Airedale Computers

Give your entry a distinctive title using 12 words or less
BE THE STORY

Set out the overall purpose for the marketing and the goal to be achieved
The overall purpose of this idea was to increase consumer awareness and continue our charitable theme.

Who / what types of customers is the marketing intended to appeal to?
It appeals to both clients who donate IT equipment to us and to customers in our shops who are helping their own community by shopping with us.

What caused you to introduce it? Describe the reasons why you created it
Being a charity I am loathe to spend money on advertising. Newspapers need stories so I create them.

How well does it prompt comment and create enquiry?
Many customers mention the stories when they visit and we are sure to point it out to our clients as another reason to do business with us. On the back of these stories we have done a lot of paid work for charities too and we have also received their older kit to recycle.

Any additional information ...
You don't buy a newspaper to read the adverts, you buy it to read the stories, so why not be the story. A few donated computers that have been refurbished and have cost you next to nothing can be utilised in such a way as to get your name out there and in the papers. We recently donated a couple of refurbished computers to Keighley Sea Cadets "This unit of highly shipshape cadets is well worth sinking a few computers into".  I took the photo and did a write up and sent it to our local paper. They love human interest stories. It went in their local paper too. It also went on my website and theirs and our logo is in their programme. Here are a few other donations we have made that resulted in newspaper coverage:

Bloodbikes. The concept of a rapid response motorcycle based charity, run by unpaid volunteers has an impressive track record. We were more than happy to wheel in a computer for this good cause.

URBAN SPRAWL. Urban Sprawl are a theatre company which works with homeless people in Leeds and devise plays with people who have experience of homelessness and then tour those plays such as "Plague".

Pontefract Liquorice Fair. A while ago we set John on the right lines with a computer so he could advertise his service to charity galas, where he sets up his train & track and gives rides to kids and their parents with the proceeds going to the charity. Here he is at last year's Liquorice Fair in Pontefract.