Holiday Shopping Campaign Generates Shop Local Engagement

Holiday Shopping Campaign Generates Shop Local Engagement

Northbrook businesses gained extra visibility during the holiday season thanks to a multi-platform marketing campaign managed by the Chamber. A combination of social media, text messaging, website, and in-store promotions boosted participation in the Find It in Northbrook initiatives to new levels.

In partnership with the Village of Northbrook, the Chamber manages the Find It in Northbrook brand to promote shopping, dining, and entertainment businesses in the Village. During the holiday season, activity ramps up across platforms. Chamber staff visited dozens of businesses to create original content for Facebook and Instagram: more than 180 posts, videos and stories were shared between Black Friday and December 26, with a total reach of over 30,000. More than 120 new followers were added to the social media accounts by the end of December.

The Chamber further encouraged local shopping with a “Find It & Win” weekly prize drawing. Customers of Northbrook shops and restaurants who spent at least $20 submitted receipts for the chance to win a $50 gift card from the Northbrook business of their choice. Many shoppers opted to text in their entries via the Chamber’s community text program, adding to that program’s subscriber base. Print materials for the contest were distributed to local businesses, encouraging store owners to engage with customers at the point of purchase while also promoting the contest. Overall, the contest attracted 210 valid entries – almost three times the number of entries in 2021 – from individuals who patronized more than 60 different Northbrook businesses.

Other Shop Local initiatives in the Chamber/Village partnership included special early-shopping coupons distributed at the Illuminate Northbrook event on November 18, a two-page spread with local shopping tips in the Village’s November/December print newsletter, and press releases published on the Daily Herald and Northbrook Patch websites.

“The holidays are absolutely essential to the success of our local businesses, so we’re committed to creating platforms that support a Shop Local mindset,” notes Chamber Executive Director Kathi Quinn. “The positive response to the holiday campaign, with increased awareness of our social media accounts and text message program, gives us great momentum to continue the growth of these platforms in 2023.”