Local PR firm launches workshops to help boost Darlington's economy

Darlington businesses could benefit from a local communications firm pledging its skills in a bid to boost the town’s economy.

MG Communications, a newly-launched company that provides cost-effective PR and marketing solutions to businesses operating across the Tees Valley, is offering any Darlington-based SME a free half hour consultation.

This is designed to equip them with tools to better engage with customers. The campaign has been launched by MG Communications’ managing director, Mike Renton.

He said: “In the wake of recent bad new for the high street, a nominal effort was made to call on the council to boost activity in the town centre.

“Some changes have been made, but the council can only do so much. This campaign is about making changes at street level, giving individual businesses across the whole of Darlington the ability to widen their engagement networks in order to reach new audiences.

“These might be one or two person operations without the financial resources to pay for PR or marketing support. If we look after those businesses, allowing them to increase footfall, the whole of Darlington’s economy will eventually benefit.”

MG Communications recently held a workshop with Roarsome softplay, on Morton Park. Owner, Jamie Gardener said it was a valuable opportunity to learn something new that will help him place upcoming news in the local press.

Jamie added: “We handle our own marketing, but we’re not experts. Meeting up with Mike has been incredibly helpful, as it has shone light on techniques that we didn’t know about. Anything to help SMEs is valuable, especially in the current climate.”

The campaign is to run until the end of February 2019, with workshops on subjects from social media advertising to email marketing.