When you launch Totally Locally in your town, it’s best to think about an event to help people & businesses focus on the whole idea and also to give press, radio & TV something to hang an article on. It makes sense too, in the fact that if you are handing out flyers about the whole concept of Totally Locally, an event is the perfect thing to demonstrate the whole big idea.

So…. what to do?

Totally Locally is about getting people to use their local shops, getting shops to look at their suppliers, getting people to re assess what’s on their doorstep and helping businesses to start looking at working together. This applies to all sorts of shops and businesses, be they hardware stores, bakers, accountants, etc., and you name it really.

BUT, the one thing that people will automatically associate with shopping locally and supporting local businesses is food. Why? Well we all eat (!), local is perceived to be best and with more and more programmes like River Cottage on TV, there’s a real hunger (excuse the pun) for local food. So it makes sense that any launch event should focus on food – not entirely, but it’s a way of enticing people to come and have a look at what’s going on. And when they are there you can hit them with everything – crafts, clothing, and music, whatever.

A Totally Locally Market is always a great event to hang a launch on and this has been successful in every town we’ve done one in. It’s no coincidence that some of the supermarkets are even using traditional markets in their adverts to try and make people think their produce has a quality and ‘home grown’ feel, (See Morrisons recent Christmas ad for example) so it makes sense that when it’s the real ‘Totally Locally’ deal, this is the way to go.

With all of these things, music is a great accompaniment. If you look at our West Bridgford video on our YouTube Channel, you’ll see it was completely music-tastic, with everything from jazz to barbershop to classical to blues. It was brilliant. If you involve the little ‘uns from the local school, you KNOW that Mum & Dad, and Grandma & Grandad and Great Auntie Elsie are all going to come too. The more the merrier!

Treasure trails have worked really well in some towns. They are great for getting kids involved, which means parents & grandparents too! The trails usually involve a map (again!) with all the great shops on it, all with offers for the launch day or weekend. Each shop has a clue that the kids have to collect, and guess what – on the way the shops do a free tasting! Feedback usually shows that these do well for the shops on the launch day, but even more so later, when adults get chance to call back without the children. So give them something to sample, with an offer or an incentive for them to come back, and a great big smile and something that the kids will like. Easy this marketing lark isn’t it!

We just missed a pie competition in Ampthill by a couple of months. How good would that be to run the launch alongside!!

Matlock are launching Totally Locally in their town alongside a “cinema in the park” event, one which was planned months before they even contacted Totally Locally Towers. They are running a mini fiver fest with market stalls in the park serving food & drink to go with the film screening. AND they are doing a video to screen at the launch. Brilliant stuff.

The scope is limitless, but you have to make it easy for people to want to engage with the event and to get excited about.

All of this is open to discussion, and we will support you in whatever you choose to do.

We create all the marketing material for you for free, along with press releases, etc. And the great thing is that all those who have already done these events are REALLY willing to share their experience and expertise with you and each other. Let us know what you are thinking of and we can put you in touch with the right person, or even better why not join the forum and get chatting.

For more info, or to throw your ideas into the pot, please give us a shout and contact us.

Totally Locally Chris