On behalf of the Buy Local Campaign committee I would like to respond to the comments regarding the Buy Local campaign.
This collaborative campaign has had hundreds of thousands of “in-kind” dollars infused into it, with all of the materials offered FREE of charge to local businesses. Artwork was created by Jeffrey Scott Agency, Website development by Socient and free advertising has occurred in the Fresno Bee, Business Journal, on local TV & radio stations, Valley Yellow Pages, Macerich (Fashion Fair) and many more. They have openheartedly contributed to this campaign in effort to stimulate the local economy. All have graciously contributed time, materials and manpower to not only launch, but to sustain this campaign. This campaign has been adopted throughout the 6 county region. The sustainability of this campaign is up to the people in our community. The message has been produced and marketed. It is up to our community to adopt the message of buying local. Please keep the positive campaign afloat by Buying Local, Hiring Local and Giving Local!
Thank you for your comments and giving us the opportunity to once again, share the BUY LOCAL message!
HIRE LOCAL and save 80% at the same time. Learn about the Fresno County 80/20 program at www.fresnoetastimulus.org
Thank You,
Visit www.fresnoedc.com for EDC contact information:
Catherine Curry
Honestly, I was nothing less than frustrated after reading this, which you know already if you follow me on Twitter. I’ve sent the following to the list.
Catherine, thank you for your “official” response to my post about the Buy Local campaign.
I tend to spout off sometimes, and don’t write out everything I intend—to that extent, I thank everyone that’s donated time, talent and resources to the campaign thus far. I consider many of the individuals involved to be colleagues and friends, and respect the work of the many businesses.
That said, what I was trying to say is that I think what the community needs goes beyond what’s been contributed to date, and what can be “donated” over any period of time. I find two issues in the approach, as I understand from your response:
- There’s an irony in asking local businesses/professionals to donate to a campaign that’s intended to support local businesses. While I understand the need, it just doesn’t sit well with me.
- The campaign requires—no, demands for—a change in consumer behavior, which is driven by convenience, price, perception and experience. What I’ve seen thus far doesn’t really address any of these factors—convenience, perhaps, but not directly.
Perhaps the part that’s troubling me the most, though, is the inference that the marketing is done, and that the fate of the campaign lies solely in the hands of the community; the consumers. (This ties back to my initial comment about the guilt motive.) I really hope that’s not the case, as I don’t know of any marketing efforts of this size that have succeeded based on the directives of the consumer.
Put another way: I own an iPhone, not because Apple created it and told me it existed, but because they convinced me it would change my life, and offered such a radical different experience (mostly by way of “apps”) they they were able to nurture a community of raving fans—my peers and friends—who backed their claims. And perpetuated them.Alright, that’s more than anyone wanted to hear from me. All of this said, I can interpret from the response that my participation is not needed/desired.
Again, I think you for the response. I’ll continue to buy local, and hope others do, too.
James
Trust me, this won’t be the last you hear from me on buying local. But I want to push something I have confidence in, and that I believe can have positive, measurable impact on our community. What that’s called, I’m not yet sure, but I’m open to suggestions.
