Though life as we know it may have been put on hold for the foreseeable future, the United States, Europe, Great Britain and countries around the world are already looking towards the summertime with a sense of hope and excitement. Though there has been no information about when we are likely to see lockdown restrictions lifted, the general message world leaders are sending out is that is a temporary situation and we will all be able to meet again. Here are some of Probella’s tips on how to help your business come back with a bang this summer.
Physical events
When it is safe to do so and the medical advice states that people can interact with each other in a normal way again, there will almost certainly be a massive uptake in physical events. This can include branded launch parties for products, promotional themed club nights and re-opening events for restaurants and bars. Though you may not be able to plan for when these events may happen, there is nothing to stop you drawing up some plans for how they might look and what sort of thing you are hoping to achieve. For example, if you are a restaurant that has been forced to close due to the outbreak, consider revitalising your menu to maximise profits and showcase your chef’s most impressive culinary skills. Similarly, local gyms who will have seen a massive drop in profits can encourage new memberships by offering discounted prices for new signups and delivering snappy, well crafted, content driven campaigns within the next few months.
Subscription Based Discount
As we have mentioned on our blog before, the subscription model is fast becoming one of the most profitable ways for businesses to make money while also providing their customers with a great sense of satisfaction. As many businesses are going to need a significant boost in sales and interaction in order to survive, offering customers discounts on subscription-based sign ups can be a great way of locking in future income quite quickly. The most successful subscription-based marketing campaigns capitalise on the overall value of a monthly payment as an opposed to buying products or services on an “as and when” basis. Things like loyalty cards and memberships that provide regular discounts for patrons of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and cinemas are especially popular as they make the customer feel as if they’re getting a great deal of value for less than they should be paying.
Emphasize the Excitement
After potentially months of being trapped indoors, it’s likely that people will be eager to get out and about again. This sense of excitement is something that can be utilised quite effectively in marketing campaigns. Focus on the positive and make sure any summer campaigns you launch are characterised by upbeat language and the kind of imagery that makes people want to enjoy themselves. Even for businesses who operate in quite dry, or serious sectors, emphasizing that the lockdown is over and making this a cause for celebration will be something that can inject a sense of life and urgency into any campaign.
Key Worker Discounts
In the past few weeks and months, the people who keep our world going have suddenly begun to seem a lot more important. From ambulance drivers to cleaners, shop workers to warehouse operatives, the key workers who make sure we have food on the table and access to health care have still been hard at work. Many businesses have already started offering this type of worker discounts as a show of their appreciation and hopefully this will continue when the world does finally reopen for business. Offering discounts to key workers not only shows you appreciate their efforts; it also identifies your company as the type of organisation who understands the way in which the world is interconnected. As we’ve mentioned before, demonstrating a human element when creating your campaigns is often far more effective than trying to maintain a sense of distance or detachment.
Making Up for lost time
Though hard sell tactics are usually something we would discourage in 21st century marketing, when the summertime arrives, it could be a good idea to go back to the old school. As people will feel as if they are making up for lost time, they may be more susceptible to traditional “buy now!” style messages and overtly simple calls to action. Encouraging restaurant customers to come for two meals per week instead of just one could be a great way of turning an already loyal customer into a super fan. Similarly, offering half price deals or giving discount on bulk buys will generally encourage people to spend a little more with you over time. Though you may feel as if you’re losing out on profit by cutting prices initially, the return will be seen over the following months as you head towards the Christmas period.
Humour and Fun
After the severity of the global crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic, the chances are your customers will be looking for a little humour and fun. Make your summer marketing campaigns light-hearted, funny and enjoyable to engage with. After periods of global crisis, edgy, dark humour generally performs less favourably than content with a sense of warmth and joy. Getting the tone right can take time, especially if you’re used to working in an industry where irony and satire are commonplace, but with enough preparation it is possible. Though you don’t have to infantilise your campaigns to make them successful, it does make sense to react to the current socio-economic climate when you are creating content. Remember that people will have lost loved ones, livelihoods, homes and more, so they may not be receptive to all styles of humour. Keep it positive, keep it fun and above all, try to remind your customers that the summer of 2020 should be a time of joy and celebration to contrast with the difficulties of the first part of the year.
