What happened in 2004?
In 2004, this program grew to nearly 400 participating businesses. These businesses posted seasonal promotional pieces such as St. Patrick's Day "Luck o' the local" limericks, and "Vote with your dollars," election month materials. They also participated in major community events including 4th of July Independents Week promotions, and a November 13th, Buy Local Day.
Throughout the year the campaign logo was used on water bottles, t-shirts, pin-on buttons, bumper stickers, Farmer's Market banners, hundreds of business ads, and even to identify locally made and grown products sold at a variety of local retailers.
The Think Local - Buy Local - Be Local Coupon Book featured more than $3800 worth of coupons to buy local, tips on thinking locally to keep this a great place to live and a map of local farms and trails to get out there and be a local!
Campaign ads appeared every week of the year in the Bellingham Weekly, and the campaign received publicity from the Business Journal, Business Pulse, Herald, Bellingham Weekly, Whatcom Independent, Entertainment News NW, Lynden Tribune, Ferndale Record Journal, Organic Press, KVOS, and the Cascade Radio Group stations.
Not only was the campaign extremely visible but we also know it is working. Several businesses have told us that for the first time, their most frequent customer question (other than about products) is "Are you locally owned?" and questioners are ready to buy when the answer is yes! Business owner after business owner have told us that not only do they have customers choosing them as locally owned, but that their own purchasing has dramatically shifted to thinking local first whenever possible. Tourists have told us they love the campaign - unique, independent businesses are a big reason they visit. We've even had newly re-located businesses tell us they moved their business here because of this community's support for local businesses as evidenced by the campaign.
Re-capping Campaign Successes
After a successful launch in 2003, the campaign continued with the following benefits for participants -
Freshly designed holiday materials every month:
- We provided a CD-rom with a year's worth of seasonal marketing materials. Each month featured a holiday-inspired creative twist on the logo, a catchy humorous tag line, and a message about the importance of choosing independent, locally owned businesses first. Three variations were available: 4-color 8.5x11 flier; black and white 2-up flier; and a 3'x6' banner.
- Holiday materials were provided for St. Patrick's Day, Spring/Earth Day, Mother's Day, Ski to Sea promotion, Independents Week/July 4th, Labor Day, Fall Harvest, Election Day, Buy Local Day & the 4th Quarter holidays, and Valentine's Day.
A presence at three major 2004 promotional events:
- Participating businesses were featured at three well-promoted community events. The events were a booth and materials for Ski to Sea; A 4th of July Independents Week; and the second annual Buy Local Day.
Media/advertising:
- Participating businesses were featured in advertisements accompanying our 3 major 2004 promotional events, including two full page Bellingham Weekly ads and one Bellingham Herald 4-page insert listing locally owned, independent businesses. There were also ongoing campaign promotion and public service announcements in local radio, television, and newspapers.
- Website listing at www.thinklocal.org
Additional promotions:
- Businesses could choose to purchase bumper stickers, buttons and water bottle promotional products with the Buy Local logo to use as give-aways and for re-sale.
- Participating businesses were also encouraged to purchase a coupon advertisement in the Think Local-Buy Local-Be Local coupon book. The first book (The 4th Corner Connector) sold more than 2000 copies and many participants said it the most cost effective, targeted advertising they have done.
- Posters, window decals and stickers were also available online to any participating businesses.
- Buy Local Contest Winner: Helena Schipper, retired and 70 years young of Lynden, was the lucky winner of the 2004 Buy Local Scavenger Hunt that started on Buy Local Day and went through mid January 2005. Ms. Schipper emigrated from Holland in 1959 and moved to Lynden in 1978. Ms. Schipper received a full month's worth of gift certificates to locally owned restaurants that she is able to use in a month's time or over the course of a year. Her reasons for buying local are supported by her years of experience, "It is important to shop locally. When you give the business to the local owners, we have such a nice community."
