Overview.
During the Coronavirus crisis, we were asked to leap into action to support the Isle of Wight’s food producers. There’s so much amazing Isle of Wight produce so we devised a campaign encouraging people to ‘try something new’, ‘eat up for your Island’ and support local businesses.
We worked with Natural Enterprise, Wight Marque and Isle of Wight Radio to come up with a high impact and low budget strategy that was based around social media and radio sponsorship. We collaborated in a small team, working quickly as the lockdown eased, to create a website, online campaign and radio adverts. Words&Stuff also devised a competition, which was promoted by Isle of Wight Radio. Listeners were given a cryptic poem every week, to help them find a lifesize cardboard cutout of three popular radio presenters.
Identity.
We wanted a direct, memorable name and visuals that would be instantly recognisable… that’s how Let’s Buy Local was born! Our aim was to showcase the local produce, and the producers, focusing on the superior quality of Island food and drink.
Marketing materials.
We designed a leaflet, pointing Islanders to our website and social media campaign, and outlining the advantages of shopping locally. It was an easy sell – why wouldn’t you want to try great tasting food, that’s made on your doorstep, and protects Island jobs?
Social media campaign.
We had some fun here, creating anarchic adverts for Facebook and Instagram, focusing on the producers. All our activity was monitored and continually assessed, to ensure that the budget was being used for the maximum benefit.
< 
Banners.
We worked with a photographer and the Island’s leading food producers, to create a series of fun banners which were on display at the Let’s Buy Local outdoor market, and strategically placed around the Island.
Website.
We developed a holding site to direct visitors to the ongoing social media activity, where you could find discounts, competitions and information about the Island’s food producers. Catherine interviewed many of the producers for the website an
d social media, so that Islanders could discover the personalities behind the products. The idea was to encourage people to ‘switch up’ their shopping and ‘try something new’, such as coffee that’s been roasted on the Island, local Halloumi or home grown cherries. We also set up radio interviews with a number of the producers.
