When you see a bumper sticker with an oval surrounding the letters SNBF, don’t try to guess what foreign country or resort island the driver has visited. It stands for “Shop North Bryan First.”

Businesses from Pembroke to Black Creek are mounting a campaign, which will paste the stickers on participating merchants’ doors as well as hundreds of cars, to encourage local people to shop in their home community when possible. A rewards card system is also planned.

The campaign meshes with other current efforts of the North Bryan Chamber of Commerce and its members, including a series of five weekly classes for merchants and a recently created Facebook page.

“With today’s economy, you’ve got to make the most of your opportunities to keep your customers local, and you’ve got to provide good service in order to have them do repeat business with you,” said Mary Warnell, president of the North Bryan Chamber.

Alan Volskay, who works in marketing for Georgia Power, chairs the chamber’s Shop North Bryan First committee. After about three months of planning and preparation, the committee has 1,000 of the stickers to distribute.

For more information, pick up a copy of the Feb. 5 edition of the News.