For the second year running, one of Australia’s biggest hospitality chains has decided to cut beverage prices by almost half.
So, what’s the occasion?
Why it’s winter, of course!
Necessity is the mother of invention. And because businesses need to keep making money all year round, there’s no better time than the present to get creative and devise new ways to maintain revenue during the slower months.
This is not just a challenge for inherently chill-adverse enterprises like surf shops, sunscreen manufacturers and ice cream trucks.
The explosion of stay-at-home dining, entertainment and shopping options has made it even harder for most businesses to attract customers as the mercury drops.
The Merivale Group, which owns dozens of venues in Sydney and surrounds, has attempted to stem the annual downturn in the most direct and obvious way: by making a visit a lot more financially enticing.
Just as it did in 2018, Merivale is slashing the price of drinks by 49 percent – the maximum discount for alcoholic beverages permitted under NSW law – between 5 and 7pm throughout June.
But if your business doesn’t have the cash reserves or wholesale buying power to absorb such wintry generosity, don’t despair. Few do. This is where imagination kicks in.
Here’s some winter marketing tips to get you started and keep trade moving as the big freeze sets in:
1. Get Online: If you’re a bricks and mortar business, it’s already tougher than ever to convince people to open their wallets outside the comfort and convenience of their own homes or workplace. Naturally, you have an online presence via your website and social media channels. But are you doing enough to drive sales through the Internet, or merely using these platforms to convey information about your business? Even if you don’t have the capability to sell online, competitions, giveaways and promotions are a great way to use the web to draw people to your doorstep.
2. Diversify: What do people want in winter? Warmth. Comfort. Nourishment. As a remedy to the frigid conditions outside, these things are always hungrily received. If your business can think of a way to provide them alongside – or possibly instead of – your regular offerings, you’ll be very popular indeed! For example, surf shops often sell ski gear, ice cream trucks can install a coffee machine, and sunscreen manufacturers can target the alpine regions, where the glare can be extreme!
3. Themed Events: Ever heard of Christmas in July? Themed events during winter are a great way to give customers that extra push to brave the cold and head out. And they are more effective when they symbolise one or, preferably all three, of the above qualities – warmth, comfort and nourishment. Intimate music, hearty food, fire-based entertainment…start thinking of things that radiate!
Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg (excuse the pun).
Brilliant Logic has plenty more winter marketing ideas and strategies to help your business thrive during what is a notoriously challenging period. If you’re looking for ways to become a perennial powerhouse, give us call.