Big Frog Shop Local Campaign Launched to Spotlight Small Businesses

The Big Frog Shop Local campaign, which runs through the end of June, gives community members the opportunity to nominate their favorite local businesses for a chance to win branded gear for their team.

Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More is on a mission to support local businesses while debunking the myth that franchise owners aren’t small business owners. The “Shop Local” campaign will give community members a chance to nominate their favorite local businesses for free branded swag, such as uniforms and team gear. Once someone has nominated a local business through the Big Frog website, the local store owner randomly chooses a business, visits them and gives them their new gear.

“One of the things that I have found over the years is that people don’t think of franchises as locally owned and operated and members of their community,” said Tina Bacon-DeFrece, PhD, president and co-founder of Big Frog. “So what we really wanted to do is drive home that we’re local. We want to make sure that the community knows our owners are there supporting them locally and that we support local businesses with branding and fundraising.”

Big Frog owners will also be able to bring two or three clients of their own choosing that they want to promote. Bacon-DeFrece will be doing livestreamed interviews with the owners to give them a chance to spotlight their business. 

“It’s a nice little way to show appreciation for their business,” Bacon-DeFrece said. “Our goal is to drive awareness for them. We plan on clipping parts of those interviews for social media and giving the businesses a version they can share, too. It’s like a local business lovefest, just showing appreciation for each other.”

“As a small business owner myself, I’m excited to be able to support fellow entrepreneurs in my community,” said Diane Kass, owner of Big Frog of Woodbury, Minnesota, who is participating in the Shop Local campaign. “It’s also incredibly meaningful to see how the Big Frog leadership team has not only empowered us to give back to our community but become active participants in the effort, themselves.”

Nominations can be submitted for multiple businesses and once someone submits a nomination they can even come into their local business for a free Big Frog “Shop Local” T-shirt. The campaign is running from now through the end of June.

How the Campaign Reflects Big Frog’s Mission

The “Shop Local” campaign reflects Big Frog’s focus on getting franchisees involved in their local communities and giving back. Franchisees have a unique opportunity that people in corporate roles don’t always get, and that’s to interact with community members such as the mayor or local chamber of commerce. They also have the opportunity for fundraising and making a difference. 

“We’re giving away free items to people to help promote their business and help them be more successful,” Bacon-DeFrece said. “That community interaction is one of the best things about our model, making an impact even with something as simple as a T-shirt.”

The campaign is a win-win for the local businesses nominated and Big Frog franchise owners. It will give Big Frog more recognition in local markets across the country as it works toward becoming a household name. Big Frog encourages franchise owners to take pride in the work they’re doing for their communities and to keep finding ways to get involved. 

“It gives them the chance to help some of their favorite clients they’ve worked with grow their businesses and do bigger and better things,” Bacon-DeFrece said. “And that goes both ways by giving each other appreciation for all they’ve done together.”

ABOUT BIG FROG CUSTOM T-SHIRTS & MORE:

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Dunedin, Florida, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts and More, Inc. is an international franchise system with nearly 80 independently owned and operated stores serving consumers and businesses across the U.S. and Canada. Big Frog specializes in direct to garment printing (DTG) and is a one-stop shop for all custom apparel decorating techniques, as well as branded promotional products. Big Frog offers free design help, no minimums, no art/setup fees, and fast turnaround. Find a store at BIGFROG.COM, U.S. franchise opportunities at BIGFROGFRANCHISE.COM, Canadian franchise opportunities at BIGFROG.CA, and Big Frog on YouTube.