News

Nicole is just ‘loving’ Rochester

By Rohan Aldous

Apr 9, 2023

Spreading the word: Nicole Connelly is behind the words and images of the Love Rochy campaign, through her photography and copy writing work with The Splendid Word, the Echuca based company that is working with Rochester Business Network to complete the six-month promotional campaign.

Poster-size profiles of Rochester businesses will begin appearing in shopfront windows in coming weeks as the next stage of the Rochester Business Network’s Love Rochy campaign.

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Nicole Connelly, the enthusiastic and talented individual behind the words and images that have been consistently appearing on the RBN Facebook page and website, said it was the next step in promoting the town.

Nicole is working with Echuca based promotions company The Splendid Word, the Deniliquin raised photographer and copy writer having spent more than a month producing the 18 Rochester businesses already featured on the site.

She explained eventually there could be four times that amount of businesses featured online and through the Love Rochy promotional material around the town.

“There is provision for more businesses to come on board, we have space for 72 in the grant,” Nicole said.

Rochester Business Network secured a state government Community Support Fund grant to secure The Splendid Word’s services and launch Love Rochy.

She said the campaign was ahead of schedule, originally planned as a six-month promotion.

Businesses and community groups have both taken advantage of the opportunity to spread news of their post-flood return to operation and the new poster-size profiles is the next step in that town-wide advertising program.

Half of the poster-size profiles will appear on the Mural Festival boards, assigned to promote businesses that do not have a shopfront in the town.

“If the business is in the town their story will be on their front window, supported by the online information.

“There will be a QR code that links the poster liking people to the other profiles,” she said.

The RBN site will host all of Nicole’s material.

She said the campaign would continue to be promoted using a variety of methods, negotiations continuing for expanded signage with the Campaspe Shire Council.

Nicole said it had been a great experience since she started speaking to businesses to see the town back up and running.

“The town and the Love Rochy campaign is very future focused. People are not dwelling on what has happened, instead looking ahead,” she said.

Nicole said prior to the flood a lot of Rochester businesses only traded in the town.

“Since October last year a lot have diversified. The flood has made people think about the future of their businesses and how they could trade without a store front,” she said.

“I feel like Rochester people are moving back into a positive place.”