The Victorian government has pledged to spend an extra $8.5 million to promote its ‘Click for Vic’ website and campaign, which showcases small producers across the state in a bid to help them trade through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launched in August, the Click for Vic website acts as a directory for Victorian businesses, allowing consumers to click directly through to a business’ website.
The state government has partnered with restaurant delivery service Providoor on the website, as well as Co-Lab Pantry, an online version of the popular Victorian Country Market, and regional produce directories The Regional Pantry and The Loddon Shed.
The website and its associated marketing campaign have already reportedly generated more than 200,000 leads for the business featured, according to the government, which is set to ramp up its promotion over coming weeks.
Announced as part of his government’s latest $3 billion business support package, Premier Daniel Andrews said on Sunday the additional $8.5 million will be spent on “more marketing and advertising, and expanding the digital platform and its partnerships with third-party e-commerce providers”.
“Victoria is home to some of the best fresh food, wine, galleries and homewares in the world — but the pandemic has hit many small producers hard,” Andrews said.
The increased spending comes as retail and hospitality businesses in regional Victoria prepare to reopen this week, after Andrews announced regional areas will soon move into “step three” of the state’s coronavirus recovery roadmap.
The initial Click for Vic campaign announcement in August also included financial support available for farmers looking to diversify into online markets.
“Buying local is always the best policy, but it’s particularly important right now,” Andrews said at the time.
“By backing our local producers, we’re also backing the jobs and communities they support.”
More information about how your business can get involved in the Click for Vic campaign is available here.
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Eloise is an experienced business journalist and editor, who has held senior editorial roles at SmartCompany since 2014. Prior to joining SmartCompany, Eloise was news editor at Books+Publishing, the trade press for the Australian book industry. Eloise has degrees in media and communications, marketing and business management, and political science. You can follow her on LinkedIn, and Twitter at @ellykeating.
