I was recently involved with organising a promotion for the shopping centre Acland Court. Apart from getting to wear my rather retro Sue Sylvester tracksuit in public again, I was reminded of the great fun that a promotion can generate. If a promotion is done right then it definitely can be a Win for the business, Win for the customers and a Win for the community. To paraphrase the character Sue from Glee (yes I am a gleek) let me break it down for you.
Essential Ingredients of a Good Promotion
1. Having a theme
For the Acland Court recent promotion we decided to link in with the Olympics and have a win Gold for your school competition
2. Community component
The way it worked was that students from surrounding schools were given some gold medals that they needed to place in a barrel at the shopping centre. Students who spent over $10 at the centre would also receive another gold medal. The student’s name and the school’s name was recorded on the medal. The school that received the most medals received $1000.
PROs
- Lifts the mood
The shopping centre was decorated to match the theme and on the day of the announcement it definitely creates an air of excitement which can boost retailers’ and shoppers’ morale. - Creates interest
I can say that people were definitely wanting to know why I was dressed in a daggy tracksuit with a whistle around my neck! - Great Photo Opportunities
Students were also rewarded for their efforts in collecting the gold medals for their school. One of the students who won second prize was so excited what can I say…. Priceless! - Good connections with the community
This promotion is part of the way that Acland Court is building relationships with the local schools and families. By making the experience of shopping with Acland Court a good one then they will be more likely to return.
TIP: Leveraging off things that are already happening
By linking in with the Olympics theme you spend less time trying to explain what you are doing. It also leverages off the buzz and hype of the Olympic Games. Just remember to be careful of copyright and association limits with theming anything Olympic!
