Manchester lies at the heart of Greater Manchester Urban Area (which has an estimated population of 2.68 million people and also includes ten metropolitan boroughs and the city of Salford). The city has a population of approximately half a million and with many different billboards, bus shelters and more there is plentiful opportunity to advertise in Manchester.
Manchester is well-known for its influence on culture and music in particular, and for its sporting connections. It is seen by many as the ‘capital in the north’, having the biggest international airport outside of London. The city left behind its industrial past, now enjoying a vibrant, cutting-edge air offered by its many student communities.
Advertise in Manchester – the possibilities
Students
Central Manchester is home to two large international universities, University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, as well as to the Royal Northern College of Music. Together with the University of Salford (one mile off the city), they create a body of more than 86,000 economically active students and a fantastic opportunity to target students and advertise in Manchester. The main student areas are Fallowfield and Withington, and many establishments in the area operate on a student-only policy.
Sporting
Manchester is famous worldwide for its football clubs: Manchester United and Manchester City and their respective stadiums, Old Trafford and Etihad Stadium Sportcity. The former is also home to the Lancashire County Cricket Club. After hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2002, a large part of Eastern Manchester was converted to a new Sportcity, the centre of which is the new athletics and football stadium. The Manchester Velodrome started off the whole regeneration of the Eastern part.
Diversity
Manchester is a mixed city, with many races and religions. It is also home to one of the largest LGBT communities in the UK (together with Brighton and London). The Village is an area around Canal Street, which is very popular with people of all sexual orientations.
The majority of the population is White (66.7%, out of which 59.3% are White British), followed by a large community of British Asian (17.1%, out of which 12.1% are South Asian and 2.7% are Chinese) and Black British (8.6%).
Tourists
Manchester has a thriving theatre, opera and dance scene, and is home to many performance venues, such as the Manchester Opera House, the Palace Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre. On Mosley Street tourists visit Manchester Art Gallery, while in the South, they go to Whitworth Art Gallery.
Manchester is also the commercial, educational and cultural centre of North West England, being voted as the fourth biggest central retail area in the UK based on sales. The city centre retail area includes both chain stores and high-end boutiques, which are always busy with tourists and locals alike.
Commuters
Manchester’s commercial centre is in Manchester city Centre, adjacent to Piccadilly, focused on Mosley Street, Deansgate, King Street and Piccadilly.
Manchester Airport serves the North of England, being considered the second biggest and the third busiest outside of London.
The city is also well-served by the rail network, with Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly as some of the busiest English railway stations outside London. The Piccadilly station is considered to be the railway hub of the north, which oversaw many improvements over the years.
Manchester also became the first city in the UK to acquire a modern light rail tram system, which runs on busy commuter routes and crosses the city centre. Upon completion of the project, Manchester will have the largest tram system in the UK. The city is also served by one of the most extensive bus networks outside of London, which serves around 87 million passengers a year.
