Why local is Better than Global

WHY LOCAL IS BETTER THAN GLOBAL

BUILDING TRUST IN AN AGE OF UNCERTAINTY JANUARY 16, 2017

What a year

2016 was.

We saw unprecedented events happen - from Brexit, to the election of Donald Trump,
the world is in a state of shift and uncertainty.

Consumer retail is no different.

While we continue to see expansive growth in e-commerce - with the rise of mobile - another trend catapulted to importance in 2016: buying local.

With job security on everyone’s mind, as well as product quality, consumers started to revert to shopping locally. Whether it was buying groceries at the corner shop, or thinking local when looking for products or services, consumers are narrowing their geo-footprint.

As a communications agency, we wanted to explore this trend to kick off 2017.

THE RETURN OF THE MOM & POP When we think about retail consumer trends, we often think about the rise of e-commerce.

But local shopping shouldn’t be discredited. Several of our clients found great success in appealing to the communities that they serve by strengthening their local messaging within their PR campaigns. The idea of “we’re here, with you – going through what you’re going through” resonated with Canadians. We expect this type of messaging to only increase in importance throughout 2017.

25%

34%

of millennial shoppers say their in-store experience would improve with personalized offers

mentioned locally produced goods would increase their preference for buying from local neighbourhood retailers

40%

of Canadian consumers think a knowledgeable sales associate would make their in-store shopping experience better

Source: JWP Canadian Total Retail 2016 Report

Here are a few things to keep in mind when

thinking local: Don’t be generic while speaking local

Making sure your brand is speaking the “right” language is critical. If your target audience is in Toronto, using the hashtag #The6ix makes total sense. However, if you’re speaking to a Calgary audience, then #YYC is far more appropriate. Discovering the local language can be a difference-maker, and one we often deploy.

Leverage local voices

The use of a celebrity spokesperson isn’t new. But sometimes, those celebrities can alienate your audience vs. resonate with them. Having local voices from the community creates a more meaningful and contextually relevant message, and one we use regularly.

Capitalize on niche local brands

Many brands will deploy messaging around big events like Canada Day, or the Civic Day long weekend. But what about those smaller, local events – like the infamous Midhurst Butter Tart Festival? Connecting around a shared experience is a powerful way that we’ve increased brand awareness amongst key consumer groups.

A key element for shoppers who are buying local is trust.

They want to know that the product or service they are buying is going to do what they’ve been promised, as well as produced in a way that reflects their ethics.

This is the underlying theme of buying local: consumers looking for brands they can trust beyond the 90-day guarantee.

Drop us a line If you want to build trust and infuse this thinking with your communications plan, why not drop us an email at: melanie@elevatorinc.com

elevatorinc.com

416-363-6444

@elevatorinc

Many thanks to i cons, aguycalledgary, Stefan de Haan, Patrice Curci, Arthur Shlain, dilayorganci, LA Great Streets, and Alepio at thenounproject.com for the icons.