Media Release, for immediate release, Monday 27 February

New Campaign Launches to Support Christchurch Businesses
Cantabrians being urged to Get Into Christchurch

A campaign is underway to drive business growth by encouraging Cantabrians to rediscover and get into their city.

The Get Into It Christchurch campaign is being run by Recover Canterbury and aims to drive consumers to make a concise choice to support local businesses.

Recover Canterbury Communications Manager Pip Tschudin says the campaign came about as a result of direct feedback from businesses about how they need help to reconnect with their customers and community.

Of the businesses that have contacted Recover Canterbury for assistance since October 2011, 46% have cited marketing as a key issue facing the business.

“It became apparent to us that as well as individual support Christchurch businesses also needed a wider campaign to highlight the need for local business support and to communicate to the Christchurch public that our business sector has evolved over the last year and is ripe to be rediscovered,” says Mrs Tschudin.

Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Peter Townsend says our business community has experienced pain over the last year, but the gain is just around the corner

“We have a huge rebuild ahead of us, with about $30 billion being invested here over the coming years. We want to see as many businesses as possible remain in Christchurch to reap the benefits of that. That means we, as a community, all need to support our businesses while they get over the final few hurdles ahead” says Mr Townsend.

The Get Into It Christchurch campaign is supported by The Press and More FM, which are both running public promotions as part of the campaign, while also offering discounted advertising packages to local businesses for the duration of the campaign. Recover Canterbury is also offering specialist marketing support to businesses that need help developing a successful marketing campaign specific to their business.

“The Get Into It Christchurch campaign provides a platform on which businesses can promote themselves while also appealing to the public to get into their city again, as by supporting our city’s business community they’ll be supporting the city’s economic future.

“We are so humbled by the support we have had for this campaign. As well as having the city’s media heavyweights behind it we have also had marketing consultants, business coaches and organisations such as Rebuild Christchurch offering free support for the campaign, which goes to show just how passionate people are about seeing the Christchurch business community not only survive, but really thrive,” says Mrs Tschudin.

The Get Into It Christchurch campaign is running until 1 April. Cantabrians can follow the campaign on www.facebook.com/GetIntoItChristchurch.

ENDS

About Recover Canterbury

Recover Canterbury was established after the Christchurch earthquakes to accelerate business recovery and prepare businesses for future growth. It is a collaboration between the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and the Canterbury Development Corporation, along with various government agencies involved in business support.

Recover Canterbury offers a wide range of services and resources to help businesses recover and revive, including advice, training and mentoring, referrals to professional services, assistance with business issues such as raising capital and access to the financial assistance provided through the Canterbury Business Recovery Trust.

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