The goal of the “10 to 20 Project” is to not scold people for not shopping in community. Rather, it’s more about thinking about what you can buy at home first, before travelling out of the county.
“It’s not saying spend all of your money in Queens. It’s unreasonable, and it’s not going to happen,” says Region of Queens economic development officer Phaedra Charlton-Huskins.
The figures tell an interesting picture of what just 10 per cent of a shopper’s spending dollar would be. By averaging the family income for residents of Queens County, an increase of 10 per cent would add $20 million to the local economy.
The 10-20 initiative is a being done by three way partnership, between the Region of Queens, the South Queens Chamber of Commerce and the North Queens Board of Trade.
The initiative won’t fade with Christmas however. The plan is to punctuate each season with a slogan and posters.
For this Christmas, the theme is “Put $20 million under the tree this season”. As other holidays approach, other slogans will be posted, all with the 10-20 theme in mind.
“The hope is the (message) will get people shifted in their way of thinking, and be soft enough to be more attractive,” says Charlton-Huskings.
All of the 10-20 logo and artwork is provided for free to any business that would like to use it. Charlton-Huskins says they turn it into advertising, use it in promotions, or just generally promote shopping at home.
“The hope is to keep it as grassroots as possible,” says Charlton-Huskins
The campaign will launch at 7p.m. on Nov. 18, at South Shore Opportunities on the waterfront. The evening will have a presentation on general marketing principles, a workshop period to explore how these principles can work in Queens County, and the official launch of the 10 to 20 project. The event is hosted by the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, but is open to any business and is free of charge.
To RSVP for the evening, contact the SQCC at secretary@southqueenschamber.com
