50 Successful Retail and Business Promotions

Session
Handouts
50 Successful
Retail
and
Business
Promotions
Why Should Downtowns have Coordinated
50 Retail and Business
Promotions that Work!
Kathy La Plante, Senior Program Officer
National Trust Main Street Center
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Retail Promotions?
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Types of Downtown Promotions
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Retail/Business promotions
generate immediate sales of the goods
and services offered downtown
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Image campaigns accentuate the
positives, dispel the negatives
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Special events generate traffic,
activity and positive experiences in the
downtown
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Tourism campaigns Market to a
larger audience to bring a regular
stream of visitors from outside the
community to the downtown. May
impact some downtowns much greater
than others. Crosses each of the three
areas above.
50 Retail and Business
Promotions that WORK for
Main Street!
Businesses need help making
more money!
Promoting together generates
more excitement
Cost effective
Highlights the variety of
downtown businesses
Helps to develop new or
strengthen connections to
customers
Targeting customers makes for
more effective advertising
The Best Retail/Business
Promotions will be planned by……
Business Owners (retail
and service)
Employees of Downtown
businesses
If a community is large enough
they may have promotion
subcommittees or a merchants’
association that conducts retail
and business promotional
events
Plan Retail and Business Events
Target Marketing
• Shotgun v. Rifle
Approach
• Design Events
Based on Target
Market
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QR (Quick Response)Codes
Allows data to be decoded at high speeds
Restaurant Uses
Take out menus
Links to Photos and Social
Media
Different Restaurants, Different
Codes (Fine dining to it’s
menu and interior photos, Fast
food could put on a table tent
and offer a deal for giving an
email address and Food Carts
may have the QR code on the
front for easier ordering and
payment.
QR code is becoming less
novelty and more utility
How Can Main Street Use
QR Codes?
• Shop Local instant
specials
• Special events with
participating businesses
offering special deals that
day
• Coupons, maps, directing
to social media, contests,
and videos
• Educate businesses how
to use them
Visit Mashable.com
How to get a QR Code
• Google Search
“QR Code
generator”.
• Make sure it is
interesting and
engaging to the
user and use call
to action.
• Educate users
Image and Business Promotion
• Rochester’s (MI)
series promoted
strong business
clusters
• Cooperative
advertising
When You Want to
Give an Original……
When Only Personal Attention Will Do…
Shop Close to Home…
Discover the Difference in Downtown Rochester
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Why Buy Local?
Free ads at www.AMIBA.net
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Baltimore and Boston Main Streets
Shop Local at the Holidays
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Building Community The
casual encounter you enjoy at
neighborhood-scaled businesses
and public spaces around them
build relationships and community
cohesiveness. They are the
ultimate social networking sites.
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Strengthen Local Economy
Each dollar you spend at an
independent business returns more
than 3 times as much money to the
local economy, than spent at a
chain – a benefit we can call bank
on!
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Enhance Choices A wide
variety of independent business,
each serving their customers’
tastes, creates greater overall
choices for all of us.
Keep money in the
neighborhood.
Embrace what makes us
different.
Baltimore is a city of
neighborhoods.
Get better service.
Buy what you want, not what
someone wants you to buy.
Create more good jobs.
Help the environment.
Support community groups.
Invest in the community.
Put your taxes to good use.
Keep Baltimore authentic.
One Business’ Push to Support
Local
SaveLocal by Constant Contact
Orlando, FL
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If Groupon provides quantity, we want
to provide quality. We think the way to
find your next great customer is
through your existing customers,
rather than through a big list of
consumers who don’t know much
about you. SaveLocal is about sending
coupons to your current customer
base, and providing them with an
incentive to share the coupons with
their social network in order to bring in
new customers. We also turn the
economics of the deal on its head, by
letting the merchant control the
amount of the discount so they’re not
losing money on it.
Quick & Inexpensive Ways to Spread the Good
Word:
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Hang an Infusion Tea poster at your favorite hangout. Posters can
be picked up at the cafe or we can mail them to you!
Pass out coupons for a free first-time tea to your
office/workmates (email us how many you need
Write an online review with Yelp, TeaMap, Citysearch, Urban
Spoon, or any other restaurant guide.
Become an Infusion Tea Fan on facebook
Purchase Gift Cards at the café as a healthy and creative gift
option
Having a meeting with friends or coworkers, and you're planning to
get a bite to eat? Have it at Infusion!
