(Entry by Rich Sloan)
The deluge of holiday promotions is getting overwhelming. Offers for free shipping, unheard of discounts, etc., are EVERYWHERE!
One recent promotional mailing, though, actually stopped me in my tracks. It was clever, different, and made me smile.
It was from the local optical shop where i’d had an eye exam and bought glasses a year ago ("Shades Optical" in Birmingham, MI) and it was a simple, small fold-over card that had the name of the company on the cover and inside it had a paragraph about how your vision may deteriorate over time. ‘It is very important to update your corrective lens prescription annually…’ and more details were provided.
But here’s the clever part. The paragraph was printed somewhat blurry! As the message concluded, it came into sharp focus with the words, ‘schedule an appointment’ in clear letters.
Not only was this a very ‘smart’ promotion (reflecting very positively on the business), but it also offered helpful information.
The letter did NOT offer anything free or discounts or limited time offers and still, it’s my favorite holiday mailing i’ve received this year.
Standing out from the noise is a critically important thing for your business to achieve.
If you know of other very clever, impressive, and/or particularly effective promotions you’ve come across this season, I’d love for you to share them with fellow entrepreneurs in the comments below…
