Airport City Manchester

At the centre of everything

Airport City Manchester is the most significant new UK development since the 2012 Olympics, and the UK’s first ever billion-pound ‘airport city’. Working closely with Manchester Airport Group (MAG), Start Design’s primary objective was to define a go-to-market strategy for the mixed-used development, targeting inward investment and key tenancy from China’s leading business communities.

Acknowledging Manchester’s reputation as a city of innovation, and a hub for science & tech education, as well as its geographical location within the UK and its growing global airline routes, our approach was to position ACM as a central destination for ‘Intelligent Connectivity’.

‘The world’s intelligent business destination – at the centre of everything’ became the driving thought behind a full brand and communications launch programme in both English and Chinese. This included a film, a new web and mobile experience, and a live roadshow tour of three key Chinese cities - Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.