MSNBC show captures live local campaign

There’s a new way to measure the success of Live Local Saturdays: national media attention. 

On Nov. 16 at 6:30 a.m. he Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce campaign will be featured on MSNBC’s Your Business, a show about small businesses and entrepreneurship, with footage filmed on Oct. 18.

The program is showcasing shop small and shop local initiatives around the country leading up to Small Business Saturday, which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. 

The producers hope segments like the one filmed in Mountain Brook will give other communities ideas about how to increase their small business traffic.

Mountain Brook in particular interested them for the network’s shop local coverage.

“It isn’t a traditional main street, so shopping is around villages,” MSNBC producer David Foster said. “They are more spread out, so people have to make an effort to have programming to come to those specific villages. What struck a chord with us is that the community is making a concerted effort to bring people to the area.”

Elizabeth Adams, who owns Ex Voto Vintage, said she noticed more people than normal in Mountain Brook Village on the day of filming. 

 “Even for people who weren’t interviewed, any exposure that benefits Mountain Brook Village benefits all of us,” she said.

While her store was being shot, Adams shared with Foster how in the past year two larger brands have contacted her about opening a local brick-and-mortar store. It’s part of a larger trend she has seen with high fashion brands starting their own retail stores in addition to selling within department stores.

“I couldn’t believe that they would call and ask my advice,” Adams said. “It’s encouraging for local businesses that even the big boys are wanting to go small. We are already doing it and have that edge.”

Foster took note of the Shop Local T-shirts and stickers he saw around Mountain Brook and caught footage of a Shop Local sign in Smith’s and a display of local items in the window of Lamb’s Ears.

Julie Howell, co-owner of Lamb’s Ears, said she saw the media attention as more important for Crestline Village than her store getting video footage. She talked on camera about what worked with the Mountain Brook Shop Local campaign that might work well for other cities. 

 “It has brought merchants together with a purpose to work toward,” Howell said. “When you shop local, you are supporting merchants but you are also supporting your community with tax dollars and merchants giving back to schools, clubs and events such as Crestline Rocks.”

While touring around Mountain Brook with Chamber Director Suzan Doidge and Project Manager Hannon Davidson, Foster and his camera crew ate at Tracy’s, Vino and Olexa’s.

Friday evening Elizabeth and Paul Allen hosted a reception for the MSNBC crew at their home in English Village. Many small business owners attended the event, and it was actually the first time that Olexa’s owner Diane Olexa met Continental Bakery owner Carole Griffin. Doidge said that after that evening, the chamber plans to host more gatherings for business owners to talk in the future. 

Doidge doesn’t know what parts of the hours of footage will  be featured in the several minutes of air time, but she already sees the impact of the show.

“It was a great opportunity to showcase small businesses in our community, and [Foster] felt that this was exactly what he was looking for to showcase,” Doidge said. 

The Your Business episode featuring Mountain Brook will air Sunday, Nov. 16 at 6:30 a.m. on MSNBC.