Local Proud

“This program perfectly reflects the Economic Development Commission’s goal of strengthening businesses, fostering stronger communities, increasing job opportunities, and expanding Milford’s economic base while honoring our commitment to the history and character of Milford." Genevieve Salvatore, Chairwoman, Milford Economic Development Commission.

• MARKETING OF LOCAL PROUD

• The Local Proud program will be advertised through the media:  The Milford Mirror, Milford Weekly, Connecticut Post, New Haven Register, Milford Living Magazine, The Advocate, and Connecticut Magazine, and through radio advertising. 

• In-store marketing programs and point of purchase materials including informational brochures will be made available to businesses’ customers. 

• Outreach to State/National and International tourist bureaus.   Tourists are especially likely to shop local independent businesses and appreciate unique businesses that provide products, food and services that they can’t find anywhere else. 

• Real Estate businesses will be contacted with information on Local Proud.  (Lively downtown shopping and dining areas attract more homebuyers while increasing property values). 

• Special Milford Proud promotions.

• Publicity for the program will be strong, including local and national media.  Consider varying spokespeople for Local Proud.  Media contacts include local TV as well as national print and media. 

• Participating stores are encouraged to use the ‘M” logo on all print advertising and print material highlighting ‘local proud’.  Local Proud will supply jpeg logos and advertising kits to businesses. 

• Participating businesses will receive their specially designed decals, brochures outlining the Local Proud program, posters, and access for ordering banners and the right to use their own design on Local Proud logos on all advertisements and promotional materials. 

• Local businesses will be supplied with networking information for member businesses with the encouragement that member businesses extend discounts to other member businesses.  B2B networking can also be achieved through national organizations such as Billo which links communities together that promote local purchasing.

• Website marketing through milfordlocalproud.com updating visitors with community and business events, news stories, special offers, and a complete listing of businesses, by name and also by type. 

• ‘Bag tags’ highlighting ‘I’m Local Proud ’ to be used by businesses.

• Consumers can purchase Local Proud goods

Initial Phase:   We’re So Much More

The start of the campaign will focus on educating consumers of the benefits of buying locally.  Banner displays, brochures, press releases, spokespeople, website information, and print advertising will support the launch of the Local Proud campaign. 

The branding effort will include participating businesses receiving branding materials and information and highlighting their participation in their store, mailings, website and advertising. 

This promotion will use the Local Proud logo in fun, creative and insightful ways to underline the reasons why everyone should be proud of Milford.

The promotion will run in local newspapers, the Milford Local Proud website, and on radio.  Display material will be available for download for participating stores for use in their own advertising or displays. 

The 13-week promotion will start with ‘We’re So Much’ More, and conclude with the message—‘We are your community’.

Week

1. We’re So Much More—Photo Collage
2. Unchain Your Heart—Photo of shops & restaurants on River St.
3. We’re Green and Blue—Photo of Waterfall and surrounding green space at Gvt. Center.
4. We’re History—Photo of cemetery.
5. Knock the Dust Off—Photo of duster.
6. Bivalves can be Fun—Aw Shucks—Image of mermaid
7. We’re Sound—image of Milford from Google Earth Map
8. Support Your Ma and Pa—Image based on American Gothic
9. Quaintness—Photo rendering of teacup
10. We Have an Island—photo of Charles Island
11. Are You Shore?…We’re Shore—Piping Plovers on the beach
12. We Have Pirates—Captain Kidd photo
13. We are Your Community—Photos of local business owners and their families.

*As part of this campaign, we will ask residents:  What Makes You Local Proud? and we will direct responses to our website and/or partnering businesses. Responses will be posted on the website—with appropriate visuals—and some may make their way into future Local Proud advertising and/or in-store display.  All will be placed on the website. 

Developing direct participatory activities between businesses and the community will help us achieve a thoughtful and creative program that perfectly captures what makes us all Local Proud.

Why Buy Local?

Each dollar that consumers spend in locally owned, independent businesses* returns 25 cents more to our community than if that money had been spent elsewhere.

Studies show that dollars spent locally tend to stay local; local businesses contribute more to local non-profits and participate more in community life; and local independents demand less energy resources and public infrastructure.  A thriving local economy creates more opportunities for entrepreneurs and builds community economic strength for everyone.

Milford’s Local Proud campaign highlights the connection between shopping locally owned, independent businesses and retaining our community’s distinct character.

Each transaction made at a local independent means:

• Significantly more money is reinvested in Milford.  Purchasing local helps grow other businesses as well as our tax base.

• More jobs are created.  Small businesses are the largest job creator in the country, and for every $1 million dollars spent at locally owned, independent businesses, nearly twice as many jobs are created than if the dollars had been spent at a big box store.

• Greater investment in our community.  Local businesses are owned by people who live here, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.

• Lots of competition and diversity leads to more consumer choices, innovation and low prices. 

