Time Out – a global brand that says it inspires and enables people to experience the best of the city – has launched four new WhatsApp Channels to bring its curation of local recommendations directly to readers and followers in London.
Time Out says the WhatsApp Channels – Time Out London, Time Out London Restaurants, Time Out East London and Time Out London Offers – aim to act as a direct line of communication to all those seeking inspiration and information about going out in the city, and present a new way for Time Out’s audience to interact with its content.
The Time Out East London Channel focuses on local news and updates for an area of the city that offers much to do, eat and drink, and has been popular with its London audience for many years, added Time Out. To promote this hyper-local channel, Time Out says it has kicked off an out-of-home campaign with 48-sheet billboards across east London - Bethnal Green, Cambridge Heath, London Fields, Hackney Walk and Walthamstow - featuring a QR code directing east Londoners to follow Time Out East London on WhatsApp. The publisher says the launch is timed to coincide with increased footfall in the area, with All Points East festival taking over Victoria Park for two weekends during the campaign.
The billboards’ creative was developed and designed in-house by Time Out’s London-based content team, with each billboard featuring the Time Out editors’ expert tips on the greatest locations, venues, events and people in each of the areas featured.
Time Out is also promoting its new WhatsApp channels across its existing London social channels, with a creative design – consistent with the out-of-home campaign – that resembles a conversation between Time Out London and its readers. The campaign is supported by dedicated email newsletters to London subscribers, on-site ad units and giveaways such as free pints in east London pubs, added the publisher.
Time Out claims its global monthly brand audience has grown by 5% to 142m, with a focus on social media video content driving the growth; Time Out says its combined audience across TikTok and Instagram has increased by +100% year on year, and in the UK Time Out London’s social channels (across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok) have a total of almost 4.5 million followers.
Dave Calhoun, chief content officer at Time Out says: “As a contemporary media owner with a brand legacy of over 55 years, Time Out is always looking for new ways to reach, grow and engage our audience, including exploring new and emerging channels. This latest experiment enables us to bring our editorial expertise around the best things to do, see and eat directly into our audience’s hands in an informal yet informative way.
“We’ve seen that WhatsApp Channels targeted to more niche interests are performing well, and that’s why we have decided to launch these four channels with specialised interests to build a tight-knit engaged community. We’re looking forward to seeing Londoners’ reaction to our channels, our content, and the billboards!”
The four Time Out London WhatsApp Channels are:
- Time Out London: From news and reviews to London events and trends, this Channel will show readers how to get the most out of city life, from Time Out London News Editor Ed Cunningham and Events Editor Rosie Hewitson
- Time Out London Restaurants: Everything Londoners need to know about eating out in the city, from Time Out London Food & Drink Editor Leonie Cooper
- Time Out East London: All of the news, goings-on and updates about east London, from Time Out UK Features Editor, Chiara Wilkinson
- Time Out London Offers: A place to discover Time Out Offers and get savings and discounts in London. Featuring some of the best restaurants and bars, salons and spa deals, plus endless things to do in the city.
