Tuesday, November 5, 2013

#ShopLocal Collaborative Campaign

Hey Roc Bloggers!

Barbara Ellen Wilcox, RBN Board Member and author of Barbara Ellen Writes, has drafted an abstract for an awesome #ShopLocal campaign.  This campaign would be open to any and all bloggers and cross all social media platforms.

I've included it below and would love feedback on the concept.  I'm in for sure.  #ShopLocal has always been a big part of what I do on The Flower City Fashionista.  Would love to see us band together and pull this off.  Thanks to Barbara for getting it all down on paper.


#ShopLocal  Rochester, NY
Rochester Blogger Network/Barbara Ellen Wilcox




Objective: To make visible the #ShopLocal spheres within our local communities—village, town, and city—so that Rochester has the awareness and resources to #shoplocal, daily.

Definition: #ShopLocal is convenient.  #ShopLocal is affordable. #ShopLocal is quality. #ShopLocal is unique. #ShopLocal is responsible. #ShopLocal is neighborhood and community minded. #ShopLocal is entrepreneurial and small business minded. #ShopLocal is our local arts and culture.

Vision: To have the general public of Rochester purchase #ShopLocal vendors’, artisans’, boutiques’, and stores’ products for daily shopping needs. Shop Local initiatives are typically relegated to special times of year and special occasions, i.e. holidays and festivals. #ShopLocal in Rochester is a mindset and a way of life. It means understanding how every facet of our daily needs can be satisfied by shopping local, daily. 

Purpose: The About Section on Go Buy Rochester’s website has the best definition.  Here is an excerpt:

The potential impact on our area economy is huge. Studies prove every dollar spent with a locally-owned merchant has three times the impact of a dollar spent at a big box store. We believe that business and job growth will be a reality when we restore economic health to our Main Street.

Marketing #ShopLocal.

Branding: Logo. Cause. Social Media.
Logo – Design original logo to capture #ShopLocal and its call for daily interaction.
Cause – Solidify/unify the cause for #ShopLocal: benefit to community; benefit to shoppers; etc.
-Benefit to community: local economic impact; support local artisans, business owners
-Benefit to shopper: convenient, affordable, unique, special, meaningful
-Benefit to ecology: often times locally sourced and so ecological, green
Social Media – #ShopLocal

Promotions: Events. (concepts, not names)
Shop Your Streets, Not the Malls – 
-Promote/Highlight all the #ShopLocal shops/boutiques around Rochester (villages, towns,
and/or city) that sell exactly the same products that the mall would sell, say, around the holidays.
-Feature different stores as substitutes for different staple “gift” items (i.e. jewelry, clothing,
children’s toys, novelty items)
-Feature #ShopLocal prices v. standard commercial/store price (promotions that use this, maybe
some sort of calculator or guide for shoppers???)
-Feature unique quality of these items by featuring some of the artisans/producers of goods.
Blogger Sponsored – 
-Ask RBN bloggers to include #ShopLocal when featuring anything related to the mvmt/cause.
-Asking certain bloggers to promote/feature as many already identified shops/artisans, etc as
possible or the ones in their local areas that they are interested in promoting.
Scheduled Events –
-Having 1 day/mo (perhaps 2nd Sat of each mo to coincide with Roc Brainery Bazaar ???) to
promote the concept. BE MINDFUL that we are using these events to promote the larger cause,
which is the idea of daily shopping. Perhaps passing out concise marketing lit that reminds ppl where they can shop daily for daily products.
The only immediate need I see here is a sweet logo.  Who can help with that?  

Thoughts?  Concerns?  Feedback?  Volunteers?

Let's do this!

#ShopLocal

xoxo

Jenny Sanzo
Co-Founder Rochester Blogger Network

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Introducing Bloggers Offline - Beer + Artisan Cheese Paring Social

We are so excited be launching our new event series "Bloggers Offline" next week at Tap and Table with Amy Ellsworth, The Craft Beer Girl!

Get all the details below!  Hope to see you there!



Beer + Artisan Cheese Pairing Social

With The Craft Beer Girl Amy Ellsworth

At Tap & Table in Corn Hill Landing

5:30-7:30 pm Oct. 10, 2013


Come out and enjoy premium beer and artisan cheese pairings at one of Rochester’s preeminent beer establishments Tap and Table in Corn Hill Landing.


$15 includes 3 pairings.
  • Moody Blues Smoked Blue Cheese w/ Southern Tier PumKing
  • Manchego w/ Stillwater Cellar Door Saison
  • Cana de Oveja (soft sheep's milk cheese) w/ Strubbe-Ichtegem Grand Cru
Tickets can be purchased at the bar where you will receive a tasting glass.

Happy Hour specials continue ‘til 6:30 and include: $5 select wine, $4 mixed drinks, and $3 pints of Spaten Beer.

Valet parking is available for $5. If you stay for dinner, have your valet ticket validated by your server and they’ll remove the fee from your bill.

Questions?  RSVP?   Contact bloggersoffline@rochesteralist.com.

View Facebook event page.

A Bloggers Offline Event

Bloggers Offline is an initiative of the Rochester Blogger Network to create events designed to highlight the best of our city showcasing local bloggers knowledge and expertise.

