#1048 woo hoo

A new Hallmark store opened in our mall and as part of the grand opening customers could sign up for door prizes.  I don't usually participate in those gimmicks -- I know that they really are bribing me to submit my name, email and phone so I can be targeted with marketing messages -- but I like Hallmark (a lot!) so I put my name in the box.

And I won!

A free card per week for an entire year!!

This prize, which is "a $156 value", cost them a mere fraction of that, but I am thrilled with it.  I can have 52 free cards whenever I want them within a year.  Some people may not find this appealing, but I am almost giddy when I think about the fun I will have redeeming my winnings.

How can you align your promotional efforts with something that is a delight for those who win it, but costs you little to provide it?  Think about how you can leverage your efforts to maximize the benefits to you: promoting the door prizes to draw customers into your business in the first place, utilizing information for marketing, and driving repeat customers. (i.e.: If they had been smarter, they would have required me to come in every week to get my card, increasing the chances that I would be enticed to buy something else.)

I'm sure in your organization there is a treasure waiting to be shared.  Capitalize on your bounty to identify your target customers, and even to thrill a few of them.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com