1-888-353-5012I grew up in a conservative household, my Dad, a police officer, my mom, a primary school teacher. Life was good, we were a quiet, traditional family, I was happy.
Then occasionally, maybe once a year, my Uncie Ormey, (my Mom’s brother) showed up and rocked my world. He was everything my parents were not. Wild, unpredictable, an entrepreneur, made money, lost money, loved a party and a good laugh. They called him Stormy Ormey.
When I was in Grade Two, he came for a visit. At the dinner table that night, everything was going along as it always did. Then Uncie caught my eye and he put a green olive up each of his nostrils. Looked at me with a half-crazed look in his eye, smiled and then fake sneezed the olives into his hand – which he then quickly gobbled up.
I was in awe. He laughed, and it made me laugh.
My mother was horrified.
But it showed me a whole different world, it was so unexpected, funny and out of the ordinary. It has stuck in my head in detail for 48 years. I fell madly in love with Uncie Ormey.
That incident connected me with him, and it continued with all our visits together after that. I could give you countless examples of similar stories that caught me off guard, made me laugh, and deepened my connection to him. He could always be counted on for fun and a surprise.
Your Marketing should NOT be boring! Tell compelling stories, use eye-catching headlines, use a little shock and awe. Whatever you do, don’t blend in.
Your marketing should do the same thing. It’s meant to create a connection with your customers, fill their needs, be an antidote to their everyday lives, make you memorable and give them a reason to return.
You want your product and service to be consistent, but not predictable. Trader Joe’s sends out a frequent e-newsletter called the Fearless Flyer. Even the name is fun. And it often has a great story about a product that compels me to try it on my next visit. When we were there over the holidays, they had a cut out in front of the store (that was probably created for kids) that we took a silly picture in. It was one of the things that made the trip feel like going on an adventure, instead of grocery shopping. The names of their products, the descriptions, the staff picks, and words they use in their marketing emails – it all demonstrates their culture and creates my desire to return more often.
Don’t be boring!
Here’s some ideas:
● Change up your POSTCARDS! (Especially birthdays).
● Create some extraordinary events – and make them last the entire month.
● Refresh your Rewards signage to encourage new signups.
● Design a bundled service or product package.
● Find some ways to use “alternative currencies”.
● Give a month a theme and go all out to celebrate that theme.
● Have a contest for your customers.
It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just do something different. And if you need help brainstorming what they may look like, call your Royalty Rewards® Coach. They have a ton of ideas!
Stand out from the usual and make your business the memorable experience your customers are craving.