A Cheeky New Brand & Website For A Good Cause

Forge Creative worked with Rebekah Carter to create a strong memorable brand for her new business venture Try Local.

Rebekah’s background is in tourism marketing. Having worked for Millennium Hotels, AJ Hackett’s and Destination Queenstown, she could see there was a need for a cost effective way for cash strapped tourism and hospitality businesses to market themselves to the domestic market.

So Rebekah hit upon the idea of Try Local. A web based platform that allows New Zealanders to easily find deals from local businesses. With a focus on the three key aspects of any good holiday - Eat, Sleep, and Play.

While the idea came about from a desire to help, and that remains a focus of the business, the brand personality is all about having fun. It’s a little bit cheeky, and definitely very Kiwi. This is brought to life in the font choices, the bright colour pallet, the tone and manner of the copy, and the mascot. He’s cheeky, adventure seeking Kiwi who makes appearances throughout the site. Forge have worked hard to create a brand that’s relevant now, and will still resonate in the future, when the borders are open and the industry is humming again.

There’s a real positive optimistic feel to the site. The design’s clean and uncluttered. Users can browse deals by the categories Eat Play and Sleep, or by location. Allowing them to easily find the deals that are relevant for them.

The business model is all about providing value. Value for Kiwis, helping them find the deals they want. And value for the businesses too. With a free 4 month trial period that covers both the September/October school holidays and the Summer Holidays, it’s a no brainer for local businesses to load their deals and make the most of it. And unlike some other platforms, there’s no vouchers or commissions. The users buy deals directly from the advertisers, maximising margins for the businesses involved. With a low monthly subscription after the free trial is up it makes sense for businesses long term as well.

Try Local’s fundamentally a place for businesses to tell people about the deals they’re already offering. There’s no pressure on advertisers to drop their margins to unprofitable levels to get them on the site. Nor is there a greedy middle man taking all the profit. This gives it a real feel good factor. New Zealanders can use Try local, and know that every dollar they spend is going straight into the pockets of the businesses they are buying from. Truly a case of Kiwis helping Kiwis.

Whether you’re planning a holiday or just looking for things to do in your own town, Try Local is the easy way for Kiwis to find their next adventure.

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