The Market Marie is a vibrant open-air market that draws locals and tourists to the beautiful waterfront of Coachman Park in Clearwater, Florida every second Saturday of the month. It is a one-of-a-kind space where only small businesses and artisans are allowed to sell. From handmade soaps to hand-painted pottery and unique jewelry, the focus is on promoting creativity and craftsmanship by the community and for the community.
The market was started in 2021 by Blair and it is named for her grandmother, Cora Marie, an inspiring woman who urged all the children in her family to dream big and love others while making the world a brighter place. The Market Marie is a fitting legacy. It delights shoppers looking for distinctive, handcrafted items and a family-friendly experience that supports small local vendors. As a destination location, it also celebrates the power of local entrepreneurship and gives vendors a chance to sell their unique products, interact with customers, and build a base of loyal fans.
As small business owners themselves, The Market Marie team knew they needed an effective way to promote their market and reach more people in the community.
“Our family uses NewsBreak to stay informed about local events and news,” Blair shares. This gave her an idea–and a simple Google search confirmed that NewsBreak could also be used as an advertising channel.
Partnering with NewsBreak Ads has been a game-changer for The Market Marie. Thanks to NewsBreak’s hyper-local reach, The Market Marie’s ads pop up directly on the phones of community members, reminding market patrons to save time for the upcoming Saturday and helping spread the word about the event to the most relevant audiences.
The Market Marie team have a clear strategy to ensure their ads stand out: they use high-quality photos from past events to help potential shoppers get a feel for the market experience. They also use attention-grabbing headlines like “Shop LOCAL” and always include the event's name, date, time, and location. These key elements help ensure the ads are both informative and appealing, increasing the likelihood of attracting more visitors to each event.
Following this advertising strategy is made easier by the intuitive features of NewsBreak’s online Ad Manager tool.
“The platform is very user-friendly,” Blair says, noting how simple it is to upload photos, craft headlines, and add important details. This flexibility allows her to quickly create ads for each market pop-up, keeping her message timely and relevant for her target audience.
The customer service experience has also been top-notch: “The team always answers emails promptly and efficiently.”
Reaching the community
The Market Marie’s NewsBreak ads have garnered impressive results. Blair measures the success of the ad campaign by foot traffic, and she’s seen a noticeable improvement in turnout from month-to-month.
“We want to reach as many people as possible, so they know to come to the market,” she explains. Thanks to NewsBreak’s local focus, The Market Marie stays top-of-mind with locals to encourage repeat visits and it also helps them connect with a larger audience.
“It’s so effective, and so simple; it’s our top advertising choice,” Blair says.
If you are interested in advertising with NewsBreak, please sign up here.
