A new Broward County campaign is encouraging residents to shop locally to help stimulate the economy.  ZIMMERMAN ADVERTISING

By Ashley Portero  – Reporter, South Florida Business Journal

Broward County launched a new marketing campaign to attract more local spending and help kickstart the economy.

The campaign was launched by Six Pillars Broward, a community-wide initiative of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance and it's nonprofit Alliance Foundation. The 90-day campaign encourages "Supporters of Broward," or "SOBs," to eat, drink and shop at local businesses while taking safety precautions to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.

“Never before has it been more important to come together as a community to strengthen our local economy, support one another and be Supporters of Broward," said Joseph E. Hovancak, executive director of Six Pillars Broward.

The campaign kicked off with a virtual event featuring Broward county government and business leaders on Thursday, the same day the Florida Department of Health announced 3,718 new cases of Covid-19 were reported Wednesday, shattering the record for new cases in a single day.

Developed by Fort Lauderdale-based Zimmerman Advertising, the campaign includes print, broadcast, social, digital and outdoor ads broadcasting the same message: "Be a SOB."

The Broward campaign is encouraging mask-wearing, hand-washing and social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19.  ZIMMERMAN ADVERTISING

Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, said he hoped the "edgier" campaign will be an attention-grabber that highlights the importance of taking preventative measures to reduce virus transmissions.

The campaign is asking residents to wear face masks in public, wash their hands and social distance from others to reduce community spread of the virus.

Swindell said he worries that some national news coverage of Florida – often scenes of crowds on beaches without face masks – will create a perception that South Florida is not prioritizing public safety as businesses open.

"Those images send a message that you better not come to [South Florida], because we're not paying attention to safety," Swindell told the Business Journal. "And the last thing our businesses need is a roll-back to stronger restrictions because people aren't following the rules."

In addition to asking residents to spend locally, the county is encouraging major companies in the area to direct their spending to local Broward firms.

“Being a Supporter of Broward today means making a lasting impact on our local businesses and in the lives of hundreds of thousands of our neighbors, friends, children, grandparents, and generations to come,” said Tony Coley, South Florida regional president for Truist, who is a co-chair of the campaign.

In a recent survey, about 90% of Broward businesses reported they experienced revenue declines due the Covid-19 pandemic. While more than 75% of the county's businesses are open again after weeks of closures, most said they applied for some kind of emergency financial assistance.

More than 180,000 Broward County residents have filed unemployment claims since mid-March, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

 

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