– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

Now almost seven years old (launched 2016), and with no signs of growth slowing, TikTok is a must — not only for your district, but absolutely for your merchants. Need proof? Consider these facts:

• more than half (53%) of TikTok users are 30 years of age or older. It’s not just for kids.

• 40% of Gen Z users prefer TikTok and Instagram to traditional search engines like Google.

• 67% of TikTok users say that TikTok inspired them to shop — even when they weren’t planning to do so!

Need another reason to convince your ratepayers to get on TikTok? The platform is gunning to become a marketplace. So not only is the uber-popular platform taking a bite out of Google (search), Meta (marketplaces), they’re now looking to toe-up against retail behemoths like Amazon, Target, Walmart and Kroger. We’ve trained hundreds on how to use TikTok, and have received merchant success stories and growth stats out the wazoo. Please share this primer on discoverability with your ratepayers and businesses, and better yet — give us a shout about doing a merchant marketing training to help your district compete in 2023.

Photo credit: Olivier Bergeron, Unsplash

Replacing parking with profits! We ❤ stats, data and quantifiable impacts of any kind, so it’s no surprise that we’d be into this sound byte from Strong Towns, showing that in Toronto, ONT, CA $181 million was generated at curbside patios, compared to the meager $3.7 million from the same footprint of parking. Throughout the pandemic, curbside dining and streeteries were a crucial lifeline for restaurants, and despite some car-centric naysayers who want the spaces back, streeteries have a big fanbase, with many cities adopting formalized code and standards to operate out of doors, or as an extension of premise. What’s your take and how are things working out for your merchants locally? We’d love to hear from you.

…that it’s hip to regift? With heavy inflation impacting this year’s holiday numbers, combined with the confluence of the climate crisis, upcycling and the popularity of reselling apps, what’s old is new again. Apps like OfferUp, Poshmark, Recurate, thredUp and others are popular hunting grounds for the list of gifts you need to obtain this year, and as the old saying goes, “One man’s trash…”. It’s a fascinating trend that embodies holiday 2022, and we’re here for it.

Need money to do placemaking? We gotchu, fam. Mayors of U.S. cities with 30,000 or more residents are invited to apply for the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2022 Public Art Challenge. Up to 10 winners will be chosen to receive up to $1 million to create temporary public art projects that address important civic issues, and applications are open through Feb 15, 2023. So send this to your mayor today and get crackin’!

Photo credit: Shelby Ireland, Unsplash

While many cities are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic, sweeping social change, and budget shortfalls, others are already poised to succeed in the future. Wanna see what it takes to be deemed a “future-ready city”? Research of over 200 cities globally, recently named the top ten in North America, and the answers may surprise you. From digital transformation to the health and safety of its citizens to DEI and skills capacity building, the ranking metrics make sense. Did your city make the cut?  Check here to see and learn more.

Photo credit: Victor, Unsplash