Playing the Dating Game

By John Stanley Winning awards as best retailer in your retail sector, best customer service in town or retailer of the year are great marketing opportunities. Awards can be used in internal and external store marketing campaigns and set you apart from the rest of the retailers in your catchment area. The strategy works for two to three years, after that, if you use the campaign, the message being communicated in the marketplace is �we were good once.� Outdated awards marketing campaigns have a more negative than positive affect. So What Do You Do? I was driving through my home town of Perth the other day and a billboard stood out from the crowd and caught my attention; it overcame the jaded marketing campaign in a real positive way. It was not promoting a retail business and therefore I�ve adapted it to a retail situation. Imagine a promotional board outside your business or in off site marketing that went as follows. No dates are given and the multi award winning can give you more credibility. Plus, the key box is the last one� �We care for you.� This concept overcomes the problem of a campaign becoming dated. Clearly, you will have to go out and win some awards. Entering award winning competitions is not an ego trip. Firstly, it is a great motivator for the team and allows you to re-analyse your business and make appropriate changes. Secondly, winning awards allows you to develop a marketing campaign that gives you the high ground in your marketplace, plus it also offers the opportunity to get some free publicity in the mass media. I encourage all my clients to enter local, regional and national awards as part of their marketing campaigns. Some win straight away, others take a bit longer, but eventually the dedicated ones achieve their goals. If you�re not entering award competitions, I would encourage you to do so. Then you can play the dating game. If your interested inbeing an award winner: Contact your National Retail Association Your Local Traders Association The Chamber of Commerce National Retail Federations John Stanley is an internationally recognised conference speaker and retail consultant with over 25 years experience in 18 countries. He has authored several successful marketing and retail books including the best seller Just About Everything a Retail Manager Needs to Know. John’s retail experience covers hands-on retailing in supermarkets, hardware stores, garden centres, farmers markets and drug stores. For more information John Stanley and his services visit his website www.johnstanley.cc