PLEASANTVILLE KICKS OFF MERCHANT SUPPORT CAMPAIGN

PLEASANTVILLE KICKS OFF MERCHANT SUPPORT CAMPAIGN  (downloadable PDF)

News Release: February 3, 2009
Media Contact: Roger B. Tees, Director Economic and Industrial Development

Pleasantville Kicks Off  Merchants Support Campaign

Pleasantville City residents will soon be reminded of their important role in sustaining the local economy during the national recession. Every household will receive a series of direct mail postcards promoting local businesses and a campaign to think “Pleasantville First” when making consumer decisions.

The six oversized postcards to be mailed by the Pleasantville Urban Enterprise Zone over  four months gives each household a chance to win a valuable prize to encourage their participation, according to Mayor Jesse L. Tweedle, Sr. “We want to sustain our local businesses during this difficult economic period and it starts with residents spending their consumer dollars in town.”

The theme of the Merchant Support Marketing Campaign is, “What do you need? Find it in Pleasantville”.
Each mailer promotes a different sector of the local business community such as food and dining, retail sales, professional services, construction services, business to business and wellness and health services, explained Benjamin T. Griffith, chairman of the Pleasantville Urban Enterprise Zone’s Marketing Advisory Committee.

“The UEZ program is investing thousands of dollars from our Zone Assistance Fund into marketing and promoting our local business members to remind the public of the shopping opportunities and other services that can be purchased in Pleasantville,” said Griffith. The free gifts are incentives to residents to visit the city’s web site and to be more involved in supporting the local businesses.” No purchase is required and special codes to register for the random drawings are printed on the mailers.

“The City wants to provide our UEZ resources to support the companies that have made a commitment to hire local residents, to serve the community and to sustain their businesses during these troubling economic times,” said Mayor Tweedle. “This gives us the opportunity to maintain our local economic base, which is in everyone’s best interest.”
During the holiday shopping period last November and December, the Pleasantville UEZ invested $34,600 in print and broadcast advertising to promote the city’s retail merchants. A list of all UEZ member businesses is found on the official web site, www. PleasantvilleUEZ.com.

The Merchant Support campaign budget is $80,000 including the mailers and supporting print ads in local newspapers. The UEZ has also purchased space on an eastbound Atlantic City Expressway billboard near Exit 5, which connects to New Road (Route 9) in Pleasantville.
UEZ Zone Assistance Funds are realized from the state sales tax revenue collected by member businesses. Consumers pay only half of the sales tax rate on the purchase of eligible goods and products at Pleasantville UEZ member retailers.

The next phase of the UEZ economic development campaign will target those businesses in the city that have not yet joined the UEZ program, said marketing chairman Griffith. “The state tax incentives and local benefits can only help a business grow when they are members of this unique state program.”
The free gifts, two of each, are iPod nanos, Sony digital cameras and American Express gift cards. They are all valued at $150 each. Conditions for eligibility are printed on the mailers.

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