Airdrie Economic Development’s Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is campaign and shop local contest is set to wrap up Nov. 28, when two lucky winners will be drawn for $5,000 and $10,000 grand prize packages.
Launched by the City of Airdrie in September, the Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is marketing campaign aimed to incentivize residents to shop at local businesses that are rebounding from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. To enter the contest, shoppers uploaded photos to social media of their receipts for a local item or service, which placed them in a weekly draw to win $500.
“The Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is campaign shows how support from residents and business owners, together, will help define Airdrie as a resilient community – one that can show fluidity and adaptability when faced with these economic storms,” said Shauna Quinn, tourism development officer for the City of Airdrie and an organizer for the campaign.
The contest, which has been running for eight weeks, will wrap up with a grand prize draw Nov. 28. Quinn said with each contest entry, both shoppers and the business they purchased from were entered into a separate draw for a grand prize package. For the shopper, the sweepstakes prize will include $5,000 worth of local business gift certificates, products and services, while the grand prize for one licensed and independently-owned Airdrie business will be a $10,000 local marketing package.
According to Quinn, the contest has been a success, with approximately $266,000 worth of receipts submitted from more than 300 businesses in Airdrie over the last two months. She said 65 per cent of those businesses are independent or locally owned.
"We’ve seen well over 500 unique individuals enter their names and have seen how businesses have felt truly supported during this campaign, the connection they’re making with their customer and seeing together that by supporting one another, they both have these opportunities to win," Quinn said.
Quinn said the timing of the draw is purposeful, as Nov. 28 is Shop Small Saturday – an annual date sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Shop Small Saturday promotes frequenting local retailers, rather than big-box or online stores.
The Airdrie Chamber of Commerce partnered with Airdrie Economic Development on the campaign and contest. Marilyne Aalhus, the Chamber’s executive director, said small businesses are the backbone of a community and should be supported.
“It really comes down to wanting to build a stronger community as a whole,” she said. “Our local businesses feed into our economy. They obviously pay property taxes and contribute in a significant way to driving a healthy economy for our city."
The grand prize draw will be streamed at 11 a.m. Nov. 28 on Airdrie Economic Development's Facebook page as well as the Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page, according to Quinn. Coun Tina Petrow will draw the $5,000 grand prize for the winning shopper, while Airdrie Chamber of Commerce President Nikki Nordick will draw the winning business for the $10,000 marketing prize.
In addition to the grand prizes, Quinn said Airdrie Economic Development is asking participants to submit their testimonials about the contest via email to [email protected] for yet another draw, which will include a $100 gift basket.
“We’ve seen testimonials from shoppers saying that the campaign has made them more mindfully aware of supporting local, and even the very small steps that might have changed in their normal shopping habits are things that contribute to the success of our community,” she said.
For more information, visit eatsplaystayairdrie.com
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
