Lidl - Property Division

Developing a suite of creative and consultation materials for Lidl’s property division

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Commercial challenge

After winning a competition pitch to develop a new property-focussed brochure for Lidl’s new store development team, Gough was tasked with helping the business professionalise and align all its regional public consultation and stakeholder engagement comms materials, ensuring consistency of brand and message across 17 different teams. Having grown so rapidly, the company needed to enhance the quality of its consultation rollout process for new store planning consents, reflecting the status of the retailer as a major national brand.

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Human Approach

After 15 years with Sainsbury’s regional property teams, Gough understood exactly what Lidl needed in order to be well-received and respected by communities and councils across the nation when it came to the quality of communications to promote new store development proposals.

We reviewed how the 17 ‘regions’ were using different approaches, consultants and materials for local engagement, and proposed the creation of a set of templates that would deliver an efficient, effective, professional and always on-brand suite of communications for roll-out.

In creating templates that only required information specific to the area and scheme adding each time, we ensured key messages about the company values, charitable causes and sourcing commitments were already featured in all communications, knowing how these would have a positive impact on the communities Lidl needed to talk to at any given moment.

Not only did we design and write the templates, Gough also provided the company with distribution options, virtual and physical public exhibition packages, engagement and consultation process strategies and more, streamlining the entire process for the benefit of the company and all 17 regions.

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Results

The templates are now in active use across the UK and are helping Lidl enter new communities with a more professional, consistent and effective approach, whilst residents are benefitting from simple and informative communications carrying positive messages that reinforce Lidl’s position as a leading supermarket retailer.

Gough now produces a number of property-related materials for the client.

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