• Entrepreneurs thrive.  The more strong and diverse our local economy, the more attractive it is to people who want to launch a new business here, creating economic security for generations to come.

A campaign called the ‘10% Shift’ was recently launched in New England.  This program, highlighted in Feb. 2009 in Newsweek, posits that if 5-million households throughout New England shifted 10% of their existing purchases from non-local businesses to local independents (locally owned and independent businesses), we would see thousands of new jobs and billions of new economic activity in New England, all without the use of tax dollars.

 This campaign, like hundreds of others throughout the country, asks consumers to

• Choose personality over conformity

• Keep more money in their community

• Sustain and create more local jobs

• Support environmental responsibility and sustainable practices

Local Proud is a multi-faceted program based on the Milford Economic Development Commission’s desire to strengthen the business community, foster stronger communities, increase job opportunities, and increase its tax base.

The program’s goal is to shift 10% of the purchases made at non-independent stores to locally owned and operated businesses. This shift in dollars would have a hugely positive effect for all of Milford.

*Definition of Locally Owned and Independent:  Locally owned means the business is privately held and at least one of the principal owners live within 20 miles of Milford.  The business must be registered in New Haven or Fairfield counties.   To be independent the owner or owners have full decision-making authority over the business.

 MILFORD:  LOCAL PROUD – Branding

 The concept for the branding campaign is to offer a unique visual icon that is flexible and constant at the same time.  Each expression reflects a local business or group of businesses in a lively form that presents Milford as a fresh, surprising and exciting place to live or visit. 

The vitality of the visual is such that it can be constantly updated and used for varied purposes—personalized for an individual business; used to promote a special event; or incorporated into a themed advertisement.  Each representation is unique, yet immediately recognizable.

The image can appear not only as part of media mailings and in-store displays, but on t-shirts, bumper stickers, caps, mugs and a host of other items.

 MILFORD: LOCAL PROUD—Marketing Overview

 Business

Local Proud will publicize the program through press releases and will be undertaking a concerted outreach to independent businesses in Milford.  Working through several business and community organizations, media, and through direct outreach to local businesses, the Local Proud committee is looking to have 300 businesses signed onto the program by the end of 2009.

A key aspect of the Local Proud campaign is providing concise and accurate information to local businesses about the benefits of buy local campaigns and receiving from businesses ideas as well as information that will be used to measure successes and failures.  Benchmarks must be set and measured to ensure the program is meeting the goals and expectations of our member businesses.

Brochures outlining the benefits of the program will be given to prospective businesses and downloadable from our website.  We will also make the brochures available to commercial real estate professionals and through the Welcome to Milford information currently being distributed through the EDC. 

The committee is asking the City to proclaim September 27th, Local Proud Week.  There will be launch party for independent business owners the evening of the 29^th with key decision makers, state and local officials, representatives from the tourism bureaus, and prominent residents from Milford invited to attend.

After the kick-off, Local Proud will then turn to intensive community marketing.

Community

Marketing for the Local Proud campaign will include in-store banner advertising, print media teaser campaigns and local and national publicity.   Marketing campaigns will be refreshed regularly and new components added to the program to keep interest keen and illustrate the ingenuity, uniqueness and entrepreneurship of our independent businesses. 

This campaign will appeal to residents and visitors by highlighting the reasons independent businesses are critically important to developing, growing and ensuring strong, vibrant communities; while, at the same time, highlighting the direct economic role that consumers play every time they purchase services or goods. 

According to a 2008 study by the Institute for Local Self Reliance, “independent retailers (have) found that a desire to support locally owned business is emerging as a factor in people’s shopping choices.” Additionally, according to the study, retailers in cities with active “Buy Local” campaigns reported much larger increases in holiday sales on average than those in cities without such campaigns, citing 2% growth compared with a less than .05% growth in cities without a “Buy Local” campaign (for the year 2008).

The start of the campaign will focus on educating consumers of the benefits of buying locally.  Banner displays, brochures, press releases, spokespeople, website information, and print advertising will support the launch of the Local Proud campaign. 

The branding effort will include participating businesses receiving branding materials and information and highlighting their participation in their store, mailings, website and advertising. 

This promotion will use the Local Proud logo in fun, creative and insightful ways to underline the reasons why everyone should be proud of Milford.

The promotion will run in local newspapers, the Milford Local Proud website, and on radio.  Display material will be available for download for participating stores for use in their own advertising or displays. 

Notes and References

“Each dollar that consumers spend in locally owned, independent business returns 25 cents (or more) to our community….”

• INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE – 2008 Study.  “The study collected detailed financial information from eight locally owned businesses, representing a range of goods and services with a combined total of $6 million and annuals sales.  The study found that the local businesses recycle about 45 percent of their revenue back into the local economy….This includes wages and benefits paid to local employees, goods and services purchased from other local businesses, taxes paid to local governments, and profits accrued to local owners.  In contrast, only 14 percent of the revenue taken in by a typical big box store (was) re-spent in the (local) economy.  The rest left the state.”

