In June 2022 we launched the It’s all here campaign. The initiative had a simple yet powerful message: when you buy local, you support local.
This promotional campaign recognised, supported and celebrated the 18,000+ local businesses here in the municipality and everything they have to offer our residents, community and visitors from near and far.
Read on to learn more about the campaign and the outstanding results it achieved for local businesses.
The aims of the It’s all here campaign were to:
- encourage City of Whittlesea residents, visitors and businesses to spend local and enhance awareness of the many benefits of buying local products and services
- support local businesses with a localised campaign that would inspire people to think and buy local, in store and online
- deliver resources to support all businesses to adapt and transition to a post-COVID-19 economy
- provide the community with the tools, motivation and means to support local, including the Support Local incentives program.
Local business heroes
The campaign spotlighted stories from eight diverse local business heroes who exemplify the value and impact of local commerce. From toy stores to accountants, their stories served not only to inspire but also to personalise the experience of shopping locally.
Support Local incentives
A compelling incentive program featured time-limited rebates for consumers choosing local options. This approach not only boosted immediate sales but also encouraged long-term consumer habits centred around local loyalty.
Comprehensive promotional materials
A suite of materials – including a business engagement toolkit, posters, social media assets and campaign videos – was developed for businesses. These tools were designed to facilitate widespread message dissemination, empowering businesses to actively promote the local-first mindset.
Download the business engagement toolkit(PDF, 5MB)
The campaign achieved remarkable economic and community engagement outcomes
Economic injection
More than $800,000 was injected into the local economy, demonstrating the substantial financial impact of concentrated local spending efforts.
Rebate success
The incentive program saw more than 3,000 claims made during the 28 days the incentives were running. We distributed $150,000 in rebates for buying local from 650 businesses, which shows the community's enthusiastic participation.
Even though the incentives rebate campaign is over, we're still working on ways to encourage people to buy local and support local businesses.
The It’s all here in the City of Whittlesea message continues. Supporting local business benefits the entire community in many ways, from providing local employment to contributing to a robust economy.
If you'd like to stay informed about any upcoming business support programs, subscribe to business e-news.
Sign up to our business e-news