Social Media Business Campaign Launched in Manchester

MANCHESTER, CT – The town of Manchester’s economic development team and the Greater

Manchester Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Downtown Manchester Special
Services District, are partnering on a social media campaign highlighting how local businesses
are adapting to pandemic-related disruptions.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted much of the global economy, leading to historic levels
of unemployment and business failures. The pandemic-related economic slowdown has
disproportionately impacted small local businesses, as they often have lower margins and less of
a financial cushion to withstand prolonged shocks," officials for the program said. "In order to survive, many small local businesses have had to significantly change their operations in order to comply with public health directives and stay in business."

The "Go! Explore Manchester" social media campaign is intended to highlight local businesses
adapting to these challenging circumstances while continuing to meet the needs of their clients
and customers. Manchester is fortunate to have a multitude of successful small businesses of all
kinds across many industries, each with their own unique challenges.

The campaign intends to focus on businesses navigating these difficult times and encourage residents to support local business in Manchester.

The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce plans to expand Go! Explore Manchester into
an "engaging and interactive campaign with a two pronged approach, focusing first on providing
local businesses with centralized support programs that will offer the business tangible metrics
regarding local patronage." The second component will engage sponsors and major corporate
supporters to develop an interactive application showcasing the retail, restaurants and services
available in the Greater Manchester region. It will include an interactive smart device application
that will lead shoppers directly to the goods and services they are looking for, along with special
offerings, discounts and sales taking place in real time.