Buy Local Campaign SOP

We try to hold a Buy Local campaign each year. The winter months are often good for this.

In the past we have experimented with a number of different events including Eat Around the World in 80 Days (loosely based on Round the World in 80 Days!) this was alongside Destination Orewa and Silverdale Business and designed to showcase all the different cuisines available around the Coast and encourage locals to get out and support our local restaurants/cafes. In 2021 this was an industry in particular need of support after Covid.

In 2022 we ran a big campaign "Buy Local" with entry boxes around the Peninsula encouraging people to fill out a form and submit receipts. We were donated lots of great prizes from local businesses in return for promoting and acknowledging them. This worked well however proved to be a huge amount of work with needing to process boxes of written forms and receipts. We did not run a Buy Local campaign in 2023 mainly because we were busy with Town Centre Meet Ups, creating brochures and set up of Giant Family Fun Days.

2024 is planned to be very similar to 2022 but we are aiming for an online process only. The aim is to run the event as follows (note Destination Orewa ran a very similar event in May 2024 so have templates and happy to offer advice and support on the management and running of the campaign) -

2024 Buy Local Campaign

To manage a Buy Local campaign you will probably run this over a calendar month. Below is a suggested campaign for 2024.

Format and Budget

Proposed dates: 1 to 30 September 2024

Format: Online only. Spend min $20 in any Whangaparaoa business or Member of Business Whangaparaoa, complete the online form, submit a copy of your receipt (pdf, jpg, png)  with the form and go in the draw to win. You must keep the original copy of your receipt as proof of purchase to produce if you are a prize winner.

Prizes to be decided – Either budgeted for or collect a range of prizes and vouchers from local businesses which will be promoted through all media channels. Depending on the number of prizes gathered will determine how many prizes can be offered.

Required –

• Online page with submission form (including ability to upload copy of receipt)
• Links to list of BW members (possibly have some offer eg if you spend with a BW member or a prize donor you get a bonus entry into the draw???)
• Links and logos for prize donors
• Link to full T’s and C’s for entry, etc

The form will need to have fields for name, phone, email, amount spent, where spent, upload receipt - by capturing the place and amount you'll be able to track easily by exporting form data to a spreadsheet.

Here's a link to Buy Local Terms & Conditions based on the campaign run by Destination Orewa in May 2024.

BUDGET (EST ONLY)

Buy Local Campaign                                                                                                                                                  

• Flyers/posters print per campaign (eg DLE flyers to put around places/posters in windows) – Nos to be confirmed - $200.00                                                                         
• Billboards @ $450 x 2 -    $900.00                                                                         
• Miscellaneous eg prizes, etc - $250.00  (if you don't source sponsored vouchers)                                                                       
• Radio, newspaper and social media marketing -  $600.00                                                                         
• Marketing and management x 40 hours @ $40 ph - $1,600.00                                                                     
• TOTAL EST COSTS FOR BUY LOCAL CAMPAIGN - $3,550.00                         

TIME ALLOWANCE

Set Up, prize gathering, print design, marketing and promotion, management of form entries, draw completion, distribution of prizes, wind down, reporting

40 hours @ $40 ph = $1,600.00

In the Google Drive folder under Past Events you will find templates and examples of our 2022 promotion and samples are in Canva.

Because a Buy Local campaign can vary on how you run it and what you do below are just a few pointers to keep in mind when planning.

Sort funding if required (you'll need to have done this prior to your planning if you need sponsorship or funding)!

Buy Local Set Up

• Set up your pages online
• Sort your roadside billboards
• Seek prizes
• Sort your advertising channels

Running the event

• Monitor forms coming in
• Run your social campaign

After the event

• Draw prizes and arrange delivery (take photos for a newspaper article and for social promotions)
• Work out stats, eg total amount spent, where, etc - you can often use these in your membership drive to local businesses
• Sort roadside billboards
• Sort your report