COCHRANE— Fostering innovative ways to help Cochrane businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Town's Economic Recovery Task Force has launched a new local shop safe campaign.
The Open and Safe campaign is designed to support the local economy by reminding the public it is safe to shop in Town.
Cochrane council endorsed the campaign at their meeting on Monday (June 22).
Business Development Manager and Task Force leader Mike Korman said health and safety have been a major concern for consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new campaign will drive home that local businesses are taking all necessary health precautions to keep customers safe.
“We need to build word of mouth,” Korman said. “We need to encourage consumers to make local shopping a part of their habit.”
The goals of the campaign are to increase and support local businesses, strengthen community awareness and appreciation for local businesses, solidify the recovery of local businesses and restore economic and business confidence.
“We want to shift the message from ‘stay home’ to ‘stay close,’” Korman said.
The local shop safe campaign will be funded through the business development budget at a cost of $15,000.
The open and safe campaign serves as a way to show businesses are open in Cochrane and are following public health protocols. Businesses will take a voluntary pledge saying they are open for business and following Alberta Health Services protocols and recommendations.
After signing the pledge they will then be provided with a start-up package that includes special graphics with #shopcochrane for their storefront.
Korman said the hope is these statements will build consumer confidence by showing residents Cochrane is a safe place to do business. The campaign will evolve by sharing stories about local businesses and the people running them. Korman said this will help consumers understand local businesses are our neighbours and help drive the local economy.
The Economic Task Force includes Mayor Jeff Genung, Councillors Fedeyko and McFadden, representatives from the Cochrane Chamber of Commerce, Cochrane Tourism, Business Advisory Network, Developer Liaison Group, Rotary Club of Cochrane, as well as the Town’s managers of finance and business development.
Councillor Marni Fedeyko said she knows it is a challenging time for businesses, noting that some in the community have already closed. She added that because of this it is critical council and the Task Force actively work to help ensure no one else has to close their doors.
“It’s not just about the business itself— it’s about the people they employ, it’s about supporting our events, it’s about fundraising,” Fedeyko said. “So many good things go into supporting our businesses.”
The campaign was designed based on feedback provided by local businesses paired with provincial and national data.
As part of researching the best way to support local businesses, a survey was shared with the community.
Korman said that 41 per cent of respondents indicated they wanted help from the Town through marketing and using shop local messaging paired with growing the tourism side of Cochrane over the next six months.
Coun. Tara McFadden said the local shop safe initiative is a good first step because it focuses on the local community and businesses. She added that the Task Force needs to be forward-thinking to ensure other nearby communities are encouraged to visit Cochrane.
“In order for us to be successful we have to be nimble,” McFadden said. “We can activate some of the tools in our toolbox.”
Business looking to participate in the campaign can visit Cochrane.ca/shopcochrane.
