Seattle's Buy Local Campaign

For those looking for a good example of a buy local campaign Seattle's Economic Development Office partnered with the cities Mayor (Mike McGinn) to launch the promotional campaign Only in Seattle Campaign "to encourage discovery and exploration of new neighborhoods and businesses in Seattle."  The campaign works by featuring neighborhoods and businesses which are unique to Seattle. By featuring specific businesses rather than creating a cluttered campaign the Only in Seattle Campaign is better able to control the brand for each neighborhood and the city. Further it makes its ads more attractive by speaking specifically to certain segments of people. 

For the past two years Only in Seattle has captured the essence of Seattle's neighborhoods and shared the unique stories behind each of the featured businesses. Only in Seattle is now launching another piece of the campaign which is Only in Seattle Sundays. With Only in Seattle Sundays the campaign's "buy local" mission is brought to life beyond the Only in Seattle website, www.onlyinseattle.org, by inspiring people to take one day a month to discover and explore a new neighborhood or businesses they otherwise might not experience.

Following Fremont, locals can look forward to Only in Seattle Sundays hosted in Belltown (August) and Wallingford (September), and other neighborhoods in the subsequent months.

Over the next three months, OnlyinSeattle.org will introduce each of this year's new neighborhoods and their businesses. Among the 12 new businesses highlighted are Fremont's Book Larder, a bookstore devoted to Seattle's literary foodies, Pioneer Square's Magic Mouse Toys, Seattle's oldest toy store, and Wallingford's eclectic and delicious Bizzarro Italian Cafe'. By September, the campaign will grow to spotlight 70 businesses in 16 different neighborhoods.

The City promotes a healthy business environment for neighborhood business districts and organizations. The Only in Seattle marketing campaign is only one of numerous City-funded projects and activities that improve and strengthen local business districts under the broader Only in Seattle Initiative.