Luton place brand
Placemaking
Campaigns
Digital
Policy and Research
Filigree delivered a place brand, narrative and inward investment strategy for Luton. We worked with partners, Brand Ethos, to explore a new brand for the town.
Luton Council was keen to maximise inward investment alongside their bold regeneration vision. There’s a vibrancy to the town’s streets, schools and businesses; a renegade spirit from its working-class, industrial heritage and the Council’s worthy aim - realised through its 2040 pledge - to genuinely tackle inequalities and motivate Luton’s people to drive the town’s prosperous future.
It was this spirit that we used as the starting point to develop a new place brand. The resulting narrative signals the town’s ambitions and resonates with Lutonians.
A new place brand
Encouraging people to speak up
Our support started with a comprehensive listening exercise that saw us engage with a range of business stakeholders, town centre representatives and local people in a series of events including workshops, on-street engagement and community sessions at Luton Town Football Club.
Our conversations and the stories we gathered pinpointed the hidden gems, local people’s emotional response to the town, memories and favourite places that allowed us to find the essence of our place narrative.
We curated a marketing strategy alongside a Sounding Board made up of representatives from younger generations and creative industries, setting out innovative ideas to bring the place brand to life and help champion the town.
Gathering public views on Luton and understanding the community.
Finding the unique qualities of Luton
Talking to politicians, local businesses, prospective investors, football fans and community groups we discovered a range of often contrary views. Through identifying common themes we were able to get a sense of what makes people proud to be a Lutonian - a generosity of spirit and willingness to help each other and a shared aspiration for fairness across the town.
We developed an ambassador programme to encourage stakeholders to become vocal advocates. Helping to organise ambassador events we encouraged people to lend their voice to the campaign – speaking out for the town in the media and in everyday conversations.
Ambassadors’ launch event.
Encouraging inward investment
Our inward investment marketing plan showcases the town’s strengths to raise awareness among UK businesses looking to relocate or grow within Luton.
We guided the team in the production of a suite of supporting assets including a detailed investment prospectus, social media cards, films, launch event materials and a new website.
“The Filigree team took the time to immerse themselves in our community and led the development of Step Forward Luton. We now have a place brand that does it all, with a new place website, an authentic social media presence and an investment prospectus that brings to life the transformation opportunities of our town.
Filigree has played a vital role in putting Luton in the spotlight.”
10 hours of stakeholder interviews
70 people joined Luton Town Football Club event
346 responses from local residents to our digital survey
12 hours of on-street and community engagement
Project Details
Client: Luton Borough Council
Status: Completed Autumn 2023
Team: Filigree / Brand Ethos
Find out more: stepforwardluton.co.uk