The term ‘localism’ describes the preference of consumers for supporting local brands and businesses over those further afield or even, in some cases, online.

With the rise of ethical consumption in recent years, and with the events of the last year or so leaving more of us feeling more reliant on our local resources, localism has seen a huge growth in popularity in recent times.

And it looks like this trend is only getting bigger.  

As we approach 2022, localism is continuing to transform the relationship between consumers and their favourite brands. 

To reap the benefits of this trend, brands must adapt to engage local audiences directly.

Here's why and how brands should adapt their marketing campaigns.

As far as the relatively new localism trend goes, here are the top 3 reasons why consumers are flocking to local businesses: ethical consumerism, supporting the local economy and shopping convenience.

According to a recent study, almost 95% of us believe that our personal actions can help in the fight against climate change.

One way that consumers are choosing to play their part is by limiting their carbon footprint. Even 3 years ago in 2018, one survey revealed that over half of us prefer to shop locally to support local businesses and decrease our carbon footprint.

Even businesses that don’t have the most sustainable businesses model are attractive to ethically conscious consumers living locally. 

Meanwhile, as the gap between classes increases, many of us are looking for ways to financially support local businesses.

And for those who prefer shopping in-person to digital shopping experiences, shopping locally is the perfect solution.

If these are the motivations of many consumers, how can brands use this information to attract local consumers?

Become familiar

When it comes to attracting consumers looking to buy locally, it isn’t enough to create regular ads and target them at local people.

Instead, advertisers need to consider connecting with local consumers by creating innovative marketing campaigns specifically tailored towards locals.

For example, Nike’s 2019 Media Lions Grand Prix-winning ‘Air Max Graffiti Stores’ took Brazil by storm several years ago.

Nike, a globally recognised brand, chose to meet the growing trend in localism head-on by connecting to the local culture.

By tapping into the local graffiti culture in Brazil and using geolocation, Nike created campaigns that were familiar to local audiences and made them feel included.

As a result, Nike was able to increase local sales by a significant 32% and increase their local social engagement by an encouraging 22%.

Despite being a global brand, Nike was able to connect with a specific group of people in a specific part of the world by adapting their campaigns to celebrate one aspect of Brazilian culture. In doing so, they were able to reap the benefits of localism!

Embrace local pride

Most people are very proud of where they are from, and rightly so.

By creating familiar campaigns that strike a chord with locals, brands (no matter their size) can win over local consumers.

To do this, what brands must remember is that what consumers are responding to isn’t just the familiarity of campaigns, it is the celebration of their culture.

Have you ever been won over by a campaign that celebrated your local culture?

To learn more about Localism in Marketing Campaigns, get in contact today.