‘Click for Vic’ campaign supports local producers
In an effort to help out Victorian businesses doing it tough during the State’s second lockdown, the Victorian government has launched the Click for Vic campaign.
This $1.5 million campaign launched on Sunday, hopes to entice people to buy local and help out businesses that have had to close their doors and may not reopen after this lockdown ends.
Even though financial support is available, lockdown V2 is proving to be a lot harder for many businesses and could mean they shut permanently.
Stage 4 restrictions have meant numerous workplaces have had to entirely shut down, with many others operating at a heavily reduced capacity.
Throughout Victoria, restaurants have had to shut their doors to eat in diners and remain open with a takeaway service now in place.
In an effort to encourage Victorians to buy from each other and keep it local, Click for Vic campaign ads will be seen across the state’s television screens and heard through major radio stations.
They will also feature on digital and social media channels.
The Click for Vic website will gather and promote what Premier Daniel Andrews refers to as “quality offerings” of Victoria’s finest goods and produce including local produce, meals, alcohol and even music.
“Whilst many, many businesses are closed and Victorians are not in a position to be able to be out shopping other than for the absolute basics, there are so many outstanding products, so many outstanding small businesses for whom quality is the real key,” said Premier Andrews.
“And it’s only appropriate that we work as hard as we can to try and direct Victorians to those amazing Victorian businesses.”
Included in the campaign are a variety of restaurants, cafes, fashion brands and produce providers.
One partner is Providoor, which is a home delivery food service provided by some of Melbourne’s best restaurants. Another partner is Victorian Country Market, which delivers fresh produce.
Click for Vic will also include promotional videos from regional producers such as Gabrielle Moore of Sailors Grave Brewing in Orbost and Nathan Cowan of Billson’s Brewery in Beechworth.
Under this new initiative, Victorian agricultural online marketplaces will be able to apply for grants that would assist with the cost of registration fees and online marketing. They will also be able to apply for funding to cover the cost of freight, reducing delivery fees for their customers.
Daniel Andrews also said that the state’s business support fund that was launched during the crisis had so far approved in excess of 126,000 applications and paid out around $1.3 billion.
Michael O’Brien, the opposition leader has said that more support was needed for small businesses during these stage 3 and 4 restrictions.
“Small businesses are doing it tough at the moment,” O’Brien said.
“A website’s one thing, but the government should be putting its hand in its pocket to really support small business.”
Irit Jackson, 24th August 2020
