Main street of Yarram – visit website
Last week I was lucky enough to travel to the small town of Yarram which is approximately 3 hours south of Melbourne in Gippsland. My impressions of the town was that it was a really energised and interesting place. I was surprised that a population of just 2,100 was creating such a buzz. I then met Julie Nethercote who is part of a business group could YES [Yarram Economic Strategy] Group and discovered a great marketing campaign that was undertaken by the YES group to reduce the number of empty businesses and houses for sale in the area. This explained the buzz.
Target:
Reduce the number of houses and businesses for sale in the area
Results:
There were 400 houses for sale in the area, now there are only 80 for sale.
Method:
1. Positive Approach
The Can Do attitude of organisers clearly paid off and has made a lasting impact on the mind set of locals. All the businesses I met had a can do and energised demeanour.
2. Social Media
The local high school students put together a video posted on You Tube encouraging people to come and visit Yarram.
3. Web Page
A specific website was set up with a registration form.
4. Broader Media
A television crew were invited to come to the open day, they did and covered the story.
