• Created a sense of urgency, reminding shoppers that it was not too late to give a meaningful, local gift.
Deliverables
To ensure the campaign reached highly relevant audiences, we executed a data-driven digital approach:
- Google Display Ads – To drive broad awareness and visibility across Watford and surrounding areas.
- Google Search Ads – Capturing high-intent searches for last-minute gifts.
- Facebook Carousels and Video Ads – Engaging, visually compelling ads targeting users based on location, demographics, and interests.
Building on the success of our previous campaign, we evolved the creative, ensuring a fresh and engaging look while maintaining a strong brand identity for instant recognition.
“The Christmas digital campaign seems as though it had a more positive impact this year than last which is all we can ask for! Thank you very much for your help once again.”
Glen Hempenstall, Marketing Manager at Watford Town Centre BID
Results
With the success of 2023 setting a high bar, our 2024 campaign had to deliver big—and it did.
- Over 874,500 impressions – reaching a highly targeted local audience.
- Over 27,000 clicks – demonstrating strong engagement and intent.
- Sales up +11.4% YOY – proving increased demand and consumer confidence.
- ROI of 916.2% in 2024 – an outstanding return on investment.
This uplift in gift card sales reflects a growing appetite for shopping and socialising on the local high street — an encouraging trend for town centres everywhere.
Our digital campaigns delivered
an ROI of 916.2% across 2024.
Click below to see how we can help with your own retail marketing challenges.
Or, if you’d like to see more of our work for this client, take a look at our way finding outdoor banners, or our case study on the Watford Town Centre BID rebrand.
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