Last week we expanded on how to make the best out of your milestones with Milestone Marketing. Now we want to share with you how you can tweak this plan and tailor it to your industry. We will focus on service providers and retailers.
Milestone Marketing for the Service Industry
You don’t have to have a brick and mortar storefront or location to celebrate a milestone event or anniversary. Consulting and service firms can get a lot of marketing mileage out of a campaign, too. Especially if you’re in the type of business where you don’t see or interact with clients on a regular basis.
Your campaign doesn’t have to just celebrate years in business. For example, if you provide computer services you can make some noise by celebrating an industry milestone such as the 20th anniversary of the PC. It’s a great way to keep yourself top of mind with clients while reminding them how much they depend on your expertise. (In case you were wondering, IBM launched the first Personal Computer on August 12, 1981).
You can also celebrate “client anniversaries” by sending out special customized cards that recognize 1, 5, 10 or 15-year relationships. Add a promotional premium, such as an elegant pen, to make your message extra memorable and long lasting.
If you want to launch a more conventional campaign celebrating your years in business, create a theme and a commemorative logo. To get the most value from your initiative, it’s important to take advantage of every communication opportunity. Be sure your logo and message are included on all:
- Correspondence: If you’re planning on running your Milestone Marketing campaign for an extended period of time (for example, a year-long promotion), incorporate your theme on your business cards, stationery, invoices and all other business correspondence.
- Sales materials and proposals: Remind potential customers of your longevity at the time of purchase. Add an embossed logo to presentation folders and proposals. Also, print up a special run of brochures featuring your logo and theme. You can even incorporate it into presentation templates.
- Digital and electronic media: Make sure your Milestone Marketing theme and logo are front and center on your website. Include a little history pop-up window or timeline that chronicles key moments in your business. And don’t forget to add a line such as “Celebrating our 5th Year in Business” to your email signature.
Milestone Marketing for Retailers
Retailers have a big advantage during milestone promotions for the simple reason that they are regularly visited by customers. Plus, retail locations offer great display space for banners and commemorative graphics. In fact, promotions such as a special, limited-time sale or event are common in the retail world.
Start by announcing your milestone. Create a theme and then have it printed on a banner that hangs on your building’s exterior. Make sure you also hang banners or in-store danglers inside, too. The messaging, the graphics, and the logo should all be the same for greater impact. Be sure the type is large enough for people to read from an appropriate distance. We can help you determine the right size and message.
Because their customers come to them, retailers also have the ability to hold in-store events and feature celebratory amenities such as popcorn machines or balloons for kids. For example, Waverly Gift Shop in Des Moines, Iowa, offered a prize for the best customer costume. The owners and staff were astounded by how many people showed up in costume. The store first opened in the 1950s and the winning entrant walked in decked out in 50’s garb, complete with a hula hoop.
Don’t forget to advertise your Milestone Marketing promotion to drive traffic. Local direct mail and online banners in local news websites are easy to create and relatively inexpensive to produce and distribute. To really boost turnout, be sure to include a coupon! If you can tie the offer directly to your milestone, such as 20% off to celebrate our 20th anniversary – it will make it that much easier to remember. Add some urgency by making it a limited-time offer (i.e., 20% off for 20 days to celebrate our 20th Anniversary).
Milestone Marketing for Restaurateurs
Restaurants can really create a lot of excitement around a Milestone Marketing campaign.You can go all out by hosting a series of events for different customer groups (i.e., business, weekend, couples’ nights, etc.), offering special discounts on food and meals and creating special commemorative dishes and beverages. Here are some popular restaurant promotions:
- Roll-back prices on desserts to the price they were your first year.
- Offer a discount to couples celebrating the same number anniversary that you are.
- Give companies a discount on their own anniversary party.
- Collect email addresses using an entry form for a raffle.
- Give a discount to customers who come in dressed in vintage clothes from the era during which you opened.
At Texas Premier Safeguard, we can help you design and print special menus, branded apparel for the staff, anniversary signage, banners, and brochures, as well as a newsletter and discount coupons. He or she can also offer updates to your website to include your anniversary promotion and make social media recommendations to get the word out!
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