When a local business owner and lifetime Blue Springs resident approached the new executive director of the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce to help tackle a new ‘buy local’ program, the sparks quickly began to fly.

The result was the formation of a Buy Blue Springs campaign and formation of a local task force.

Mark Whitlow, owner of K&M Office Products and chair of the Buy Blue Springs Committee, said over a period of time he had thought of different programs that may stimulate the Blue Springs economy and help keep more dollars within the city limits.

“I came up with it through my industry trade magazine,” said Whitlow, a 15-year business owner and lifelong resident. “There are communities throughout the country doing this and I thought I would start to look around locally and see what was going on locally and there really wasn’t something of this scale.”

Through its committee and with the help of a local marketing company, Ad Trends Advertising, Buy Blue Springs soon had a mission, logo, slogan and even a Web site: http://www.buybluesprings.com

“Buy Blue Springs. Because Next Door Means More” is the official slogan for the campaign. The task force came up with four goals, including partnering with local merchants, educating the community, establishing a buy local rewards program and bringing members of the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce. Continued at: http://www.bluespringsjournal.com/home/story/22937.html

Labels: adtrends, marketing