Back On The Bull Campaign Helps Durham Businesses Safely Reopen & Remain Open
Durham, NC – To help businesses reopen and stay open while inspiring public confidence and safety, the Durham Recovery and Renewal Task Force (RRTF) has launched a new campaign designed to help slow the spread of COVID-19 using public health and behavioral science best practices. Created by The Center for Advanced Hindsight at Duke University (CAH) and McKinney, a Durham-based national creative and media agency, “Back on the Bull” offers a voluntary self-certification tool for businesses operating during the pandemic, while delivering a rallying cry for the community to come together in support.
“There are not many other places across the country that have such expertise to call on when figuring out the safest way to help the local economy recover,” said City of Durham Mayor Steve Schewel. “It was essential for the campaign to be based on science, but for it to also come together in such a way that reflects the strength and spirit of our community – the Bull City – is just awesome.”
“Back on the Bull” offers an online planning tool constructed by CAH with guidelines for numerous industries (restaurants, retail, places of worship, office operations, etc.). The tool’s evidence-based guidelines were developed with and approved by the Durham County Department of Public Health. The campaign also makes it easier for business owners and stakeholder groups to prominently display the specific safety measures adopted, an action that is encouraged in the latest local ordinance. Next time you venture out of the house, be sure to look for the Back on the Bull signage in storefronts and other places to know which safety measures are in place.
The campaign website, BackontheBull.com, now serves as a one-stop-shop for Durham residents, visitors, stakeholders, and business owners. Those interested can learn more about Durham’s current Safer-at-Home Order, COVID-19 data reports, actionable steps to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, and what one can expect when venturing into public. Residents can also find which Durham businesses have implemented industry-specific reopen guidelines for added transparency using a searchable map. There are already approximately 300 businesses that have participated.
Since equity is one of Durham’s shared values, website users can filter the map of businesses that have completed the checklist to find Durham minority-owned establishments as we collectively strive to further support BIPOC-, Latina/o-, Hispanic-, female-, and LGBTQIA-owned businesses. Also, the website, as well as all campaign materials, are available in English and Spanish. ‘Back on the Bull’ translates to ‘De Vuelta al Ruedo’ in Spanish.
It is well documented how social distancing efforts have unintentionally paralyzed local economies across the country. One of the first steps taken by the task force was to organize 23 stakeholder groups to reflect the establishments and industries across Durham. The various stakeholder groups represent everything from fitness centers, restaurants, and realtors, to immigrants and refugees, public transportation, and long-term care living facilities. After holding numerous listening sessions, the online planning tools were designed with the stakeholder groups’ feedback and concerns in mind.
The Back on the Bull campaign should inspire confidence, as you can now know exactly what to expect by checking a business or organization’s page on BackontheBull.com before leaving the house. The added transparency should help us all feel a little bit more at ease as we know which establishments in Durham, as they reopen, are especially committed to slowing the spread of COVID-19 and reducing risk for guests, staff, and the larger community.