It’s February and that means hearts and red and pink decorations are everywhere you look.
According to a survey done by the National Retail Federation, Valentine’s Day ranks fourth in consumer spending compared to other major holidays and events throughout the year. That means with February 14th just around the corner, it’s a great time for your business to experience a boost in sales.
So, what should you and your franchisees offer customers to promote business related to Valentine’s Day?
BOGO Offers
You’ve probably heard the term BOGO but weren’t sure of how or when to use it. When you think about it, a BOGO offer is ideal for couples on this special day.
BOGO means buy one, get one and the possibilities are endless for your promotions. It can mean buy one of something, get another item for free. Or, it can also mean buy one, get another item at a discount. The discount can be practically any number you want it to be, but you’ll probably find that most businesses will use 50%.
If you’re a restaurant, this can be one of a certain meal, and then the special offer applies to the same meal or one of lesser value. If you’re a gym or health club, it could be a membership, and another one 50 % off. Or, if you have a hotel, it could be a 3-night stay for the price of only two nights.
Whatever you do, a BOGO offer is a lot of fun to create clever marketing to encourage someone to do something special for, or with, their Sweetie.
Hint: You may even want to stretch your creativity to create promotions for your single customers, so they feel some love too.
Contests & Sweepstakes
If you want to do something really special for your couple customers, you can do a contest or a sweepstakes-type promotion.
The one thing you will want to keep in mind is that the “prize” should be something geared towards couples. For example, it can be a ski trip for two at a local resort or a weekend getaway to a warmer climate. Or, you can keep the promotion geared towards your own products or services. For example, if you’re an auto shop, you could giveaway free his and hers oil changes every 3 months for a year.
Depending on your resources, you can do something big like a cruise or something of smaller value like a free dinner for two. Regardless of what your giveaway is, if it’s geared towards couples, it will gain some attention during this time of year.
Partnering with Other Franchises
Are there other franchises that you are comfortable partnering with for a promotion?
Regardless of your franchise locations, there are probably other franchise businesses in your area that you can work with to increase sales.
For instance, if you have a hotel, you could offer couples staying during the Valentines’ Day week a coupon to a local restaurant. You could partner with that restaurant so that if a couple orders specific menu items or come in during a specific set of days, they would receive a discount or a free night at your hotel.
Or possibly a cleaning service franchise and a spa franchise. The customer could treat their Sweetie to a spa day and have a cleaning service clean their home. (Not a bad idea????)
That way not only does the customer win, but both businesses win as well.
Again, you can get creative with any other businesses that complement yours and the possibilities are never ending!
Need Help with Franchising Ideas?
Are you looking for more ideas on how you can promote your franchises for special events throughout the year?
The Big Sky Franchise Team has expertise in a variety of marketing strategies in addition to coaching and training services specifically designed for franchisors. Call us at 855-8-BIG-SKY / 855-824-4759 or Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation today.
