Laurel Tielis
Every day there’s a new opportunity to connect with customers and boost sales in your store. Of course, you want to offer an enticing window, well-edited merchandise, an attractive sales space, and superior service. And then, there’s that special something, that je ne sais quoi, that separates the ho-hum from the well-done.
Here are two companies that used business savvy, in entirely different ways, to promote their brands and reach their customer base.
Make it Fun
You’ve heard about singing for your supper? Well, through September, Joie de Vivre is offering guests at five Southern California hotels in their chain, the opportunity to get a free upgrade.
Each day, the first person to belt out a California-themed song at check-in, wins. But wait; there’s more. Performances are caught on video and sent to YouTube and Facebook.
All is not lost for guests who miss being first. They, too, can vocalize on camera, and have their star turn uploaded to the social media sites. The performer who receives the most votes will get a free two-night stay.
Show You Care
In the wake of disasters across the country, most recently the tornado in Joplin, MO, consumer goods giant Proctor & Gamble went beyond sending money for disaster relief, they went straight to the site to help, bringing two of the products in their stable–Tide and Duracell.
The Duracell trailer distributed flashlight and batteries. It also served as a charging station for laptops and cellphones.
Tide offered a mobile laundry for residents. Called Tide Loads of Hope, it consists of a truck with 32 washers and dryers, and a fleet of vans to ferry clothes to local laundries. They generally clean 300 loads of laundry onsite each day. But on May 26, according to the New York Times, the need was so great that 764 loads were processed.
They washed, dried, folded, and tied a ribbon around the clean clothes, because as they say on their website, “sometimes even the littlest things can make a big, big difference.”
The praise they received on their Facebook page and at their Twitter account, reflected that it did. People across the country and around the world saw the company as a good neighbor, one from whom they would be happy to buy.
Want more ideas about bringing in business? I can help. I’ve been a retail reporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People magazine.
I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Contact me at ringupmoresales@gmail.com. Or, for easy and effective ways to bring in more business read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.
Copyright © 2011 Laurel Tielis
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | customer engagement, customer relations, marketing, public relations, publicity, retail, sales, social media
