Keep spending in the community, urges NZME campaign to give Kiwi firms a boost GO LOCAL!
Amajor regional media campaign encouraging people to support local businesses has been launched by NZME as the country moves through alert level 3 and beyond.
The media company’s regional titles — the Northern Advocate, Bay of Plenty Times, Rotorua Daily Post, Whanganui Chronicle and Hawke’s Bay Today — kicked off the Go Local! campaign this week.
Go Local! is a call to action to support local businesses as they kickstart their operations and, in some cases, even fight for survival during the Covid-19 crisis.
The campaign is part of NZME’s national Go NZ! campaign which over the past six weeks has supported New Zealand businesses, communities and people through its many brands and platforms.
The five regional newspapers and their websites launched Go Local! with high-impact front pages and stories, urging people to get behind the campaign. Community newspapers in those regions are also part of the campaign.
Go Local! will use the power of NZME’s regional and community newspapers, websites, radio stations and social media platforms to shine a light on businesses demonstrating innovative ways of connecting with customers.
Go Local! also offers a platform and innovative commercial solutions for businesses to advertise, and get their messages out to potential customers.
The regional editors behind the campaign — Rachel Ward of the Northern Advocate, Scott Inglis of the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, Kim Gillespie of the Whanganui Chronicle and Hawke’s Bay Today’s Craig Cooper — said the campaign was an excellent way of connecting businesses with the community.
Mayors, other leaders and businesses are backing the campaign. In Whanga¯rei, mayor Sheryl Mai told the
Northern Advocate it was “critical” to support local businesses.
“If residents have an option to buy local that’s what you should use. Just think really carefully about how we use our money.”
For Whanga¯rei’s Piggery Secondhand Book Shop, it was “uncharted territory” as it opened for business with new alert level 3 rules.
Owner Chloe Clennell and shop assistant Samantha le Grice will be at the Walton St shop on separate days to prepare online and phone orders for customers to collect. They will also offer a delivery service once a week throughout the city, or books can be couriered for extra cost.
Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell told the that small businesses needed the community’s support more than ever.
“This will help get companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, back on their feet, preserving jobs and benefiting our local economy.”
Alimento cafe owner Craig Soeberg said the Tauranga cafe was introducing an evening delivery system in level 3 and was now open until 8pm, which was something very new to the business.
“We are trying to manage in a different market. We haven’t really done this before. Normally we shut at 4pm.”
Soeberg said it was nice to see his regular customers back after reopening.
Steve Chadwick, Rotorua’s mayor, said in the Rotorua Daily Post that she “absolutely” supported the campaign and reinforced that businesses needed to collaborate as the city recovers from Covid-19.
“We will know we are really succeeding when it continues into the future, not just stimulating the economy now but keeping it going well into the future.”
When Abracadabra Cafe and Bar in Rotorua opened under level 3, owner Justin Genest admitted to feeling emotional seeing his customers again for the first time since lockdown.
In Whanganui, many businesses were open for trade again for the first time in nearly five weeks. “This first day has been pretty steady, and definitely busier than the last few weeks,” said Sandra Brunner, owner of Health 2000 on Victoria Ave.
Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall said it was great to see how flexible and adaptable many of the city’s businesses were as they adjusted to the “new normal”.
Napier mayor Kirsten Wise said in an opinion column in Hawke’s Bay Today: “Purchasing and sourcing Hawke’s Bay-produced goods and services, and recommending local businesses to your friends and family, will help shape our recovery.”
In Hawke’s Bay, businesses have banded together to form Hawke’s Bay At Home, which features more than 80 restaurants, cafes, bars, brewers and wineries offering food and drink options via contactless delivery or pick-up.
James Beck, chef and owner of Bistronomy in Napier, rallied the industry together to create the platform. “Close to 1000 hours have gone into the project, with everyone working for free,” Beck said.