#BCbuylocal from LOCO BC on Vimeo.

We all get a warm fuzzy feeling when we think of the old corner store of our childhood. The friendly grocer, pacing the well-wooden floor, doling out neighbourly wisdom and penny candy…  unfortunately, for many people, that’s still the impression they get when they think ‘Buy Local’. But LOCO BC is out to evolve that, with a new campaign developed in partnership with Fluid Creative and yours truly at Unicycle Creative.

At it’s core is the message that buying local has actual tangible economic benefits, as more money circulates in the economy and businesses support one another to build stronger communities. Check out the motion graphic #BCbuylocal video, produced by Unicycle (Lorne Craig) with graphics by Backyard Creative‘s Lisa Hemmingway. The numbers are real* and the impact is genuine.

The #BCbuylocal website features a plethora of pink dots that let shoppers know WHERE to shop local, and helps them understand what that even means. LOCAL OWNED, LOCAL MADE and LOCAL GROWN are the designations, and shoppers and merchants alike become LOCAL CHAMPIONS for joining the cause. The program also features stickers, signage and posters that local businesses can download and use to help spread the word. Funding support from local financial industry champion Vancity helps make it all possible.

So by all means, stop by and talk to your local merchant and feel the love. But also know that if you are marketing a local business, there may be a bigger economic story to tell as well.

*Video Data Sources: “The Power of Purchasing” (LOCO, Columbia Institute, Sauder School of Business), May 2013; ‘Independent BC: Small Business and the British Columbia Economy” (Civic Economics), February 2013

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