Campaign ideas that connect with the local community

Businesses must find ways to genuinely connect with their local communities. One of the most effective ways to do this is through marketing campaigns that not only drive sales but also build long-term relationships with the people and businesses that are part of their everyday reality.

1. Celebrating local traditions

One of the most powerful ways to launch a campaign that resonates with the local community is by embracing its traditions. Local festivals are moments when people come together, share, and celebrate — the perfect opportunity for brands to show their commitment to the community. A great example of this was the campaign we developed for Cervesa Espiga during the Vilanova Carnival.

We suggested the brand sponsor or participate in the event, making the most of the fact that their illustrator, Irene Garzie, had won the competition to design that year’s official carnival poster. Rather than launching a limited-edition beer that would only be available while stocks lasted, we proposed replacing the iconic label of one of their core range beers — the Blonde Ale — with the winning poster design.

This action served a dual purpose: it highlighted the outstanding work of the brand’s illustrator and connected the brewery to one of the communities in which it operates. At the same time, it helped control campaign investment by avoiding the need for a new recipe, while allowing those who enjoyed the beer at the event to continue purchasing it from the online shop afterwards.

2. Collaborating with local artists

Continuing in a similar vein, another way to connect with the local community is through collaborations with local artists. In addition to supporting the local economy, these partnerships signal to consumers that the brand values and champions local talent. Brands can team up with creatives to produce limited collections or even host events — such as workshops or live performances — that invite the community to participate.

Another route is to collaborate with businesses linked to the same sector. In the case of Cervesa Espiga, the brewery has taken part in various collaborative events and limited brews with local establishments such as Sumac and Mambo, La Craft Cerveseria, and Bar Plou.

3. Sponsoring community events

Community events — whether sporting, cultural, educational, or wellbeing-related — provide an ideal platform for brands to demonstrate their commitment. For instance, we encouraged Cervesa Espiga to sponsor events such as the CACO: a women’s race open to everyone and attended by locals from the town where the brewery is based, as well as nearby areas.

Sponsoring these events shows that brands care about the community and are willing to invest in its development. It’s also the perfect opportunity to create engaging experiences, like product tastings, fun activities, or competitions that involve local people and help boost brand recognition in an organic, non-intrusive way.

4. Connecting to cultural roots through the product

Many brands can benefit by incorporating local elements directly into their product development. For example, the former brewer at Cervesa Espiga encouraged the use of native ingredients sourced from Can Pascual in Gelida and Finca Parera to create their farmhouse line. Their products were also distributed through venues that value and showcase local and organic produce — like Mam del Bo, a wine tavern run by Finca Parera in Sant Llorenç d'Hortons, the same town where the brewery is based.

5. Fostering a sense of community on social media

Brands can also use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to organise challenges or campaigns that involve the local community in a larger, shared experience. For example, we proposed that Cervesa Espiga create a ranking of all the beers they had brewed over the course of a year to find out which style was the public’s favourite. The winning style would then inspire the final beer recipe of the year. But it didn’t stop there — some of the people who took part in the vote were later be part of the label for the resulting beer, aptly named WE MADE IT.

These are just a few of the many campaign ideas we’ve developed to help brands connect with local communities and build relationships with their audiences. Our aim is always the same: to foster a sense of belonging and local pride. In the end, what sets a successful brand apart is its ability to be authentic, relevant, and truly part of the community it serves.