Nationwide grassroots ‘shop local’ campaign launched

A major grassroots nationwide campaign to support local businesses has launched and it’s designed to celebrate our small business heroes.

YEAH! LOCAL is a campaign designed to inspire Kiwis to celebrate the local heroes in their neighbourhoods: the small business owners and staff that keep the New Zealand economy humming. 

To support the campaign, Kiwis are being asked to download, print and display free posters in their community, and share a photo or video at one of their favourite local businesses to tell New Zealand why it’s so great. 

The posters can be downloaded at www.yeahlocal.co.nz, where people also get tips on how to support local retailers, hospitality, tourism, arts & culture, musicians, and charities.

YEAH! LOCAL is a campaign devised and created by Not Another — a design studio based in Sumner Beach, Christchurch — and is supported by Go Media and Phantom Billstickers.

“We’re not economists, but we can make posters,” Not Another co-founder Mark Townshend says.

“This campaign is all about using the tools we have to raise awareness about the importance of spending locally to support our economy.”

“As a small business ourselves, we know how scary the next few months and years can seem, but if we all support one another, we can pull through.

“YEAH! LOCAL is basically a massive nationwide marketing campaign for all the small businesses out there who don’t have the time or resources to put one together.” 

Another thing New Zealanders are being asked to do, is to change their Facebook profile picture to include a YEAH! LOCAL badge.  

Digital billboards and street posters will be placed around New Zealand in the coming days, thanks to generous support from Go Media and Phantom Billstickers. 

“We’re so grateful for the support we’ve received so far, but we’re still on the hunt for more to help spread the message even further,” Not Another co-founder Adrien Taylor says.

“Small businesses in New Zealand need our support now more than ever. Decisions by all of us — such as whether to buy new shoes from an overseas website or in a local shop, or whether to holiday in Bali or our own beautiful backyard of New Zealand — might mean the difference between Kiwi businesses surviving the next few years, or not.”

“Eating, shopping, socialising, holidaying, giving, listening to music… All of Aotearoa wins when you keep it local. If you spend a dollar with a local Kiwi business, that dollar eventually comes back to you and makes us all strong.”

Photo below: Adrien Taylor (left) and Mark Townshend.