On this blog we love featuring a good shop local campaign, and there’s a fun one going on in the month of July that we just had to mention. Cities across the country like Raleigh, Clinton, Alexandria (MN), Bainbridge Island, and Lincoln are participating in this effort to get people to visit and shop local.
The American Bookseller’s Association and Candlewick Press (the American publisher of the Where’s Waldo books) have teamed up with 250 bookstores across the country to create a shop local scavenger hunt for the month of July.
In most towns this involves picking up a passport sheet at a local participating business and looking for Waldo in businesses around town. When you find him, you get your passport signed or stamped. The first 100 participants are eligible for a special sticker in honor of their accomplishment and a coupon for the Waldo book. (Number may vary by size of town. This detail is from the Raleigh contest.) Most participating programs are offering a drawing on August 1st for those participants who found 10 Waldos or more.
Why a Program Like This Works
It’s the summer and people are looking for interesting (and free) activities. This is one that can be enjoyed by all ages and it gives the kids something to do while mom or dad enjoys shopping local.
Summer is also a time when many people have more leisure time, and look for reading materials. This fun contest will be a nice discovery for those already looking for entertainment.
This program makes shopping local an exploration not a task or an obligation. It also rewards desired behavior. A passport concept challenges the explorer to finish it in a much more convincing way than simply presenting a list of local shops and asking someone to shop local. This program incorporates fun in a motivating format that spurs participants to completion.
Are you participating in this program? Leave us a note below on your experiences.