• BUSINESS WEEK – 2/27/09.  “Dan Houston, economic development consultant projected in 2002 that spending in Local Austin book and music stores, returned 45 cents on the dollar to the Austin economy compared with just 13 cents for each dollar spent at the local Borders.

“…local independents demand less energy resources and public infrastructure.”

• VERMONT FORUM ON SPRAWL – “In communities with downtown shopping areas and commercial strips, the tendency of businesses to migrate to the strips increased road maintenance and repair costs.  Some communities are now providing services to two different commercial zones, with the strip development more costly to maintain because the roads are often longer, wider, and involve complex drainage and engineering issues. “

• TISCHLER & ASSOCIATES – Study (in Boulder, CO.) found “that big box stores require nearly $800 more in public services per 1,000 square feet than Main Street businesses.  In fact…big box stores actually cost the city more in public services each year than they generate in tax revenue….Two main factors:  road maintenance (due to much great volume of car trips) and greater demand for police services.” 

“Significantly more money is reinvested in Milford.  Purchasing local helps grow other businesses as well as our tax base.”

• NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION – “Although the local tax base added $2 million with each Wal-Mart, the decline in retail stores following the opening had a depressing effect on property values in downtowns and on shopping strips, offsetting gains from the Wal-Mart property.”

• STACY MITCHELL – INSTITUE FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE. “Every dollar spent at a locally owned business…creates more than three times as much local economic activity as a dollar spent at a chain.”

“More jobs are created…”

BUSINESS WEEK 2/27/09 – “Michelle Long, director of the business alliance credits local business with preserving jobs through the (current) economic downturn.  Long attributes the difference to the fact that locally owned firms employ 69% of the community workforce—6% above State and National averages.” 

Newsweek 2/09 10% SHIFT  – “Estimates for 10% shift of spending from chain  local could create 1600 jobs with a payroll of 53 million.”

      “Tourists are especially likely to shop local independent businesses…”

REVITALIZING MAIN STREET, National Trust for Historic Preservation “According to the Travel Industry Association of America, more than half of travelers who shop say they seek items that represent the destination they are visiting.”

THE ECONOMICS OF BUYING LOCAL Denise Blaha, New Hampshire Carbon Challenge. “Richard Moe, President of the National Historic Preservation Trust, “When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.”

THE ECONOMICS OF BUYING LOCAL Denise Blaha, New Hampshire Carbon Challenge:

• Three independent studies confirm that money spent at a locally owned business stays in the local economy, benefiting residents and area merchants through higher wages and the purchase of local goods and services. Locally owned businesses create more jobs, pay their employees more, and have a lower environmental impact on surrounding ecosystems (less sprawl, congestion and habitat loss) than large retailers located at a strip mall or stand-alone establishment.
• For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 remains in the local economy; for every $100 spent at a big-box store, only $14 stays in the local economy. Neighborhood businesses are invested in their communities. They bank locally, advertise locally, purchase their inventory from local manufacturers, and hire local accountants and repair people. In contrast, products, advertising brochures, and supplies used by large retailers are generally purchased externally and trucked to many stores.
• Local merchants also spend more of their profits in the local economy and give to area charities at a much higher rate than the chain retailers. This, too reflects the investment and connectedness local businesses have to the community. These businesses also add to the distinctive character and culture of the region, benefiting tourism.

INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF RELIANCE – January 23, 2008

“…a nationwide survey of 1,382 independent retailers has found that a desire to support locally owned businesses is emerging as a factor in people’s shopping choices.” Additionally, according to the study, retailers in cities with active “Buy Local” campaigns reported much larger increases in holiday sales on average than those in cities without such campaigns, citing 2% growth compared with a less than .05% growth in cities without a “Buy Local” campaign for the year 2008.

Additional References:

Assessment of the Direct, Indirect and Induced Economic Effects of Chain Stores on the Regional Economy of Cape Cod . FXM Associates, Mattapoisett , MA , June 2005. Available From: http://www.gotcommunity.org/pdf/EconomicImpactStudy.pdf

Economic Impact Analysis:  A Case Study Local Merchants vs. Chain Retailers. Civic Economics, December 2002. Available from: http://www.liveablecity.org/lcfullreport.pdf

The Economic Impact of Locally Owned Businesses vs. Chains: A Case Study of Midcoast Maine . The Institute of Self Reliance, September, 2003. Available from: http://www.newrules.org/retail/midcoaststudy.pdf

Planning Commissioners Journal—Revisiting Main Street  Spring 2008

Planning Commissioners Journal—Greening Main Street 2009

Revitalizing Main Street—National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2009

Billo—www.billo.org  National Organization of Independent Businesses

American Booksellers Association—Orrin Teicher—www.bookweb.org

Big Box Swindle, www.bigboxswindle.com

INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF RELIANCE – February 21, 2008.  Gift Cards that Keep Giving.