What is Sheffield’s USP?
What should we be known for?
@DarrenBristow from Sheffield design agency Quba tweeted a question yesterday: Sheffield is a rich city , but what is it’s USP? What would you like it to be known for?
I always thought that in terms of money, Sheffield was quite a poor place. But we have plenty of non-monetary wealth. It is hard to avoid the cliches but Sheffield has a strong tradition of creativity and innovation but without being pretentious and unfriendly. We don’t like show offs but most people that live here would agree that there is something special about the place.
Richard Benjamin, the managing director of local creative agency Uber, recently penned a piece for marketing/creative publication The Drum, arguing for Sheffield as one of the most creative cities in the UK. Read a cached version here (you have to register on the site for the original).
It echoes Tom Keeley’s foreward from the Disordered haste Electric works launch booklet.
Whether you have been in the city all your life or just moved here, what do you think? What would you tell Darren in response to his question?
USP? Why do we need one? If you think identity can be boiled down to a marketing slogan, you’re missing most of what makes Sheffield what it is. I’d repeat the thoughts I posted a few months back about the ‘Re:Defining the City’ campaign.
As Julian has said, I’m not sure there’s anything unique (except perhaps the exact mix of different things)…..
The greenery, the station redevelopment and funky buildings, the sheer amount of music. The two Universities and other educational places, the amount of sport, the software/games development…. the tram is quite cool too!
.. and there’s probably loads more I don’t even know about.
hendersons relish /???
Kidding,
Pride,in heritage,and future
all the best gareth
Sheffield Hallam does well, It’s healthy (http://usproxy.bbc.com/2/hi/health/545517.stm) and wealthy (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3025321.stm). Perhaps we are a city divided.
It’s got to be the hills hasn’t it? A large city has never seemed so small. I can walk along Sharrow Lane, and down Sharrow Vale Road (which is pretty much a straight line) in about 20 minutes. In that time I will walk through, Highfield, Little Sheffield, Sharrow, Netheredge (ish) Sharrow Vale and Hunters Bar. It’s the hills that make these areas distinct, and small.
There has been a failure somewhere to let the rest of the UK know just how big and important Sheffield actually is. We just don’t appear in the national consciousness much.