Business group hoping for heightened awareness with new video
The business association SWWABL (Southwest Washington Association Business Leaders) unveiled a new phase of its grassroots “buy local” campaign this week, with an eight-minute testimonial video featuring local business professionals and community leaders.
The video begins with a simple, straight-to-the-point question: Do we get it?
“It’s a question posted to the community,” said SWWABL member and Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce CEO Kelly Parker. “It’s not meant to be in your face or anything. It’s just asking do we get it that every dollar we spend down in Oregon doesn’t come back to benefit folks here in Washington?”
The state of Washington loses approximately $915 million in annual sales to Oregon, boiling down to roughly $75 million in state taxes, according to Parker. Those facts, she said, are what the SWWABL video hopes to drive home.
“We provide a few basic facts, and hope to move us as a community to the statement, ‘we get it,’” said Parker. “Getting it is especially crucial in this economy when every dollar counts.”
Lloyd Tyler, chief financial officer for the city of Vancouver, makes a short appearance in the video to help provide a few of those facts.
“If individuals shopped here in Southwest Washington, specifically in Vancouver… we would have an additional $10 million to do things that we can’t currently do,” Tyler says in the video.
Local business owners and representatives that appear in the SWWABL video include: Mark Matthias, Beaches Restaurant; Mary Sisson, Kazoodles Toy Store; Jody Maxwell, Enchanted Gift Shop & Tea Room; Matthew D. Todd, Entek Corporation; Art McCallam, Shell/Fisher’s Landing & Camas; Julia Maglione, Alpha Graphics; Allen Anderson, The Fudge Fix; Eric Witcraft, Flowers Washougal; Victoria Bradford, Comfort Interiors; Linda Glover, Divine Consign; Tom Craig, Sparks Home Furnishings; Erik Runyan, Erik Runyan Jewelers; Alex McMillan, ALX Fitness.
Parker said the SWWABL has asked local cable stations to air the video, such as Clark-Vancouver Television (CVTV). In addition, she said the group will look for public venues to showcase the video to area residents.
“It’s one more teaching tool,” she said.
You can watch the Southwest Washington Association Business Leaders’ video in full on our website.
