Buy Local Campaigns

A well-run "buy local" campaign that engages your local businesses and citizens can be a powerful tool to help sustain independent businesses and neighborhood-serving business districts. Buy independent / buy local campaigns have exploded in recent years, bolstered by five annual surveys by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). The surveys suggest large benefits to independent businesses and communities from sustained campaigns by IBAs and similary-modeled organizations.  Results of the latest survey are summarized briefly in our January newsletter or download the full report (pdf) from the ILSR.

Long-term Buy Indie/Buy Local Campaigns & Increased Revenues This chart, based on data from annual surveys by ILSR from 2007-2011, graphs the positive impact of "buy indie / buy local" campaigns by IBAs and Local First groups. Light green bars are year-to-year changes reported by indie businesses with those campaigns in their communities, dark green bars are sales changes at businesses lacking such campaigns in their community.

Unfortunately, some news coverage of these surveys has neglected to mention the results measure only sustained campaigns by community-rooted organizations. In recent years, hundreds of buy local campaigns have been launched by local governments, chambers and other entities. Most of these quickly fade away with little or no impact on shifting local culture.

The good news? Most of these campaigns for predictable reasons that we can help you avoid (one common killer is failing to distinguish independent businesses from chains and franchises). With our help, your community can build an effective program capable of  creating long-term shifts to benefit independent businesses.

AMIBA's staff provides comprehensive support and unrivaled experience in designing and implementing effective buy local campaigns, both directly and through assisting dozens of other organizations. City governments, independent trade associations, the national Main Street Center, rural development agencies and many others tap AMIBA's expertise to run trainings, write how-to articles and help design effective programs. 

AMIBA also provides a range of outreach materials to help spread  pro-local messages, including pre-printed posters, decals, pins and more, as well as free templates for some materials you can print in your own community. Virtually all materials we produce can be customized for your city, town business or organization.

Do yourself and your colleagues a favor -- don't waste time and energy re-creating what's been developed and refined for more than a decade! While every community should develop its own identity and customize its messaging, basic principles of effective buy local / independent campaigns are universal. Too many groups have lost momentum by spending weeks or months researching and discussing issues we could resolve for them in minutes.

AMIBA is a non-profit (501c3) organization that exists to help you succeed with less time and money and make a far greater impact than you otherwise could. Contact us for a free primer to help you get started on the right track.

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