Promoting local businesses
From cinema ads to billboards in the local streets, the Gladstone Chamber of Commerce and Industry is helping businesses promote themselves in the community. Discover how Shell’s support of this initiative has helped family-run Oakcrest Electrical grow their business in this region of Queensland.
Shell’s commitment to regional economic development is focused on supporting businesses in communities. So, when the Gladstone Chamber of Commerce and Industry wanted to expand its successful Buy Local Campaign, Shell was keen to help. Read on to hear how it’s benefiting locals in this tight-knit community.
Small business on the big screen
One of the ways Shell’s support of the Buy Local campaign is boosting Gladstone’s small businesses is by helping them advertise. Businesses like Taylor and Matt Druitt’s Oakcrest Electrical have been able to affordably promote their businesses through cinema advertising, digital billboards, print media and social media. Sam Devers, President of the Chamber of Commerce, said the campaign is an important reminder to locals of the great businesses in town. “It keeps money in our community and in the region,” Sam says.
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Read the transcript
Read the transcript
Title: Promoting local businesses in Gladstone | The power of local community
Duration: 2 minutes and 40 seconds
Description:
From cinema ads to billboards in the local streets, the Gladstone Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is helping businesses promote themselves in the community. Discover how Shell’s support of this initiative has helped family-run Oakcrest Electrical grow their business in this region of Queensland.
Buy Local Transcript
(MUSIC PLAYS)
DESCRIPTION:
The sun rises behind distant hills, painting a stretch of clouds above and the still waters around a large marina with golden light.
Elsewhere, the burgundy seed heads of some long grass bobs in the wind.
Two people walk along the waterfront in the morning light.
A pale yellow building has a red-tiled roof and a small clock tower mounted above. Lettering on the front of the building reads ‘The Old Gladstone Post Office’. An Australian flag sways lazily out front in the breeze.
A bridge rises over a river that bends around a small township.
TEXT: Gladstone, Queensland
TAYLOR DRUITT:
We love Gladstone. It's a growing town, so there's always new exciting things coming to the region. We're starting to get more shows, more festivals.
DESCRIPTION:
Inside a large shed-type building, a woman and a man sit at a large bench with large white coffee mugs. The woman, Taylor, has long red hair and wears a black t-shirt. The man, Matt, has short dark-brown curly hair and wears a grey long-sleeved shirt.
TEXT: Taylor and Matt Druitt – Buy Local participants, Oakcrest Electrical
MATT DRUITT:
More shops.
TAYLOR DRUITT:
More shops. It's all happening. There's a real community within the business owners. I know that we are quite tight-knit and we always catch up with other businesses.
DESCRIPTION:
A workshop garage door slowly opens.
A man walks towards it across the polished concrete floor of the workshop.
TAYLOR DRUITT:
We're always on the phone to them. If we can't help them, we refer them to someone who we know that can help them.
DESCRIPTION:
Inside a cinema, a woman sits in one of the padded armchair-style seats. She has short grey hair and wears a navy-blue polo shirt.
TEXT: Sam Devers – President, Gladstone Chamber of Commerce
SAM DEVERS:
It's a good small community, and we do try and keep Gladstone then buying local.
DESCRIPTION:
Sam walks down the footpath outside a row of retail shops. A sign on a bus stop bench reads ‘Gladstone QLD’.
SAM DEVERS:
Buy Local is about encouraging everybody to go local first before you look online or from the bigger chains.
DESCRIPTION:
A man and a woman stop to allow their dogs to say hello as they walk along the waterfront. A large ship is moored out in the waters beyond.
A montage of the various features and locations of Gladstone.
SAM DEVERS:
So, about trying to make sure that we make people aware that there are the goods and services in town that they can buy from. And it keeps money in our community and in our region.
DESCRIPTION:
Inside a workshop, Matt unwraps some plastic around a package. He unboxes a fluorescent strip light from inside and wires it up.
Matt walks with Taylor through their workshop.
Later, they walk down enter a cinema and sit down in the padded armchair seats.
SAM DEVERS:
Shell has been a major supporter of our Buy Local campaign. Giving smaller businesses a chance to showcase themselves and be advertised in the local cinemas, on digital billboards and in print media as well as on socials. So, it gave them an opportunity to advertise in a way that they wouldn't normally have been able to do so.
DESCRIPTION:
Taylor and Matt watch an ad on the cinema screen. Large white letters read ‘Why is it important to support & buy local?’
Later, they stand arm in arm outside the front entrance to ‘Oakcrest Electrical’.
TAYLOR DRUITT:
Found out about Buy Local through the Gladstone Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They let us know about it and what it was all about, which is something that aligned with our values.
DESCRIPTION:
On a white background, black lettering reads ‘GCCI – Buy Local – Gladstone Chamber of Commerce & Industry – Proudly sponsored by – ‘ Below, various logos for ‘Gladstone Regional Council’; ‘Shell QGC’; Gladstone Industry Leadership Group’; ‘Bishopp’; ‘Gladstone Today’; and ‘Gladstone Cinemas’.
MATT DRUITT:
The community actually sees the big industries, they're here to help out.
DESCRIPTION:
Taylor and Matt at work and standing outside their premises.
DESCRIPTION:
Sam sits in the cinema with a grey-haired man. The ad for Buy Local runs on the screen and Taylor and Matt sit a few rows in front of them.
SAM DEVERS:
People love seeing themselves on the big screen. We've had a really great uptake from this Buy Local campaign. It's something that small businesses don't get the opportunity to do unless they've got a good marketing budget. Being able to have that support from Shell and the Chamber of Commerce to be able to offer these sort of services at an affordable price for small businesses has been invaluable.
TAYLOR DRUITT:
Yeah, we were very excited to see the finished product and see it out in community.
MATT DRUITT:
And also, happy to know other, other companies like us were doing the exact same thing.
TAYLOR DRUITT:
Yeah. If one business does well, every other business does well as well. It all works in conjunction. Yeah.
MATT DRUITT:
All boats rise in high tide.
(LAUGHTER)
(MUSIC PLAYS)
DESCRIPTION:
The sun rises on an aerial view of the marina and the still waters dotted with boats. The yellow and red Shell logo. White text below reads ‘The power of local community’.
(END OF RECORDING)
Opportunities in a growing region
While Taylor and Matt Druitt grow their business, they want other small businesses in the community to thrive as well. “There’s a real community within the business owners – we are quite tight-knit, and we always catch up with other businesses.” They are firm believers that members of Gladstone’s business community can share in each others’ success and contribute to the prosperity of the region. They reflect on how Shell’s involvement in the region provided a boost. “The community actually sees the big industries are here to help the little guys out,” Matt says.
More eyes on local businesses
With the support of Shell and other sponsors, the Buy Local Campaign has grown to support more than 35 businesses around the region that manufacture and source goods locally and employ and upskill locals.
Gladstone is home to many Shell employees and their families, and we’re committed to ensuring our presence benefits everyone, especially small businesses. Supporting campaigns such as Buy Local is one of the many ways we’re ensuring the Gladstone community has vibrant and thriving small businesses well into the future and encouraging residents to spend locally.
