We’ve all been there. We’ve been promised the earth on the advert and booked the trip. Then we’ve turned up and it’s made a one star hotel in Magaluf seem genuinely appealing.
That’s exactly how some place marketing feels.
Every town is “vibrant.” Every high street is “thriving.” Every campaign says it’s the best. And none of it is even remotely believable. Because people can spot “clever” marketing spin instantly.
In Stockport, we did the opposite.
We leaned into what makes the place genuinely different. The quirks and rough edges. The things people would normally shy away from. .
You see the thing about Stockport is it does have some really beautiful areas. You go down the Underbanks and you’re blown away by the picturesque architecture where you really could be in Bath or York.
However, from the Motorway vantage point, some of the architecture isn’t exactly picture-postcard. In fact, we’d go as far as to say it’s a bit bloody ugly. So we didn’t ignore it.
We built a business map inspired by brutalist design. Bold, graphic and unapologetically Stockport. It turned a perceived negative into something distinctive.
At the same time, we championed what actually makes the town worth visiting. Independent businesses. Characters. Places with personality. Not chains. Not sameness. The stuff you can’t find anywhere else.
And when you get that right, people don’t just visit. They buy into it.
What your BID should take from this:
- Embrace your ugliness. People trust honesty far more than polished nonsense.
- What feels like a weakness can often be your strongest differentiators.
- Celebrate your indies. Not just the big names.
- Turn perception into creative opportunity.
- Say something real, or say nothing at all.
