Delivering commercial benefits with QR customisation alongside event security
Security is a necessary element of planning any event, with appropriate and proportionate measures aligned to risk, operational requirements and budget. As well as being a necessary cost, it can also provide commercial benefits for an event, thanks to the potential to customise hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) equipment with branding or advertising.
The experience of jeweller’s shop, David Christopher, during the 2022 Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre, highlights just how much of a boost an HVM installation can be to business. The retailer experienced an increase in sales of 18% during the four-day event period, and was able to track which sales came about as a direct result of advertising on the HVM system, thanks to a QR code on the ATG Surface Guard installation.
The David Christopher business is based in the picturesque centre of the historic city, where The Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre has been held in December for the past 20 years, attracting locals and visitors as it has grown year on year. As a result, the jeweller benefits from increased footfall during the Fayre. The event combines traditional Christmas markets with a range of entertainment and Victorian themed characters to create a festive occasion with something for all the family, and Crowdguard has a three-year contract with Worcester City Council to deliver protection against vehicle incursions, as part of the event security strategy.
Crowdguard’s remit involves efficient and quality assured deployment of the ATG Surface Guard HVM system and Rosehill Security Rapid Defender vehicle security barrier (VSB) system at 11 strategic locations around the public realm locations where the Fayre is based.
We explained the options for customising HVM systems as part of the specification process and Worcester City Council was keen to leverage any opportunities to benefit local retailers as part of their event security strategy. The pedestrian permeable HVM protection close to the David Christopher store not only included branding for the retailer, advertising a special offer, it also included a QR code that people could scan to access the offer online. In this way, the retailer was able to measure the effectiveness of the HVM advertising, with data confirming that 18% of sales during the ATG Surface Guard deployment were thanks to people responding to the HVM advertising and QR code.
Response rates to the David Christopher advertising demonstrate that HVM protection can deliver tangible commercial benefits for local businesses, enabling them to promote their business during periods of increased footfall, while delivering robust and visible event security. Alongside the ATG Surface Guard system, we can also provide customisation across a wide variety of temporary and semi-permanent HVM and perimeter protection systems, including The Claw and RB50 from Highway Security, the ARX Security ARX Stopper!™, The Core from Unafor and the CLD Fencing HoardSafe system.
Michelle Newell, City Centre Manager at Worcester City Council commented: “Keeping people safe while they enjoy all the city has to offer over the Christmas period is important to Worcester City Council. Crowdguard looks after the hostile vehicle mitigation for our Victorian Christmas Fayre each year, providing ATG Surface Guard and the Rapid Defender vehicle security barrier to 11 locations around the city, which means we have more than 200 metres of HVM equipment protecting people and businesses in Worcester during this busy period. They have also worked with us to benefit local businesses, customising the ATG Surface Guard outside a high street jeweller with advertising.”
