News Optimist October 25

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Volume 109 No. 14

North Battleford, Sask.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Shop the Battlefords app launched By John Cairns Staff Reporter

The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce has just launched a new tool to promote businesses located in the area. It is the Shop the Battlefords app, presented by the Chamber, and is being launched to coincide with the Chamber’s shop locally campaign during this holiday season. The idea is for customers to be able to earn points that go towards great priz-

es by buying gifts using the app. Up to $10,000 worth of locally-sourced prizes can be won. The app was launched officially Friday at an event at Gold Eagle Casino. They are one of the app’s sponsors along with Innovation Credit Union and Ultra Print. Also launched was the website promoting the initiative, www.shopthebattlefords.com, as well as their Facebook page. The intent, said Chamber president Jay Bottom-

Exciting Times for BTEC

ley, is to “promote shopping in the Battlefords and to showcase the great things we have to offer particularly at the holiday season.” The app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the iTunes Store. According to Nathan Puffalt of NP Marketing, who was contracted to create the app, this is the first time that an app like this has been introduced on this scale anywhere. The concept has been

done before on a more limited scale within industries, with Puffalt giving an example of pizzarias in one district of Vancouver using a similar app to identify their locations and reward their loyal customers with rewards points. “This has never been done on a community-wide scale before,” said Puffalt. It is particularly useful in catering to the needs of the more tech-savvy millennial shoppers. “We’re looking for more and more campaigns being

Workers with River City Plumbing and Heating were hard at work Friday installing a dishwasher in the staff room at the new Battlefords Trade and Education Centre facility. The move to the new building began last week, with clients welcomed to the facility Monday. For more turn to Page 2 and 11. Photo by John Cairns

Nathan Puffalt of NP Marketing, Battlefords Chamber executive director Linda Machniak and president Jay Bottomley pose for a “selfie” posted at the Facebook page launching the Shop the Battlefords app, now available on Google Play and the iTunes Store. Photo by John Cairns

generated for millenials, and that’s what this is for.” The actual development of the app took about a month and a half. Initially, the app is being tailored for the upcoming Christmas season. Users of the app can earn points from Oct. 21 to Dec. 19. The points are tracked individually at each participating store, and overall points are tracked automatically within the app itself. Users can earn 200 welcome points. When shoppers click on the app on their cellphones, a menu appears with nine categories — deals, home, auto, food, charities, retail, services, top 10 and profile. When they go into the listings they will be able to see full lists of all the businesses in that category and what they offer. Points categories are listed alongside the information about the participating businesses. There are over 35 participating businesses so far. You can also earn points by donating to charities as well. People who use the app “will be able to see the diversity of business in the Battlefords,” said Puffalt.

“We’ve got everything from sporting goods to electronics to western wear that people go to Saskatoon to buy way too often. And so now they’ll have that in their fingertips and that will give them a reason to stay local, and get some cool deals out of the feature and then also get some points that go to some pretty amazing prizes.” After the campaign ends Dec. 19 the plan is to award the prizes at an event at Gold Eagle Casino, with winners being notified. So far, said Puffalt, more than 100 people have downloaded the app so far. They have also reached over 10,000 people with their Facebook post. “We are well on track for becoming an innovative and successful campaign for shopping local,” said Puffalt. While the app is currently aimed at holiday shopping, the plan is to make it available for yearround use. There is the potential to offer other rewards-oriented campaigns tailored to different times of the year, such as Valentine’s Day, the back-to-school season or other holidays.


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