Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.

Overview Who We Are How We Work Partner Collaborations Our Supporters Our Team Job Opportunities Contact Us
Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.

Overview Coordinating Programs Main Street Communities Collective Impact Awards & Recognition Community Evaluation Framework Join the Movement
Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!

Overview Knowledge Hub Field Services Government Relations Main Street Now Conference Main Street America Institute Small Business Support Allied Member Services The Point Members Area
People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

Overview News & Stories Events & Opportunities Subscribe
Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

Overview Join Us Renew Your Membership Donate Partner With Us Job Opportunities
Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.

Overview Who We Are How We Work Partner Collaborations Our Supporters Our Team Job Opportunities Contact Us
Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.

Overview Coordinating Programs Main Street Communities Collective Impact Awards & Recognition Community Evaluation Framework Join the Movement
Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!

Overview Knowledge Hub Field Services Government Relations Main Street Now Conference Main Street America Institute Small Business Support Allied Member Services The Point Members Area
People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

Overview News & Stories Events & Opportunities Subscribe
Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

Overview Join Us Renew Your Membership Donate Partner With Us Job Opportunities
gAUeuEdGThGRNDhpXuUs_temp.png
Small business owners showing off the branded posters in their storefronts. Photo credit: Dan Craddock, Metro Nova Creative

Fredericksburg Virginia Main Street (FVMS) is taking storefront activation to a new level. Last month, the Main Street program kicked off their Scan & Love Project: an initiative that tells the stories of business owners through personal and engaging videos. Accessed via QR codes placed in storefront windows, the videos are helping to create a more immersive and meaningful shopping experience throughout the district and strengthening the emotional connection between businesses and the public.

This award-winning initiative was installed in the commercial district in time for holiday shopping, but the design of the program is a great way to active storefronts through storytelling any season. Check out the steps that FVMS took to implement this initiative below. You may want to consider replicating the initiative in your own community!

Bringing Stories to Life

Step 1 – Videos: FVMS worked with a film company to record interviews with business owners, who shared details about their business’s offerings and their connection with the downtown. These interviews were then edited into engaging 30-90 second clips, complete with upbeat music and footage of the business’s bricks-and-mortar location.

FVMS then uploaded the videos to their YouTube channel. The Main Street program strategically added additional details in the description of each video—such as a link to the business’s webpage, an online menu and a physical business address—to make each video as much of a resource to the viewer as possible.

Step 2 – Branding: Next, posters were designed and printed with each video’s corresponding QR code. They included the Main Street program’s logo, the project’s sponsor logo, and a rendering of the downtown’s skyline. Leaning into the “love” theme of Scan & Love Project, the QR codes were placed in the middle of a big heart.

Step 3 – Sharing: The branded posters were then placed in storefronts, making it as easy as possible for visitors downtown to scan a QR code and view one of the video spotlights. Or, as the Main Street program wrote in their promotion of the initiative, “Scan the QRC code to visit with the owner(s) of the business and to hear their story. Enjoy this safe way to discover a new place or learn more about your favorite business!”

Learn More

Filming_pic_w_cap.jpg

The Scan & Love Project was funded through Fredericksburg Virginia Main Street and the City of Fredericksburg Economic Development Authority and executed by Metro Nova Creative and Ignite Cinemas. The initiative was named the winner of the 2020 Main Street Idea Pitch Competition, hosted by Virginia Main Street.

As of this writing, video spotlights have been published for: 2 Hearts 1 Dress, Apricot Lane, Dog Krazy, Freedom Society, Irish Eyes, Italian Station, Whittingham / The Kitchen at Whittingham, Juan More Taco, Monkees of Fredericksburg, PONSHOP, Skin + Touch Therapy, Taste of Oil Vinegar Spice, The Card Cellar, Curitiba Art Cafe, Wildflower Collective, Kimman's Co., Agora Downtown, Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, FOODE, Hyperion Expresso, Latitudes Fair Trade Store, Rebellion FXBG, River Rock Outfitters, Spencer Devon Brewing, and Sugar and Spruce.

Learn more about this project here.