Ducie Street Warehouse

Project overview

Home to Native, Cultureplex and BLOK…

…Ducie Street Warehouse is one of Manchester’s most iconic warehouses. It reopened its doors in 2019 and worked with ECHO on a pre-launch, launch and post launch campaign.

ECHO provided media relations, influencer engagement and social media management.

Objective

Formerly the Place Aparthotel, Ducie Street Warehouse stood empty for several years…

…until it was bought by Ares Investment Management, who undertook a £25m redevelopment in partnership with Capital Properties to create a new social and cultural destination, with 166 stylish apartments, a restaurant, gym and mini-cinema.

Building momentum and excitement around Ducie Street Warehouse in the run-up to opening was crucial. Close to Piccadilly train station, Ducie Street is not an area of naturally high footfall, PR needed to make people aware of this new location and incentivise them to visit.

Media relations included a press trip to London to stay in a Native apartment, eat at Bistrotheque and take a BLOK class. A drip-feeding of press releases, first looks with press and an unforgettable launch party all followed, ensuring Ducie Street opened with a bang.

Results

Favourite PR moment: The launch event, which started on the ground floor and ended up with a house party in the penthouse apartments on the roof. Nobody wanted it to end!

Switched-on, smart PR that makes more noise.