Barrow BID has partnered with Loqiva to launch “Barrow Buzz”, a digital town hub designed to boost social and economic prosperity in the town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.
The initiative will create a platform to manage and support the residents and businesses of Barrow, improve engagement within the community and gain insights about town centre activity. The Barrow Buzz digital town hub will provide technology to support all stakeholders in the town, including the ultimate town app for Barrow residents and visitors, powerful marketing tools and analytics for the businesses and a digital headquarters for the BID.
Commenting on the launch of Barrow Buzz, Paul Hodgson, Manager at Barrow BID said, ‘As a BID, we have set out our strategy for the town under four distinct categories. We aim to create a Better Brand and Promotion, Busier Shops and Services, Brighter Streets and Buildings, and Boost the Evening Economy. The digital town hub feeds into all of these goals, and brings us a level of digital infrastructure that will support Barrow for many years into the future. We are thrilled to partner with Loqiva for this really exciting addition to our town.”
From early next year, Barrow residents will be able to download the Barrow Buzz app onto their smartphones. The app will allow them to find out about news, information, events, offers, maps, tours and trails, and mobility information in Barrow. In addition, they will be able to shop locally, report issues, answer surveys and receive personalised content based on the weather, their location and their interests.
The levy-payers of Barrow will also have the opportunity to drive sales of their goods and services through the platform, and can promote their offers and events through in-app notifications and geo-alerts. They will benefit from analytics which allow them to understand the local footfall, trends and demographics.
The Analytics section of the digital town hub gives the team at Barrow BID a detailed and complete view of their business district. They also have access to communication tools such as surveys, reporting and notifications which facilitate the efficient running of day-to-day BID operations.
Barry Conlon, Co-Founder of Loqiva added: “This is Loqiva’s first launch in Cumbria and we couldn’t have partnered with a better community than Barrow. The town and surrounding area is full of history and tradition, with plenty of unique attractions and events, as well as innovative businesses and loyal residents. Paul and his team at the BID now have the perfect resource to support and engage with their community.”
Jason Forsyth, Marketing Manager at Barrow BID drew particular attention to the digital town hub’s ability to promote events: “We have some brilliant events in Barrow, like Dino Day, Festival of Transport and the much-loved Soapbox Derby. These occasions drive footfall into our town centre which is great for the local economy. We’re looking forward to marketing them to our residents and visitors through the app, as well as highlighting the many local events such as live music, comedy and talks which are held in our venues all year round.”
The Barrow Buzz app is expected to be soft launched to businesses in January 2024 and will be fully operational by March.