Putting local love on the map for Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, we implemented a collaborative Proxi map to spotlight our readers’ local stories celebrating love in all its forms – friendships, romances, family, etc. We tested the initiative in 2023 in a few of our markets, and were delighted by the amount and depth of responses from our readers. We ran two stories: the first asking for submissions and explaining the map feature, and the second sharing our top stories received and the interactive Proxi map. We implemented the campaign across 20+ markets, and received over 770 submissions across the nation, sharing everything from date night recommendations to heartfelt proposal stories.

Our Asheville, NC-based market (AVLtoday) had notable engagement, with over 35 stories and map points submitted. Readers included love stories sparked at local breweries, grocery stories, campgrounds, dog parks, and even a county jail elopement. As readers click points on the map, more stories and locations are revealed. By zooming in or out, stories stay local or expand to points across the country. Thus, readers can also use the map to discover new destinations in their city or farther afield, showcasing how our products support people’s investment in their local economies and stoke curiosity about the cities where we publish newsletters – activating and educating our audiences.

This entry features strong writing from the Asheville team, unique reader submissions (stories and map points) highlighting our product’s interactive elements, a Proxi map featuring all points across the US, and a graphic that creates instant recognizability (an overhead shot of the City of Asheville with overlaid map marker elements).