Attention Broward shoppers: Now you can wear your social responsibility and community spirit on your shirt, your hat or on your mask. Now SOB means Supporter of Broward, courtesy of the Six Pillars Broward initiative, Broward County’s community-led economic development plan. Its message: Buy local and consistently.
Luciano Todeschini and Joseph Hovancak lead SOB—a 90-day economic-shot-in-the arm campaign that strives to restart local spending by regaining consumer confidence. Its goal is to demonstrate that spending can be safe—and retail therapy is a mood elevator that’s surely needed during these times.
Since the campaign has launched, much has been accomplished. From wrapped buses and light posts prominently displaying and advertising the campaign, to the Water Taxi navigating the waterways with banners, to billboards along the side of I-95, to a robust website (www.proudsob.com) that features great casual merchandise, the campaign is making its way to the four corners of the county, and beyond. Both the campaign and Six Pillars Broward are housed out of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit.
Its most recent accomplishment has been the launch of a social media contest: SOB is giving away $10,000 to local businesses, and is asking its neighbors to help play a pivotal role in making sure that beloved merchants remain open for years to come. When you visit SOB’s Facebook or Instagram page—and like and share the contest’s post, then tag your favorite local business—you will be able to win a $25 gift card. And the satisfaction that comes from doing your part for the community.
