Calgary Dollars Marketing Plan Generously supported by the Calgary Foundation TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Program Overview Currency & Value Community Economic Development Business Development Being Local Sustainably Minded Vision & Values Internal & External Resources Competition & Global Comparisons Section 2: Target Market Branding Customer Profiles Section 3: Marketing Materials Print Website Mobile App Surveys Section 4: Promotional and Digital Strategy Customer Group: Advocate Customer Group: Mom-and-pop businesses Customer Group: Large Corporations Section 5: Value Propositions and Slogan, Message Main Message Sub-Value Proposition Messages Section 6: Budget Section 8: Endnotes Barriers to using C$ Evaluating Feedback Section 9: Summary of Recommendations Section 10: Appendices/References/Hashtagging 2 Section 1: Program Overview WHAT IS CALGARY DOLLARS? Since 1972, Arusha, a non-profit organization, has worked to build communities that are more socially just, economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable through various programs such as Calgary Dollars (C$). C$ is a complementary currency system that is local and has been bringing Calgarians together since 1995 to strengthen the local economy and build community. The organization believes that a community’s true wealth lies in the skills, talents and capabilities of its members, and that every single person has something of value to offer to their neighbours. C$ acts as a platform for locals to trade products and services that encourages neighbourly sentiment and enriches transactional experiences. CURRENCY & VALUE A complementary currency does not replace the federal currency; it compliments it by supporting local resiliency and strengthening local business purchasing power. Some examples include: Timebank hours, barter exchange and scrip currency. Calgary Dollars is a scrip currency; it has a paper money system in note denominations of $1, $5, $10, $25, $50. The value of one Calgary Dollar equals one federal dollar. COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Calgary Dollars is a community economic development program that utilizes a complementary currency to strengthen participants’ ability to withstand social and economic crises, create a local system of exchange, and create a better sense of community. Participants earn both Calgary Dollars and the federal currency through online and print listings, marketing assistance and skills building, and by marketing goods and services at monthly Calgary Dollar Markets. 3 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Calgary Dollars is also a development opportunity for businesses to engage in the ever-growing ‘green economy’, stimulate business growth, develop customer loyalty, and offer your network sustainably minded incentives and perks. From established store-front businesses, the City of Calgary, to social enterprise efforts and home-based businesses, Calgary Dollars offers a means for your business to complement your strategies to create more opportunities. BEING LOCAL At the heart of Calgary Dollars is re-localization – the money you spend with Calgary Dollars stays with local businesses and stimulates the local economy, instead of the money leaving Calgary to other cities or countries. When we localize we refocus globalism to localism, minimizing global impacts in countries struggling to maintain their own local resources, and boosting local business support, which enhances neighbourhoods and communities to support each other. SUSTAINABLY MINDED Calgary Dollars is committed to a socially just and environmentally sustainable world. By joining Calgary Dollars you invest in community prosperity by reducing waste and increasing jobs and skill training. VISION AND VALUES Calgarians are rich with skills and resources, we can help ourselves by helping our neighbours, businesses and the environment. Use Calgary Dollars and earn digital rewards. You’ll feel good knowing that when you buy and sell in full or partial Calgary Dollars you’re generating more community, economic, and environmental benefits. Calgary Dollars is both a digital and printed complementary currency and is a collaboration between individuals, local businesses, agencies and 4 government to create a richer city. 1. Keep your money in Calgary, and with your neighbourhood businesses, to build economic and social capital in the place you live. 2. Reduce carbon emissions by trading locally, reusing, and reducing transportation impacts. 3. Join an expanding Calgary network wanting to make a difference. OrganiZational Resources Internal resources: The majority of human resources are summer interns so it is important to note the turnover in staff every year will need to be considered when implementing the marketing plan. As such, in future years, it is suggested that interns be vetted partly based on their marketing abilities and interest in marketing as all of the positions are expected to post to social media for their program and engage in building brand awareness. Current staff members and their roles are: ● Mina: summer resource worker: video editor, grants, ● Theresa: summer practicum C$ user support and events ● Hunter: summer C$ special events ● Natalie: summer C$ user support, affordable housing outreach. ● Sierra: C$ manager, ongoing ● Gerald: all programs ● Jared: C$ multicultural events, grants External Resources: C$ relies on various grants and support from other organizations to operate its program. The grants and organizations include (further information can be found in the appendix): ● The Calgary Foundation 5 ● City of Calgary ● FCSS Competition & Global Comparisons ● Federal currency ● Barter networks: Sabretech, Barter Card, Exmerce ● Business associations: REAP business network, Chamber of Commerce ● RewarD networks: customer loyalty cards, credit card rewards, ● Complementary currency: Saltspring Dollars, Cochrane Dollars, Bristol Pound, SPICE, Time Dollars, QOIN, Furrei Kippu, New Zealand social security currency, Alberta prosperity Certificate. Section 2: Target Market C$ is a muti-facited marketplace that appeals to business-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B), and consumer-to-consumer (C2C) which will require a different marketing strategy for each user group. However, the marketing plan intends to leverage each of the user groups to build up the marketplace through a co-marketing strategy that is facilitated by C$. Branding C$ has an opportunity to be known for community building and local business promotion. One user has described C$ as a “Kijiji where everyone knows everyone”. Instead of a faceless and meaningless exchange of goods and services, C$ seeks to be the platform that connects Calgarians through enriching transactions that benefits Calgary communities. Users of C$ will be making a ‘support local’ statement of values. By opting into and exchanging goods and services using C$ it becomes a testament to the importance of supporting the local economy. C$ is a tribal mark for Calgarians. It signifies banding together the city of Calgary. 6 The colour scheme of the logo captures the colours typically associated with the city of Calgary which are red and black. These are the colours of Calgary’s major sports teams and red is the colour of the Peace Bridge and Calgary tower which are both significant Calgary landmarks. By using these colours it helps to support the image of ‘banding together Calgary communities’. Master Logo with slogan: Wordmark: Customer Profiles Primary Focus: The goal of each of the Primary Focus customer profiles is to create a micro-ecosystem of users that will have the most likely uptake and benefits from C$. The Advocate The advocate is a socially-minded person who cares deeply about poverty reduction and community relationship building. They aspire to be a part of systems and structural change that is transformative rather than charity. They are involved with community organizations either as board members, event organizers or sponsors, or work for the city as a community social worker that weaves together the fabric of society by creating bridges of communication and information sharing. 7 It is recommended that Calgary Dollars focus its attention on the Community Social Workers (CSW) in Calgary. This group aims to improve five key areas of community economic development (CED) within the city which are financial empowerment, employability, economic capacity, policy & systems, and local business & social enterprise. CSWs are actively looking for tools to enhance their abilities to meet these CED initiatives. They are a group with limited expertise in economic development and are eager to learn new ways to make big impact (link to CED initiatives: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B- XLW252ZxOBYmwtWG03R3hpSkxiUHVWT0hVYkJkYnN6QWcw) CSWs day-to-day activities include meeting and engaging with small, locally-owned business owners, working with community associations and community centres to develop neighborhood programs, and hosting CED roundtables with neighborhood coordinators. For further information on CSW activities see here: https://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/CNS/Pages/Strong- Neighbourhoods/Strong-Neighbourhoods.aspx Locally-owned Independent Businesses The mom-and-pop shops of Calgary are small, locally-owned independent businesses that believe in “business for good”. Its operations are not just about making a profit, it uses its business as a means for building community, arts, and culture. These businesses are challenged by the influx of big box stores and online retailers and therefore seek ways to showcase its uniqueness