Eastgate Basildon

Rewriting the High Street Story – Eastgate’s Evolution.

Following a change in ownership, Eastgate Shopping Centre needed to reposition itself as a vibrant, future-focused destination in the heart of Basildon. With declining perceptions and footfall, the centre needed more than an events calendar… it needed a shit-hot strategy to reconnect with the community, attract tenants, and drive footfall – Enter OnBrand.

Our Strategic Approach

Appointed to lead the Marketing Strategy, we worked hand-in-hand with the centre’s managing agents and owners – not just on short-term wins, but on a long-term vision that aligned with leasing objectives, community priorities, and commercial growth. Our mission -> to bring the heart back to Basildon.

We began by deeply embedding ourselves in the centre – listening to tenants, understanding the local audience, and identifying missed opportunities. From there, we built out a comprehensive, layered marketing plan to uplift the brand and rebuild trust from the inside out.

What We Delivered

Brand & Place Refresh

Full brand refresh and communications overhaul
Creation of a compelling new letting brochure for leasing agents
Designed bold, visually engaging hoardings to uplift and re-energise empty units

Content & Digital Transformation

Introduced a new era of social with Instagram Reels and short-form video
Regular, tailored content creation and account management
Grew and optimised Google Display campaigns to reach a wider catchment
Built a strategy that enabled us to organically push events and key messages through consistent traffic growth

Community Campaigns

Launched the ‘Basildon Is Back’ campaign to reposition Eastgate as a central community hub
Supported and co-created events with the council and community groups
Delivered high-impact competitions to build a sizeable, active newsletter database
Rolled out footfall-driving campaigns rooted in insight and engagement

Tenant Engagement & Relationships

Built stronger tenant relationships through regular visits, newsletters, and collaborative marketing
Acted as the centre’s marketing ‘ears on the ground’ to identify partnership opportunities
Drove uplift in tenant participation and satisfaction

Services Provided

Content Days
Store Visits
Social Media Community Management
Social Media Management
Competitions
Email Newsletter to Tenants
Email Newsletter to Shoppers
Events programme
Website Management
Branding & Creative

The Results

70+ new tenants and lease renewals secured
Footfall increased to 9.5 million annually
50,000 visitors in a single day during peak Christmas trading
Vastly improved public perception and local pride
New investments including solar panels, EV chargers, and the launch of the Basildon Health Centre
Significant growth in the centre’s digital presence, engagement and email database

The Impact

Eastgate is no longer just a shopping centre – it’s a reimagined destination for retail, leisure and community. With a refreshed identity, stronger tenant mix and deeper community connection, the centre is now primed for long-term growth.

At OnBrand, we’re proud to have played a central role in that journey – not just running events, but delivering smart, strategic destination marketing that creates places people want to visit, shop, and be part of.