It’s no secret that we all love to shop local. Supporting that small local biz, picking up a coffee from the new woman-owned coffee shop down the street, etc. It makes us feel great, and it’s great for our community. However, it can be a bit more challenging than we may like to admit. For Humboldt County, California, that’s where Vibemap came in to help. We created a connected, place-based ecosystem that makes shopping local feel easy (and fun).
What’s the goal?
Humboldt has no shortage of incredible small businesses. Makers, artists, restaurants, outdoor experiences, it’s all there. But like many rural counties, those assets can feel spread out and a little challenging to weave together. So instead of asking, “How do we promote these businesses?” the question became:
What if we made discovering small businesses feel like an experience in itself?
What did Vibemap build?
Vibemap provided Choose Humboldt with three distinct pillars. Those included working alongside Humboldt Made, creating a broader regional strategy with Choose Humboldt, and implementing digital tools to increase year-round support for the county’s local businesses. We’ll dive deeper into each of these in the following sections.
The unifying umbrella of Choose Humboldt
Under the overarching Choose Humboldt brand, Vibemap created three distinct passports. Each of these passports focuses on a different part of the local economy. However, they’re designed to work together, not compete. These aren’t separate programs. Rather, they’re layers of the same interconnected system.
Each of these passports works in tandem with Humboldt Made. Vendors are highlighted as part of the Humboldt Made initiative to encourage authentic representation of the community. The passports include:
Shop Humboldt
Launched during the holiday season, this passport highlights locally made goods. It highlights everything from food and drink to crafts and body products. It’s timed to support makers when they could use a slow-season boost.
Dine Humboldt
Rolling out in January and February, this one tackles a real challenge: the post-holiday slowdown for restaurants. It gives people a reason to get out, explore, and support local spots during a typically quiet season.
Experience Humboldt
Launching this summer, Experience Humboldt is designed to get you outside during the county’s busiest season. This passport connects visitors to Humboldt’s landscapes, culture, and one-of-a-kind experiences.
How did we help small businesses?
Ultimately, we want to make the lives of small business owners easier. To do so, we created a digital infrastructure for small businesses that they don’t have to worry about or manage. This includes a comprehensive database of local businesses on the Choose Humboldt website, accessible via an easy-to-use dashboard for visitors. Owners never have to worry about manually updating their information because our product:
- Automatically updates business listings when important information changes. Think hours, closings, etc.
- Adapts when a business's offerings change or shift seasonally
- Eliminates the need for extra administrative tasks for already-busy owners.
Other perks
Furthermore, our tools encourage community engagement in a fun way. For example, businesses can offer special limited-time offers to visitors. Additionally, participants can earn special local prizes by “checking in” at businesses and earning badges. Ultimately, Vibemap encourages visitors and locals alike to explore the community, not just save money.
What were the results?
While all of this sounds well and good, you’re probably wondering how these passports actually helped Humboldt County. That’s an excellent question with an even better answer. Upon using our services, the county found:
- A consistently strong daily engagement between visitors and businesses
- High participation across multiple communities in Humboldt County
- Visitors were repeatedly using the product (not just one-and-done!).
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, Vibemap and Humboldt County didn’t just create a typical “shop local” campaign. Instead, they built a system that makes supporting local feel natural, engaging, and worth coming back to. When you connect makers, restaurants, and experiences under one thoughtful, place-based strategy, and give people the tools to actually explore it, you drive real participation. Here at Vibemap, we help destinations, downtowns, and organizations turn your incredible local assets into connected ecosystems.
If you’re thinking about how to better support your local businesses—and make it easier (and more fun) for people to show up—we’d love to talk. Reach out to Gabriella at gabriella@vibemap.com today.
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