More about Amy Ellsworth, The Craft Beer Girl.  

Amy explores the world of craft beer through brewery tours, beer festivals, Rochester beer bars, and home brewing on her blog The Craft Beer Girl.  Follow along at:  http://thecraftbeergirl.com

Stay in touch with RBN!

Blog // Facebook // Twitter 

See you next week!

Jenn and Amy 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Greentopia Sneak Peek for Bloggers



Greentopia and Rochester Blogger Network Meet-and-Greet
Thursday August 29th 5:30-7:00pm
Greentopia Offices 81 Browns Race, High Falls, Rochester

Snack on some food, sip on a signature "Greentopini" cocktail, get a sneak peek at Greentopia 2013.

Join us for a Meet-and-Greet with Greentopia staff and learn the key to creating a strong personal brand from from Michael Philipson, Board Chair of Friends of the GardenAerial and President of the Philipson Group.

Your personal brand—how you market yourself and your blog—is crucial to your success. It's what makes you stand out in a sea of millions of blogs. Find out the importance of branding your blog, the basics of branding, and get an inside look at how Greentopia and the GardenAerial are branded.

This event is being held EXCLUSIVELY for the Rochester Blogger Network.

Cost: $3 members $5 non-members


Facebook Event Page

RSVP:  RBN@rochesteralist.com 

More on Greentopia:

Friends of the GardenAerial and Greentopia are proud to announce Greentopia 2013, held September 10-15th. Greentopia is a project of Friends of the GardenAerial helping to bring people and attention back to High Falls, an utterly unique, world-class site encompassing a waterfall, inside a canyon, inside a city. Since 2011, the festival has grown from a 2-day festival to a 6-day celebration of sustainability - featuring mini "festivals within a festival." Mostly FREE to the public, various special events, like the SHORT COURSES food and film event on September 10th at Good Luck Restaurant and the FUTURES Summit, are ticketed events. The full roster of events over the 6-days includes FILM, FUTURES Summit, MUSIC, DESIGN, and the ever-popular ECOFEST.

“We just couldn’t mount this festival without the incredible community support we receive,” says President of the Philipson Group and Board Chair of Friends of the GardenAerial, Michael Philipson.

Greentopia’s goal is to introduce you to Friends of the GardenAerial, Greentopia and the Greentopia Festival. With your support, we hope to expand awareness of all we are doing to preserve High Falls, attract tourism to Rochester, educate the public and create dialog about sustainability where and how we live.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Membership Has Its Perks


ROCHESTER BLOGGER NETWORK
Membership Info


Annual Membership:  $25

Membership has its perks.

    • Receive discount admission at ALL Rochester Blogger Network events including:
      • 6 Mingles (Member Price $5, General Admission $10)
      • 2 Educational events at the ROC Brainery
    • Have opportunities to participate in sponsored events- be the expert and showcase your blog
    • Be included in our comprehensive member directory available to bloggers, business, and the public
    • Feature your content (with links to your blog and social media) on our site
    • List your blog in the Rochester Blogger Network Blogroll that will be posted on our homepage
Our year runs Sept-Sept.

Join now:

Friday, July 26, 2013

Join us at Salena's!


20 Minutes and a Margarita



Wednesday July 31 from 5:30-7:30pm at Salena's in Village Gate


Sip a margarita, mingle and master iPhotography* tricks.

Socialize with area bloggers and writers, share ideas, and find out about the best in Rochester from the people who write about it.

Enjoy complimentary tastings of Salena’s specialties and drink specials.

The 20 minute iPhotography breakout session will begin at 6:30.

$10 at the door.

All are welcome. 

RSVP to RBN@rochesteralist.com (even if you RSVP on Facebook)

A little more on iPhotography: Used for photojournalism, fine-art photography and every day snap-shots, camera phones have reached the quality level necessary to capture world-class images. Join us to learn how to use your camera phone to achieve the highest quality images from Peter Thomas who owns his own retouching and fine art printing business: Imagen. www.imagenlight.com

Monday, July 22, 2013

Touching Base

Hey Rochester Bloggers!

We're live!  So exciting!


A few things:

1.  We're on Twitter:  follow us @rocblognet
2.  We're on Facebook:  like us
3.  Save the date:  "20 Minutes and a Maragarita"  next Wednesday July 31 at 5:30pm at Salena's in Village Gate.  Details and official invite are coming, but mark your calendars now!
4.  In the works:  membership perk package, monthly event schedule, weekly blogger features on this site, and much, much more!

So excited!

See you next week!

xoxo

Jenny

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Introducing the Rochester Blogger Network!

Read about our launch party here.
The Rochester Blogger Network is the collaborative effort of Amy Riposo (Rochester A-List) and Jennifer Sanzo (The Flower City Fashionista) and is a place for local writers, bloggers, and businesses to connect and form creative partnerships.


Members will receive advance access and discounts to educational seminars, networking events, and inclusion in our directory of blogs in the Rochester, New York Area.


Interested in joining? Want more information or a gauranteed invite to our next event? Email your name, blog url, and topic to bloggerhh@rochesteralist.com.