Reno Loves Local launches 'love letter' campaign to help local businesses

RENO, Nev. — Reno Loves Local, a newly formed collaboration to help local businesses struggling due to the pandemic, recently announced an opportunity for consumers to win gift cards to area restaurants, retail shops and service shops.

The #RenoLoveLetter campaign asks participants to write “Love Letters” praising locally owned Reno businesses they appreciate. Participants will be entered to win one of 100 gift cards that range in value from $25 to $100 from various establishments.

According to a Jan. 7 press release from the Gattuso Coalition, a co-creator of Reno Loves Local, the business that receives the most letters will also win a grand prize of either a business development package (valued at $1,000) or $1,000 in gift cards purchased from said winning business that will then “be donated to local heroes via a nonprofit, charitable organization or a direct gift.”

“The Reno Love Letter campaign hopes to show that shouting out the positives and sharing the love with local businesses where everyone can see is incredibly rewarding,” Michael Tragash, community manager for Yelp Reno, said in a statement. “But we know it takes effort, so we're rewarding those who participate with chances to experience new-to-them shops, restaurants and services that make up this beautiful community we call home.”

The contest is sponsored by the Yelp Elite Squad (YES!), a diverse community of local writers, photographers and adventurers who share their experiences at local businesses in reviews and photos that showcase what our community has to offer and guide consumer decisions.

The contest requires individuals to enter by writing a #RenoLoveLetter and posting on either the campaign's Facebook or Instagram page (including the @renoloveslocal handle and the #RenoLoveLetter hashtag) or through a form at bit.ly/renoloveletter.

Letters are encouraged to include positive experiences from Reno businesses, whether present day or fond memories, favorite products or even exemplary employees who have gone above and beyond.

“Great reviews are received as love letters by local businesses, and owners have shared how the sentiments have helped them carry on through these difficult times,” Tragash stated. “At the same time each love letter shared also has the power to influence the decisions of consumers and help others discover new businesses.”

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The #RenoLoveLetter contest is also sponsored by ShortStack, a Reno-based SaaS (software-as-a-service) company that is providing free digital marketing services to the campaign.

“I’ve always been an advocate of eating and shopping locally but during this unprecedented time especially, we’re grateful for this opportunity to further invest in our community,” Doug Churchill, co-founder of ShortStack, said in a statement. “Getting ShortStack involved with Reno Loves Local was a no-brainer for us.”

The contest is open to Nevada residents only and ends Jan. 25, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. and winners will be notified within 14 days of the contest’s conclusion.

The Reno Loves Local campaign is a coordinated effort between Bryon Evans Film, Electrikk Digital and the Gattuso Coalition, with collaboration from Yelp Reno.

The project is funded through a $50,000 grant from the city of Reno via the federal CARES Act.