Buy Local First Clinton County
2009 - 2013
What started as a poster-based awareness campaign grew into one of the most innovative and impactful local business development programs in the country. In 2009, Energize Clinton County was contracted by the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission to develop and implement a county wide campaign to support local businesses in the region. The campaign has developed innovative approaches to building, educating, and mobilizing consumer networks, including the creative use of e-mail marketing, social media, and web development to support small businesses in Clinton County. The Buy Local First campaign has been able to demonstrate the value and importance of a diverse and vibrant local economy to our community. In 2011, ECC began working with JP Morgan Chase to measure and evaluate the success of the Buy Local First program. The study used millions of credit card transactions and showed the businesses the participated in the Buy Local First program experienced a significant sales bump during the holiday shopping season compared to similar businesses that did not participate. This study constitutes one of the most extensive studies of a local economy every completed. Read a summary of the findings here. In 2012, ECC received a $48,000 grant from the USDA to transfer its buy local campaign model to community partners in a six county region in south central Ohio. In 2013, the administration of Buy Local First Clinton County was officially transferred to the Wilmington-Clinton County Chamber of Commerce where the program continues to thrive and grow. |