Marketing With A Twist

Have you ever wondered if you are spending your time on the right products? Even more important, what minor change could end up making a big difference in your sales?

Lately I have been thinking about marketing strategies outside of fairs, and all the online, electronic options. In my particular geographic location, the option for attending fairs is very limited. So I have been trying to come up with an opportunity where people could see my products in person, so I could gain a greater understanding of what would be desirable and what I need to do so my products are more successful.

Now what I came up with may or may not sound a little wild. I was working on putting together my daughter’s 17th birthday party when I had an epiphany. Since teenagers are some of the most affluent shoppers in the market today and they are honest with their worldly opinions, I thought that I would change the traditional goodie bag of candy and toys to take home at the end of the party.

So here is how it went. I set up a table and laid out my products for display. I cut out tags using scrapbook scissors to give them a nice pattern around the edges and placed some trendy pens. I then placed my business cards in a holder and set out a small container of straight pins. I am sure at this point you have a pretty good idea where this is going. When everything was set I covered the table and waited for the guests to arrive.

About an hour in to the party when I was sure most of the guests had arrived, I called them all into the room where I was set up. I opened with, “How many of you like to shop?” As you might guess everyone smiled and got excited. I then proceeded to explain that I needed to do some marketing research and they were going to benefit from it. Since they were too old for the traditional goodie bags to take home, I thought they might like to shop and pick out an item, which they would then be able to take home. I then removed the tablecloth cover and got an immediate cheer. I told them to browse, pick their item and hold on to it. There was a lot of excitement as they considered their choices, chatted, and in some cases traded with each other. My daughter explained different ways to wear some of the items. This was not only fun to watch, but I got a lot of very useful insight in to the shopping trends for their age group and some additional uses for my work. Once everyone made their selection I then asked them why they picked that particular item? Was it color, texture, length, etc.?

Next everyone put on their selection and we took a fun group picture which I told them I would like to post on my website and FB business page. They loved the idea!

Once we were done, I told them to write their name on a tag and use a pin to attach it to their item.

Now that I had my information, I sent them outside to continue with the festivities. I then wrote down their names and the item selected so I could update my inventory. I then wrapped them in tissue and assembled the gift bags. I stapled the label with their name to front of each bag along with a sticker containing my logo. Inside with the item I stapled my business card to a card that contains the care instructions, etc. As each guest departed their bag was waiting for them by the door.

As a result, several girls placed orders for additional items. I had an increase in traffic to my FB business page, HA shop and my website. For me this was very successful and now my products will be seen around school, at football games, various sporting events, and so on. It is not something I could afford to do often, but as a one off effort, you can get a lot of bang for your buck. For younger children, either they could pick something out, or a parent could assist them. Either way, you can still gather some great insight and get your products seen. If you do any marketing with a twist, please feel free to share it here.

Written by: Cr8tiveLefty

Website: www.cr8tivelefty.com

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