The brainchild of local businesses Strategi Solutions Group and Holdcroft Heating and Gas ‘Gifted Local’ invites small, independent businesses in Staffordshire and the surrounding area to advertise their products and services free of charge to the masses on their newly created Facebook page.
Reaching over 8,000 people across the city in the first 4 weeks since its launch, the page has been a roaring success with boundless independent businesses getting in touch asking to be featured on the page. Encouragingly there have also been a huge number of would be customers flocking to follow ‘Gifted Local’ in the hopes of purchasing products and services, in support of their local community.
The idea of creating a central hub to raise awareness of the businesses in the area with a way for followers to make purchases came to Tina Holdcroft, Director at Burslem based Holdcroft Heating, as the country was plunged into a second lockdown in November. She said,
“The second lockdown has undoubtedly had a major impact on those businesses that rely on a busy Christmas period and, in particular those whose sales transactions depend upon face-to-face contact. Of course, it is sensible for us to do the bulk of our Christmas shopping online this year – maintaining social distancing is of paramount importance, but if we don’t do something quickly to support local businesses that have been a part of our communities, some for many generations, they might not make it through to the new year.”
“As someone who has lived in this area for all my life, I was determined to do something that could help to divert some of the Christmas trade back to those who so desperately need it. If we don’t act now, the consequences could be catastrophic”.
Sharing her idea with Wendy Dean, CEO of Strategi Solutions, Wendy felt it was her duty to use the skills of her team to help create the vision a reality. Wendy added,
“Tina and I have worked together for many years and felt that we had to do something to help. With such a short time available between the end of the second lockdown and Christmas we realised that we had to act quickly.
“We mobilised Strategi’s digital team and helped to bring Tina’s vision to life in just a few short hours. The reaction so far has been unbelievable, and we’re so lucky to have been approached to discuss this on the local radio”
Both avid supporters of local businesses and charities already, it seemed logical to come together to create a tunnel of light in the community in which they have both relied on to build their own businesses over the past years, acknowledging that, with Christmas looming and non-essential industries struggling, our community is leaning on each other more than ever.
Lucas Yeomans of BBC Radio Stoke invited Strategi’s very own Erin and Ryan, the pair who were tasked to create the the page, to speak on air about the successes of the page since it began, their visions behind the brand and digital marketing strategy and why doing this was so important to the entire team.
If you are a local business or know a local business who would benefit from being featured on the ‘Gifted Local’ page, please message the team directly on their Facebook page and they will eagerly get back to you.
