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The percentage of consumers supporting local brands has increased from 55% in 2018 to 65% in 2020, according to an article from ThinkWithGoogle.com. In 2020, 42% of consumers overall “said they now paid more attention to the origin of products”, the article says.
That’s not all. Here are the main takeaways you should know from the article and reasons why you should market locally.
We all know that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive part in consumers’ decisions to support local brands. With continuous lockdowns, many of us have had to buy online and deal with delivery costs.
So to make those delivery costs cheaper, many of us buy locally. Plus, it’s much easier for click and collect.
The Working From Home Effect
Another factor driving people to support local businesses is the amount of time people are spending working from home. They spend less time watching fields go by in a blur on trains to work, and more time walking down their local streets.
Throughout the pandemic, people saw their local businesses struggling without their physical shops being open. So naturally, they wanted to support them.
The Sustainability Awareness Effect
Consumers are also looking for local products as they become more aware of sustainability. If they buy locally, there’s less pollution created from delivery trucks driving across the country or planes flying in.
If they buy locally and ethically sourced products, they can help contribute to their local community while also helping the environment. That’s a win-win for many.
Since the pandemic, almost 95% of people said they “believed their personal actions could help reduce unsustainable waste, tackle climate change, and protect wildlife and biodiversity,” the article says.
A Local Marketing Success Story
So there are many reasons why you should market locally, but is it really successful? Well, the article gives a brilliant example of local marketing that won a Cannes Lions award in 2019. Nike’s ‘Air Max Graffiti Stores’ was achieved by collaborating with graffiti artists in São Paulo, Brazil.
The artists spray painted Nike’s Air Max shoe designs on well-known characters of local graffiti art. Using geolocation, Nike also made it so that people could only unlock a limited presale purchase by going to the graffiti walls and accessing Nike.com.
By doing this, Nike increased local sales by a massive 32% and local social engagement by 22%. So it’s safe to say local marketing can be very successful indeed.
This is a great example of ‘localism’. As the article describes it, localism is consumers’ preference for businesses in their local area that cater to “the specific needs and behaviors of local communities and tap into location-specific culture”.
So, the COVID-19 pandemic, sustainability awareness, and localism, are all factors that increase consumer interest in local businesses. Plus, local marketing is boosting sales and engagement for those who invest in it.
With that said, you’d be crazy not to try it. Besides, if consumers are becoming more committed to their local community, why shouldn’t you?
Want to know how we can help drive your local business? Schedule your free strategy session here.
