Pepper Place, a vibrant shopping and dining destination in downtown Birmingham, sought to refresh its holiday marketing strategy. Traditionally, efforts included a printed gift guide and a large shopping event, but both proved costly and less effective over time. To address this, I proposed an all-digital "Be Local, Shop Local," campaign reallocating the budget toward influencer marketing, paid social media ads, and targeted email campaigns.


ClientPepper PlaceServicesMarketing Strategy, Content CreationObjectiveIncrease holiday traffic while reducing marketing costs

From Print to Pixels: A Dynamic Digital Gift Guide

Instead of producing a physical guide, we created a dynamic digital version, which allowed for greater flexibility in promoting various shops and restaurants. This pivot not only reduced production costs but also expanded our reach through social media and newsletters.

Targeted Influence: Reaching Shoppers Where They Are

We partnered with two local influencers—Prashant Yay, known for his connection with young, trendy audiences, and Heather Brown, whose large following reaches millennial mothers. Their content resonated with distinct segments of our target market, driving higher engagement. We also used the reallocated budget to boost social media ads, further amplifying our reach.

Staying Top-of-Mind: Boosting Engagement with Frequent Newsletters

To maintain consistent engagement, we increased the frequency of Pepper Place newsletters over six weeks. Each newsletter focused on holiday shopping and dining options, keeping Pepper Place top-of-mind for local shoppers.

View A Sample Newsletter

Result highlights

The campaign delivered significant results, with social media engagement and followers growing across all channels. Placer AI reported a 10% increase in foot traffic from November to December compared to the previous year, demonstrating the effectiveness of the “Be Local, Shop Local” digital campaign in driving visitors to local businesses.


227%

↑ in website visits

168%

↑ in content interactions

47%

↑ in followers

10%

↑ in foot traffic

Data from Meta & Placer AI