New York City’s new “NYC Extreme Local” campaign—designed to get locals spending more at neighborhood businesses during the holiday season—reflects several trends JWT has written about in the past few years.
Co-sponsored by American Express and AT&T, the print, outdoor and online campaign touts “24 days of shopping, dining, deals, events and more” in 15 Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods (the emphasis on neighborhoods presumably explains the “extreme” aspect of local). A microsite also outlines a promotion: Make a total of $300 in purchases at three or more participating businesses with an American Express card and get a $50 card credit.
NYC & Company, which is behind this campaign, is one of several tourism organizations that have responded to the ongoing “staycation” trend by focusing on locals. Such efforts tie in well with the current affinity for all things local, especially at a time when many neighborhood businesses are hanging on by a thread; efforts like the 3/50 Project have sprung up to encourage people to patronize such businesses. (Most participants in the “Extreme Local” effort are independents, but IKEA in Brooklyn and a few other chain stores are also involved.)
One of JWT’s 10 trends for 2010 is Location-Based Everything, which covers the growth of location-based or -aware tools that use data from a user’s mobile phone—an area of huge potential for brands that can help consumers based on their location. We’ll see more brands building up their credentials as guides and advisers. American Express operates a travel-themed site that breaks down deals for cardholders by city. And as noted in a New York Times story on the “Extreme Local” campaign, AT&T wants to promote offerings including its Yellow Pages mobile applications.
AT&T told the NYT that it’s hoping to find similar sponsorship opportunities in other major markets. Watch for more promotions that tie these themes together.
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