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Individual Businesses Promoting
Shop Local
Front-Line Training (Awards) for
Word of Mouth Promotion
Collierville, TN
• Local waitress
offering ideas
on where to
shop for
antiques
• Gave a
customer the
shoes to wear
• CVB awarded a
gift basket and
$100 shoe GC.
REWARD for Main Street
Shoppers!
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Today more than ever, it is
important to support your local
businesses. Shopping local
benefits everyone. You can
feel good about your purchase
on the square. You'll feel even
better when we reward you
with a 10% discount on your
entire order at Square Beans!
Just show your receipt from
one of the Main Street
Merchants (same day).
Theater Receipt
Individual Business Promotion
Three Show Times
Bring Movie ticker or on-line receipt to shop before or after the show
by the Main Street Organization
• Immediate impact
The Squeeze
Niles, MI
• Let's say your name
is Bob and you
come into Squeeze
today...Say, "Hi, my
name is Bob...Bob,
Bob bo Bob, banana
fanna fo fob, me my
mo mob...Bob," and
you'll get $1 off your
order :D
Cash Mobs
• Using Facebook and
Twitter, they’re organizing
groups of strangers who
descend on beloved
independent retailers—
bookstores, bakeries,
wine shops—and spend
at least $20 cash each
(maximizes business
profits). Participants
usually meet beforehand
and follow the organizer
to the shop.
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One of the Earliest Cash Mobs
Cash Mobs
Chagrin Hardware, Chagrin Falls, OH
Over 300 Cleveland
Cash Mobbers spent
$9,000 in three
hours at Nature’s
Bin.
A January 14th email spread
through social media, friends
to friends to Facebook, and
word of mouth.
200-250 people attended ($4,000$5,000 in sales) just if $20 was
spent.
Cash Mobs
Cleveland
Concord, NH
Cash Mobs ~ Social Media
Tupelo Cash Mob
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Choosing one store to shop
Choosing all of downtown to
shop
Making it consecutive weeks in
a row, choosing a different
store each week
Looking for the perfect gift?
Downtown gift certificates
“A very distinct pattern has emerged
in that almost 70% of our gift
certificate recipients are new
customers to a redeeming store
/ restaurant. It is almost as if it
is not “real money”, so they will
experiment with it on a new place.
“Merchants have been very, very
successful in capturing that new
customer for return visits, with as
much as an 80% return rate
Libertyville, IL
“It is not easy introducing
new faces to their stores,
and this program does it.”
Nearby Registry
Why was NEARBY started: they
weren't easily able to support their
favorite local businesses through
the traditional gift registry model.
What is NEARBY?
• NEARBY is an online shopping and
gift registry site for local
businesses.
Who can participate: independently
owned and operated merchants,
service providers and non profits.
We encourage unique ideas: lawn
care, flight lessons, cross country
ski passes, CSA memberships,
etc.
Received a $25,000 grant from the
Manchester (NH) Young
Professionals Network in 2011
Currently being tested, June 2012
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Passport to Tomahawk
Given to Volunteers
Cross Promotions
What niches exist in
your downtowns
that could cross
promote?
Used the passport to:
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Reward volunteers
Recruit new ones
Include businesses outside
the BID and explained to
volunteers the relationship
between both BID businesses
and needing support of those
outside of the BID too
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Had all volunteer
opportunities spelled out in bite
sized pieces
5. Tomahawk is expanding to
use the Passport to other
visitors to downtown
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Green Living
Bridal/Wedding Niche?
Green Living Promotion
• Antique Stores
• Second hand stores
• Hardware
• Home Furnishing
• Engineers/Architects
• Builders/Contractors
• Health Foods
• Gift Stores
• Coffee Shops
• City – recycling
Coop Ads
Unique Gifts?
Home Furnishings?
Antiques?
Arts?
Personal Services?
Clothing?
Restaurants?
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Bridal Gowns
Tux Shop
Florist
Photographer
Picture Framer
Caterer
Wedding Planner
Hotels, motels, and inns
Banquet Space
Printers
Party Supplies
Dry Cleaners
Travel Agent?
Insurance Companies
Salons/Spas
Liquor/Wine store
Gift shops
Attorneys
Banks
Art Walks
Remember Rochester’s black & white newspaper ads?
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Targeting a specific market
Niche Promotions
Petoskey, MI
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Target ~ College Students
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Target ~ Alumni
Shopping Scramble
Petoskey, MI
Businesses are encouraged to have
golf related specials:
Bloody Mary Tee off, Chocolate Hole,
Putt a hole in one and win a
discount, chair massage, special
drawings, free gifts, etc.
