Community Financial Institutions Rally Around Local Businesses

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Community financial institutions all over the nation work to strengthen their local economies while adding value to their services with the Buzz Points rewards program. Buzz Points is a debit card rewards program with a Buy Local theme that rewards their account holders for using their debit card and for shopping local. Account holders earn points on their transactions that can be redeemed for local gift cards, cash cards, and donations to local non-profits.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130226/LA65554LOGO)

Throughout November, Buzz Points is promoting local businesses with Shop Local Saturday. Shop Local Saturday falls on the day after Black Friday and provides an alternative to the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy that has become a mainstay of big-box retailers' annual business.

"We are empowering community financial institutions and local businesses to compete with mega banks and big-box retailers, while stretching consumer dollars and keeping more dollars local," says Buzz Points CEO Jay Valanju, who added, "Everybody wins when you shop local."

Shopping local doesn't just affect businesses; it affects residents too. Studies show that as much as three times the money stays in a community when purchases are made with locally owned and operated businesses vs. national chains that ship the majority of their profits off to their corporate headquarters. Furthermore, local businesses typically offer better wages to employees, keeping even more money in the community. Locally owned businesses also define community's identities, add "local flavor", provide a wider variety of goods, and offer more personalized service.

Buzz Points Shop Local Saturday campaign engages consumers through social media, local media, and the web to drive more traffic to the network of local businesses they've created. Additionally, business owners in Buzz Points communities are receiving a kit with Shop Local Saturday materials to display in their establishments.

You can learn more about Shop Local Saturday and joining the Buzz Points program as a business owner or consumer on the Shop Local Saturday homepage: buzzpoints.com/shoplocalsaturday.

About Buzz Points:

Buzz Points partners with community financial institutions and local businesses in their markets to provide a debit card rewards program with a Buy Local theme to the financial institution's account holders. Buzz Points is product of fisoc, Inc. and is located in Austin, TX. It was founded in 2010 by a team with many years of experience in the technology, banking, and social media industries. Investors include Greycroft Partners, KEC Holdings, Metamorphic Ventures, Daylight Partners and Angel Investors. For more information, please visit: www.buzzpoints.com.

Buzz Points is a trademark of fisoc, Inc. Other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Media Contact:
Tom Price
Bernard Group Communications
[email protected]
512-415-7744
www.bernardgroup.com

SOURCE Buzz Points