Live Love Local. A website and Instagram for local authority and traders
Independent retailers, producers, pubs, cafes and restaurants were hit hard by Covid lockdowns and the rising cost of living crisis, struggling as levels of footfall struggled to recover post-pandemic.
When we were approached by our local council, with the support of a European grant, we were delighted to be able to support those on our patch.
The campaign
Polymedia developed an integrated campaign that worked on several fronts, building a Fareham Borough community around local independents, celebrating all they had to offer and consistently delivering a ‘shop local’ message to consumers.
Under the banner “Live Love Local”, we built a website including a local shopping map, detailed information on shopping areas in the borough and what they had to offer, regular themed blogs and more.
A partnership with the regional daily newspaper and website provided a front-page launch for the campaign and regular profiles of local traders, plus competitions for readers.
Blogs about local shops, restaurants, cafes, walks, recipes and a popular roaming “Elf on the Shelf” spotted at various locations around the area kept visitors returning. A lively Instagram campaign supported the content, sending the audience reach rocketing.
The message was reinforced with Polymedia-designed Live Love Local branding featured across the patch on posters, lamppost banners, bus stops, buses and even bin lorries throughout the borough.
Results
The campaign was a huge success in raising the profile of the borough’s traders – and keeping momentum.
Within three months the campaign delivered news coverage reaching 90,000 readers, a huge 1,824% growth in the number of accounts reached through Fareham Borough Council’s Instagram, an 80% leap in Instagram followers and more than 5,000 views of the campaign website.
Following the campaign’s success, Polymedia continues to work with the council to support traders through the website and the positive community platform of Instagram.
The campaign, initially Christmas-themed, has now been reworked with an economic investment focus. See it at www.livelovelocalfareham.co.uk