Mailings to go member of the Arts
Center. Who is that?
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A Shopping FUNdraiser for the
Crooked Tree Arts Center
A day of shopping, dining and
enjoying the amenities without
worrying about sand traps or
water hazards
Gift bags from merchants
Participants record purchases on
golf score card
Each guesses how much they will
spend
19th Hole of the Shopping Scramble
Prizes for:
Longest Drive (farthest away)
Closest to the pin (preset $$)
Hole in one (who spends the
most)
The Winner!
Attracting them the old fashioned
way - Newspapers
Poker Stroll
Take off on a Biker Poker Run
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20% off anything
you can fit in the
bag
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Exclusions may
apply
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Newspaper insert
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Sponsorships of bag
Where would this
work best?
Wauchula, FL
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Businesses were give different
colored beads.
Contestants had to visit as least 7
different places to get 7 different
colored beads.
Could get an extra bead for making a
purchase or a large purchase, more
beads.
Return to registration and able to
draw 7 cards. If the player has more
than 7 beads, unwanted cards can be
turned in for new ones.
Best hand wins.
Ties in with local Bike Event
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Sip and Stroll
“Let’s Wine About Winter”
Sumter, SC
Libertyville, IL
Tickets sold for $20 (wine food and entertainment)
Retailers and service businesses included (16)
100% renewal by participants for two years
Held mid-November
Chocolate Walk
Cambridge, OH
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Kick off for a Dickens of a
Christmas, following a
reception
200 tickets sold for a
downtown chocolate walk
28 of 40 businesses
participated, providing 200
pieces of candy
Lessons learned: sales came
after the evening event and
they needed bigger bags for
everyone to collect their
chocolates
Sip and Stroll,
Laurens, SC
What's Up Downtown? Where Is
That Antelope?
Rawlins DDA/Main Street is proud to
kick off a new promotion with no
purchase necessary this April - the
Where's Rawley? Downtown
Scavenger Hunt! Running from
April 12th-25th, contestants visit 30
of the businesses participating in
downtown and find a picture of
Rawley the antelope. After finding
the antelope and receiving a
signature at 30 businesses, each
card is entered for one of three
chances for a $250 downtown
shopping spree. Game card and
complete rules can be picked up at
7 locations.
Summer Santa Bucks
Bounce-Back Bucks
Washington, MO
Washington, MO
• Six week promotion
mid-June thru July
• $5.00 Off Coupon
good toward a $25
purchase
• Cost $15 per
business
• 20 businesses
• $5.00 coupon good is
given for spending
$30
• $5.00 coupon is good
at other participating
businesses toward a
$25 purchase
• 30 of 45 businesses
participated
• Cross promotion
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Reusable Bag Promotions
Brainerd , MN
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Discounts available on line,
website printed on the bag
Decals for participation
businesses
Sell to businesses for $3.50,
allow them to giveaway or sell
for $5.00
Businesses have an option to
put their names on the other
side.
May offer nonprofit
organizations the chance to
sell them as a fundraiser too.
Farmer’s Market Kickoff
“Show Us Your Produce”
Kissimmee, FL
• Discounts, sales, giftwith-purchase to anyone
bringing in their bag of
produce
• Merchants offer what they
want – can change
weekly
• Window decals
• Signs by registers
• Weekly promotion,
weekly shoppers
Ladies Night Out
Sheboygan Falls, WI and South Orange, NJ
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Downtown Diva, Girl Whirl,
Passport to Pampering
A welcome back
promotion after two years
of construction
All 32 business
participated with
giveaways/drawing
In a blizzard – in 90
minutes all the bags were
handed out by tuxedoed
gents
Follow up – date night for
couples
Earlier Than the Bird
Livermore, CA
Held the Saturday before
Thanksgiving.
Downtown Livermore's gift
shops and boutiques will be
open and ready to serve you
from 7am-10am with special
deals, offers and treats...think
coffee, pastries and
mimosas!!!
Special prizes given to those still
wearing their pajamas!!!
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Black Friday Promotion
by an individual business in Ridgeville, CT
Books on the Common
promised to donate
15% of each sale this
weekend to the
town's public library if
the customer showed
their library card.
Midnight Merriment
Always the first Friday in December
Concord, NH ………………
When a community need or project arises
would a promotion like this work if all
your businesses did it together?
