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
