The holiday edition of the #ShopADK toolkit is now available from the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. We’ve found it to be a helpful way for local businesses to attract more local customers, which has become even more important during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Through the holiday season and beyond,” says the toolkit, “we are challenging our communities to make a big impact by shopping small and shopping ADK. In doing so we will be supporting our friends and neighbors, helping keep money within our region, and ensuring that our local businesses end the year on a strong note.”

First, ROOST is asking business owners in the regions it covers to answer a few questions to help them with their promotional efforts. The regions are Adirondack Hub, Hamilton County, Lake Champlain Region, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and Whiteface Region.

New #ShopADK posters are available as PDF downloads for windows and walls. They include the tag line, “Make a big impact. Shop small!” For the toolkit, visit online at https://www.roostadk.com/shopadk.

There’s the logo to download and a customizable #ShopADK flyer with the logo to highlight products and services.

What we like about this campaign the most is that it combines a unified message with branding across the region. So when a visitor or resident goes into a shop in Lake Placid, there’s a good chance they’ll see the same attractive #ShopADK branding at shops in Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, Wilmington and other communities in the Adirondack Park. That Adirondack brand awareness across the region is important.

In addition, ROOST recently released winter signage for its “Politely Adirondack” campaign — asking people to wear a mask, social distance and wash their hands. The artwork– customized to the different regions of the Adirondacks mentioned above — are available as PDF downloads as a 8.5-x-11-inch flyer or 11-x-17-inch poster. And they featured the cartoon characters we’ve learned to love over the summer: a moose, raccoon and set of three birds on a branch. For these tools, visit https://www.roostadk.com/politely-adirondack-winter.

But wait, there’s more!

There’s also a “Politely Adirondack” handout for customers that explains the recommended health and safety precautions to take and a QR Code that takes people — using their smartphones — directly to the Adirondacks, USA Travel Alert Page.

And there’s a sign for businesses to put at their complimentary hand sanitizer locations — featuring a black bear wearing a mask, mittens and a winter hat.

Thank you, ROOST, for helping our residents, visitors and small businesses stay safe and healthy. We don’t know what the next year will bring — as far as the coronavirus pandemic and a vaccine — but we do know that we’re in good hands with you around to help guide us with unified messages throughout our communities. For example, the “wear a mask” signage along Main Street, Lake Placid, and in other communities such as Saranac Lake is making a big difference. We see a lot more people masking up than we did in the spring.

For all these tools and more, visit https://www.roostadk.com/.