PLACE BASED INNOVATION
Recently, we did an innovation project with the Local Enterprise Office Wicklow, Wicklow County Council, Wicklow Chamber of Commerce and the Wicklow Town Team. In a time when small businesses are under pressure from rising costs, online competition, and shifting consumer habits, a group of independent retailers in Wicklow Town came together to do something different — they chose to innovate, together.
Co-Creating a Shared Retail Identity Through Place-Based Innovation
This is place-based innovation — a powerful, people-first approach to transformation that starts with the unique identity of a town and builds outwards.
Using our PBEE framework, we worked with over a dozen inspiring Wicklow retailers to explore not just individual growth, but a shared identity. We used the framework to explore what’s possible when small businesses stop competing in silos — and start co-creating a shared retail identity, empowering retailers not just as businesses, but as local change agents.
The group explored and adopted emerging marketing models like the Flywheel, moving beyond the traditional sales funnel to build lasting customer engagement. Together, they crafted a collective vision for Wicklow as a retail destination, while also refining their own brand stories and growth strategies. From analytics to storytelling, collaboration to content, they dove into tools and techniques normally reserved for big brands — and made them their own, repositioning Wicklow as a distinctive, collaborative retail destination.
What Is Place-Based Innovation?
Place-based innovation is about designing solutions that are rooted in a specific community — its people, its history, its needs, and its potential. It’s a model that prioritises local identity, collaboration, and sustainable growth over one-size-fits-all strategies.
In Wicklow, this meant:
- Using shared marketing to drive footfall across multiple retailers.
- Positioning the town as a destination with a unified voice.
- Balancing collective visibility with individual creativity.
Why it works for SMEs
Innovation isn’t just for tech hubs or cities. When rural SMEs collaborate with intention and insight, they can unlock competitive advantages that big businesses struggle to replicate:
Agility in decision making.
Authenticity in story telling.
This approach transforms competition into community.
Local loyalty from customers.
A model for other Towns
The response from participants was overwhelmingly positive, and LEO Wicklow is now exploring how this innovation led approach can be adapted for other towns across the region.
Key Points
Place based innovation thrives on local identity, but also requires collaboration and mindset shifts. The key learnings include;
Fragmented Local Ecosystems
- Many rural towns have vibrant but disconnected networks and so need a framework and facilitator to align goals and assist with collaboration.
Resource Constraints
- Independent retailers/businesses often face time and staff shortages, making it hard to dedicate energy to innovation. Supporting place-based innovation is essential.
Resitance to new models
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- Shifting from traditional competition to shared strategy requires trust. Building the trust takes time and a safe innovation space.
How TBF can help you prepare for the future
At TBF, we believe that the future of local retail lies in collaboration, creativity, and community-led design. With the right frameworks in place, any town can redefine its retail future — and become a hub for place-based innovation.
Let’s Work Together
If your local business group, Chamber, or council is ready to explore this model, get in touch with us. Together, we can design retail experiences that are meaningful, sustainable, and uniquely yours. info@tbf.ie.
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An article on our recent AI research and education programmes was recently featured in The ICMCI industry white paper “Navigating the Future: A Guide to AI in Management Consulting today.” It’s published by The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes Zurich, Switzerland. You can read about AI adaption and innovation, risk and its application in the complexity of work. There is also an overview of how the regulations are evolving in locations such as the UK, China, Japan and Brazil.
