Fall 2015
THINK. SHOP. BUY. LOCAL REIMAGINED Since its inception in 2009, the goal of the Think. Shop. Buy. Local program (TSBL) has been to educate consumers on the importance of shopping locally; and to encourage consumers to think before they shop and to buy locally whenever possible. Through the years, RMA has used a variety of tactics to promote TSBL including advertisements, promotions, contests, social media and websites.
engagement with the brand. This means, we want consumers to do more than recognize the TSBL sticker. We want them to embrace shopping locally as their first choice for purchasing. In order to do this, we need to move the consumer along the spectrum of engagement with TSBL. Now this may sound like “marketing-ese”, but it’s really a logical approach to changing behavior.
local businesses, creating relevance for our audience. These will include consumer testimonials, member spotlights and retail news. They’ll illustrate the level of service, relationships and unique experiences that can only be gained through local shopping.
WHERE can you find these stories? They will be shared through the TSBL blog, website and e-communications. Plus they’ll be referenced in TSBL social media While we’ve had some success in raising Consider the spectrum of engagement in posts and then further distributed through the leveraged networks of RMA members. awareness, RMA is ready to take TSBL four stages: In fact, we’ve already started! Check to the next level by increasing consumers’ Unaware » Aware » Engaged » Advocate out the newly updated TSBL website In This Issue... (ThinkShopBuyLocal.com) and see for Currently, most consumers fall into the yourself! We’ve streamlined the site to unaware or aware stage. To be honest, 1 Think. Shop. Buy. be cleaner, easier to navigate, and more even some of our RMA members are still Local Reimagined compelling for visitors. Here consumers in these stages. To move consumers along 2 Letter to Members the spectrum, we need to educate them can find all the TSBL favorites: Stories, about WHY it’s important to shop locally. Deals, Events and our Directory. 3 Welcome & Congratulations! In other words, we need to get them to see Visit the site often and stay connected why they should care! to the TSBL social media channels and 4 The RMA Scene
6 RMA Members in the News 7 RMA Members Who Made the Inc. 5000 List 8 RMA Endorsed Vendors 9 Welcome New Members 10 Virginia Retail Federation Update 11 RMA Events Calendar
HOW will we do this? While we’ll continue to advertise and share facts about shopping locally, it is time to tell some stories. Stories help us connect with our audiences in a way that charts, graphs, and statistics can never do. And stories motivate audiences to act.
e-newsletters to keep up with new stories and fresh content. As consumers see their friends, neighbors and favorite shops in these stories, they’ll be able to comment, share and participate in telling the stories as well. In fact, we are already seeing a growth in engagement.
WHAT kind of stories? We’ll be telling stories that relay the depth and breadth of the local retail scene. They will be compelling narratives that relate consumers’ personal experiences with
We‘ve got a growing list of both consumers and retailers who have a story to tell. All of which will lead them to engagement, and eventually, to advocacy. So join in the movement and help tell the TSBL story.