Local Business Owners Launch Digital Campaign

May 4, 2020

The digital campaign #ChooseBDA was launched on Sunday May 3rd on Instagram and Facebook as an effort by a small group of business owners to “help bring awareness to the major impact local small businesses has on the island’s overall economy.”

“These founding business owners hail from different sectors of the economy [retail, service, hospitality, banking, etc.] and collectively saw the need for a conversation about a change in mindset from the consumers to the local business and all of Bermuda’s stakeholders,” a spokesperson said.

Danielle Paynter from The Nab App notes, “The residents of Bermuda have so much power to protect and grow the Bermudian economy just by making a conscious decision to support local businesses. And, with the impact to our tourism industry, the strength in our numbers matters more than ever.

“With an estimated $180m dollars lost revenue from cruise and air travel [Economic blow from cruise and air hits $180m, Royal Gazette, Scott Neil, April 29, 2020], and the other negative financial knock on effects the COVID-19 pandemic will bring, Bermuda’s economy will take time to recover, but with changes in mindsets and behaviors, the hope and foundation of #chooseBDA is to help expedite that process.

ChooseBDA May 2020

“While these uncertain times have been distressing to many local business owners, new opportunities have arisen and by adapting to an online platform we can provide better services, allowing us to truly step up our game for our customers.” says Joanna Stapff from 1609 Design who has transitioned her business from a bricks and mortar store to online in a matter of days.

In order to spread this inclusive message, the founding group of #chooseBDA contacted their various networks of small business owners from all sectors with the request to adapt their profile photo to include a uniform upsidedown triangle and to post a pre-designed #chooseBDA image. Over the course of the day, over 150 businesses followed suit.

“This was an incredible showcase of solidarity and goes to show how much we all truly want to support one another,” notes Laura Farge-Lowe from Island Trading. While the campaign launched on Sunday, the plan is for individuals and businesses to continue to adapt their profile photo and help share #chooseBDA messages and content.

The spokesperson added, “As efforts continue to protect Bermuda’s people from this global pandemic, #chooseBDA aims to educate fellow residents about the impact of local businesses, encourage businesses to take on new challenges and present great offers and services to consumers, and inspire action to create the future we want to build for ourselves, our family and our island.

“To contact #chooseBDA, email: choosebda@gmail.com or visit their IG or FB Page #chooseBDA.”

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  1. Sick and tired says:

    For some of you businesses you have had 4-6 weeks to update or get a website going. For those of you that have a website, please put picture, description, and price. If I go onto your website and this info is not there, and you want me to email or call for price, I will move on. And if I can’t find this info on any other website here, I will go overseas. So if you want us to support you, do what you need to do to keep the money here. I have left messages on some phones for a call back about an item and 2 weeks later still have not had a return call. These are the companies I stay away from.