Win the Winter Wonderland
Window
Targeting Men
• Newspaper ad –
Christmas List
• Encourages the woman,
mom, sister, etc. to
complete and give to the
men in their lives.
• Beverages and snacks
• Free gift wrapping
• Free shipping
• Activities for men,
drawing for “guy” prizes
• Businesses donate an
item to put in a storefront
window
• Entry form lists all the
businesses
• Contestants visit each
store to find the price, or
if there are more than 25
businesses, contestants
must visit a minimum
number
• An additional cash prize
can be offered to winner if
all prices are gathered.
Children’s Christmas Shop
Snowball/Ping-Pong Ball Drop
Newkirk, OK
Augusta, KS & Sister Bay, WI
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100% merchants participation
10+ year old event
Elves visit schools with flyers
Businesses providing shopping
hand baskets
Approximately 125 kids shop
Bring lists of gift needs
Merchants bring pre-marked
items in even dollars, under
$10
One Saturday in December
Parents shop downtown while
kids shop, wrap, and play.
• Merchants write
specials/gifts on balls
• One gold ball with $100
downtown $$
• Red balls = free turkeys
• Fire department drops
balls to adults and
children
• 50 year tradition
• In conjunction with
Santa’s arrival
• Sister Bay, WI Drops
from helicopter - 10,000
annually
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Rochester’s Magazine
A different medium to do Coop Ads
The Big Bright Light Show
Coop Ads by Rochester Again
Restaurant Promotions
Rochester, MI
Restaurant Discounts
Restaurant Week VIP Card
Manchester, NH
Annapolis, MD
• Limited time
promotion
• Participating
restaurants provide
specific specials at a
set price
• Menus available on
the Intown
Manchester website
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Customers participating in
restaurant week during
February, were given a VIP
card and parking pass with
their check.
VIP card was honored by
merchants during the month of
March – a slow time in
downtown
Parking pass was good for a
full day of free parking.
QR Code on the card would
link them to participating
businesses.
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Pager System
Include Service Businesses
Sagebrush, Lake Orion, MI
Baltimore’s Belair-Edison Neighborhood
www.resttech.com/pagers/guestpage/
The Healthy Main Streets Healthy Holidays
Boston, MA
Encourage residents of all ages to
explore their local commercial
districts, while challenging
them to put healthy living
habits into practice during a
time of the year when it is most
challenging.
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Brochure with businesses they
must visit in order to win.
Info on how each business
might be useful in helping to
keep them and their families
healthy over the holidays.
Receive a snowflake stamp on
their pamphlet, an ingredient
used in making something
holiday related (for example
gum drops for a gingerbread
man or marshmallows for hot
chocolate), and a coupon for a
10% discount to the given
business.
• The annual Bel-“Hair”
Back-to-School Festival
in Baltimore’s BelairEdison Neighborhood
features local hair salons
that put on an incredible
hairstyle show to model
the latest fall fashions
and showcase this
important service
business cluster. School
supplies are given away
to participating schools.
National Event Focus
Paint the Town Red
Health Screenings
Free Protein Smoothies
Recipe books
Acupuncture
Experience Retailing
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Taking sign ups now for this
Thursday night, make your
own cutting board class! only
30 bux and you'll learn a lil
something about sanding,
oiling, and woodburning. You'll
walk away with your own
cutting board and a smile from
some awesome Wonder Made
time. You know you wanna,
email
WonderMadeConcord@gmail.
com to sign up. Dont miss your
chance!
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Promoting Evening and Sunday Hours
Open Friday and Saturday Nights
and Sundays
• Important to stay open
until at least 9PM to
capture restaurant and
entertainment traffic.
• One merchants (open
until 11PM on weekends
tracked traffic from 5-7,
then from 7-11 and found
it to be 80% higher in the
later evening hours.
• Friday evening traffic
was more profitable.
Image building and extended hours
Advertise Hours Change Well Before
the Change Occurs
• There is a different
audience on Saturday
evenings, younger
audience with a lower
budget and they are not
Downtown to shop.
Information on Website
Facebook, Twitter etc.
• Announcing new
downtown store
hours to coincide
with daylights
savings time
• Be creative
• Stick with it!!
• Over two years to
reeducate customers
about new hours
Thanks for coming to the
conference.
See you next year!
Kathy La Plante, Senior Program Officer
National Trust Main Street Center
1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-297-2893
Kathy_LaPlante@nthp.org
www.mainstreet.org
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