Arcadia Strong Video to Support Local Businesses During COVID-19 Wins Telly Award
Arcadia, Calif —The announcement of winners for the prestigious 43rd Annual Telly Awards, showcasing the best of television and video content across all screens, included the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce’s creative video for Arcadia Strong. This presentation, co-produced by the Chamber and Christine Zito, Chamber member and owner of Pure Media Marketing, was created to address struggles of local businesses during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The video beat out top-tier brands to snag a Silver Telly in the category of Promotional Video-Cause Marketing.
The Arcadia Chamber prides itself on being a local business support structure, and on being the place to network and market towards overall business growth. COVID-19 stay-at-home orders caused business owners and members to cut expenses to simply remain in business, and Chamber membership was often one of the first areas cut. This in turn eliminated an essential source for online marketing, and networking, which went virtual during the pandemic.
Creative co-producers of the video, CEO Karen MacNair and Director of Operations Carrie Lynn Barker noticed the struggles.
“Some businesses canceled memberships, while others shut down operations, and some even moved out of state,” recalls MacNair.
In response to this, the Arcadia Chamber created the Arcadia Strong campaign, a website selling Arcadia Strong merchandise and allowing web visitors to donate money towards grants to cover membership fees for up to a year.
“The business-in-need wouldn’t accrue the costs of being part of the Chamber, but they could still stay on and reap the benefits of Chamber membership,” MacNair continued.
The Arcadia Chamber collaborated with Christine Zito on the concept.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by people in my industry and by the Tellys,” Zito stated. “I love the Arcadia Chamber and the dream Karen has for it, so winning this award with the Chamber was important. I have deep respect for Karen and Carrie and their creative insight.”
The plan developed quickly to kick off fundraising to help renewing members in need stay active in the Arcadia Chamber, keeping Chamber members connected.
Zito, with more than 20 years of award-winning production experience in television, radio, and video, created the opening audio montage for Arcadia Strong, showing business owners describing their needs in unknown times. This led to visuals of Karen MacNair, wearing a shirt labeled ‘Arcadia Strong,’ speaking from her front porch to introduce the campaign.
Visuals of local businesses, including the Derby Restaurant, Margit Holakoui Florist, and 1A Fitness, and Arcadia City Council member April Verlato were interspersed with MacNair’s remarks, recognizing the needed support in the community. Viewers were introduced to Arcadia Strong.com to purchase merchandise and make donations to Arcadia Strong.
The video raised over $7,000, supported over 100 local businesses, and fostered the strong community spirit the Chamber continuously promotes. The campaign is still raising funds to assist Chamber members who still feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to this day, as the Arcadia Chamber knows the effects on local businesses will take months, if not years, to heal.
Now, more than two years later, MacNair says the Chamber, like most of their members, is rebuilding. With the added excitement of winning the Silver Telly Award for Cause Marketing, the Chamber is planning another promotional video for a new phase of Arcadia Strong, to strengthen the local economy and continue to assist new and renewing Chamber members. The goal is to raise another $5,000 in support of local business.
Visit www.ArcadiaStrong.com to purchase Arcadia Strong merch or make a donation. All funds from Arcadia Strong go directly to membership for both renewing and new Chamber members.
For more info on the Arcadia Chamber’s Telly Award visit Arcadia Strong (tellyawards.com).
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FOR INTERVIEWS CONTACT:
Karen MacNair, CEO, Arcadia Chamber – Karen@ArcadiaCaChamber.org
Carrie Lynn Barker, Director of Operations – Carrie@ArcadiaCaChamber.org
Christine Zito, Pure Marketing Media – Christine@PureMediaMarketing.com
Please click here to read this information on the Arcadia Strong Telly Award in PDF