Shopping
aricopa economic development officials
have bolstered their marketing and
community outreach efforts — and even
launched a playful community challenge with the
police chief — as part of a newly re-branded Shop
Local campaign.
The new campaign kicked off Oct. 1 and will
continue ramping up through the holiday shopping
season, said Micah Miranda, the city’s economic
development director. To reach more residents with
the message, the city has purchased a billboard,
placed advertisements in the newspaper, created
marketing materials, contacted homeowners
associations and met with businesses.
While the former Shop Local campaign contained
images of cartoon shopping bags and smiling
shoppers, the new campaign’s website banner is
largely black and white and features a fireman — an
important reminder, officials say, that local shopping
impacts local services.
“We wanted to really convey the importance of
shopping local,” Miranda said. “It has a very realworld implication on our residents’ lives, and we
want that to shine through.”
Still, although city officials are hoping to drive
home the message local shopping is serious business,
it didn’t stop them from bringing clowns into a city
council meeting Oct. 29 and pretending to arrest
Maricopa Police Chief Steve Stahl for “violating his
commitment to shopping locally.”
The playful skit was the start of a challenge issued
to residents to shop locally and turn in their receipts
to the city’s website or police volunteers from Oct.
29 to Nov. 19. The city’s goal is to collect $100,000
worth of receipts from residents to “free” the police
chief from his symbolic detainment at City Hall. The
chief was freed after nearly $220,000 was collected.
“In order to draw people’s attention, sometimes
laughter is the best medicine,” said Maricopa Mayor
Christian Price.
Following the receipt challenge, officials plan
to place Shop Local stickers in store fronts through
the holiday shopping season, persuade more
businesses to sign up on the Shop Local website and
continue meeting with neighborhoods and holding
presentations to community groups.
Aside from some special purchases, Miranda
said the city has designed and implemented the
campaign in-house and is working on a “shoestring
budget.” Most of the work is carried out through staff
allocating time toward the campaign.
Public records show purchases of $13,598.38
made in connection with the campaign. The
money was spent on a billboard, advertisements
in InMaricopa, wristbands, fans, bookmarks and
window decals for businesses.
The city’s goal is to boost sales tax dollars for this
fiscal year through a 10 percent increase in retail
tax revenue and a 20 percent increase in tax revenue
from bars and restaurants. To reach the 10 percent
increase goal, revenue will have to reach $3.5 million
this year, as compared to $3.19 million the previous
fiscal year.
AZintheSaddle.com
for the Holidays
Miranda said the campaign’s success will be
evaluated on the sales tax goal and the number of
businesses participating by registering online or
posting Shop Local window decals in their stores.
“While it may seem insignificant to buy a dinner
for your family in Chandler as opposed to Maricopa,
when you add that up to 40,000 residents, that adds
up,” Miranda said.
Jeff Kramarczyk, owner of local business Crate
Coffee Market retail store and coffee shop, said
he believes the campa