The Chamber’s Shop Local Initiative is getting a makeover. Under the umbrella of the newly revamped Marketing Action Committee (MAC), the initiative will take on an expanded role in efforts to market Chamber members’ businesses and encourage customer loyalty. Within MAC, the Chamber narrowed its committees down to Shop Local, Tourism, the Golf Tournament, Education, and Special Events. Each committee within MAC has a chair and a task force. For Shop Local, the chair is Beverly Austin.
should come to your town, eat at a respush in November and December leading taurant and shop at a retail store, so we up to Christmas. are going to emphasize why we are Everything Texas to draw them in.” “The average person spends $700 around Christmas. If we could get all of the citiThe task force is creating a video that zens of Titus County to spend that $700 highlights those unique aspects of Mount here, we will reap the benefits. Our sales Pleasant and Titus County to educate tax revenue will increase, and we could Chamber members, the community, tour- do a lot more things for our parks, our city ists, businesses and families considering services and tourism efforts,” Austin said. relocating to the area. “We will have brochures that will educate the community on why shopping locally is “This video will help state why we are a important and helps us with our day-togreat place to visit, live, open a business, day living.” “We have a task force of about 20 people buy a home, educate your children, eat representing all of our members in out and shop,” Austin said. “We want to Austin, a business advisor with the Northhealthcare, restaurants, manufacturing, use the video as a tool to promote the east Texas Small Business Development and retail. We’re trying to make sure eve- Everything Texas brand and to connect Center, said it is crucial for a community ryone benefits from what we’re doing,” the dots to Shop Local.” to support its businesses. She said the Austin said. She said her task force has Shop Local movement has done more been meeting over the past year planning The new initiative will launch this month than any other movement to help busifor a January 2016 kickoff for the new with Shop Local Titus County signs and nesses. Shop Local Titus County Initiative. marketing brochures. The task force will present the initiative to local organiza“When you spend your money locally it “We want this to include a better under- tions, and the Chamber will utilize social helps that local business stay in business, standing of the Everything Texas brand media to promote it. hire more people, retain employees and because what we’ve discovered is that it invest in more inventory. As that business has a different meaning for everyone. It Shop Local has traditionally included cam- prospers, they, in turn, will invest in the depends on their perspective and person- paigns within the larger initiative, such as community.” al experience,” she said. “So from that, Eat Local, Grow Local, and Drive Local. Eat we realized that we wanted to embrace Local will continue as the April campaign that in this next campaign. Cities and and Grow Local will be the focus in June/ towns have a long list of things to offer July. Drive Local will also continue, and people. People want to know why they the initiative will culminate with a large
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