Promotional Strategies to Make 2016 a Success!

How does dictionary.com define “entrepreneur?”

A person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

Entrepreneurs take on a certain amount of risk every day, with every business decision they make. What are some ways to reduce that risk? Smart, cost-effective marketing and promotional strategies to grow the business! Below are some easy, cost-effective promotional and marketing ideas to help you grow your business in 2016, whether you’ve been an entrepreneur for one day or one decade.


1.) Begin a Podcast. Welcome to the era of digital marketing! A podcast is an audio file, usually done in a series, that anyone can download. It could consist of interviews, insight on products, or any idea to help people better understand your company and how it benefits them. Be sure to make it content-driven, not product-driven.

2.) Support a Cause. The old saying, you catch more flies with honey, holds true here. People are easily drawn to kindness. By supporting a cause, you'll spark attention from people with similar beliefs. Include a link to donate in your email marketing campaigns, and include information on how you support the cause on your website, in your emails, or on social media.

3.) Send Targeted Email Campaigns. Similar to the podcast, use your email marketing to get important messages out to your target audience – including deals, giveaways, upcoming events, or important industry topics/news. Again, make sure to mix it up between product/service promotions and interesting content. 

4.) Create giveaways. Who doesn't love free stuff? A friendly competition between customers is a fun way to encourage sales, as such contests spread quickly via word of mouth. Also, people get to try your services risk-free!

5.) Customize Your Packaging. Last but not least, something near and dear to our hearts - a customized packaging program, so people will carry your brand with them wherever they go. Contact us to learn more about how to increase your brand awareness with customized packaging.

How to Turn Your Salon into a Spa!

A successful salon is one that is constantly seeking new ways to improve their services, decor, and profits. Turning your salon into a spa can produce a significant return on your investment if executed correctly. If you are willing to invest the time and money to expand your business, consider the following suggestions to make a smooth, rewarding transition.

• BUDGET: Take a careful look at your finances to decide if you have the money to expand your services, and if so, how much can you afford to invest in your renovation and the salaries for additional employees? If you have an accountant, ask him or her to help you decide on a budget that will not endanger your company's current well-being, and if needed, plan the transition in phases!
• PLANNING: The first step is deciding what spa-like services you would like to offer in the future. Would you like a massage room for customers? How about a nail salon? Another option is offering facials and make-up services for customers. What feedback have you received you’re your customers? You should also take in to account whether your current facilities have the available room to house the spa or whether an addition will have to be made to the building, or new space found. The funding budgeted for this expansion can help you decide whether to go with one of these alternatives or all of them.
  
• DESIGN: If you are creative and can envision how to redesign your salon to incorporate the new services being offered, you can save money by planning the redesign yourself. Otherwise, you will need to engage the services of an interior designer or construction company. The next step is to contact 2-3 reputable contractors to obtain bids or estimates on the remodel and decide how much of an overhaul you can afford to make.
• STAFFING: Once the work is being done to convert your salon into a salon and spa combination, you can then focus on staffing. Just having a license for aesthetics, nails, or massage does not necessarily mean that the applicant is a good fit for your new addition. Since the main purpose of a spa is to offer relaxing, luxurious amenities, you will be requiring employees whose qualifications and personalities harmonize with your business goal.
• ADVERTISING: As the date comes close for the grand opening of your new establishment, the big question is how to make the public aware of the beautiful new spa and its services. Begin by planning a festive grand re-opening to give people in the community the opportunity to tour the new salon/spa combination. Have postcards printed with details of the changes you've made that will serve as invitations. Advertise in the local newspaper. Use social media to your advantage by sharing the event with customers, family, and friends. Finally, consider creating a new logo for your salon/spa to use for advertising purposes.
• THE EXTRAS: With the addition of a spa, you will probably be selling new merchandise such as nail polish, makeup, and skin products. Nothing says "luxury" like beautiful packaging to send the spa goods home in. Personalizing it with your new logo will add a special touch. Stock matching tissue paper, ribbon, and wrapping paper to gift wrap for customers buying for a special occasion.

Adding spa services to your hair salon can be a big jump. Doing your homework by planning carefully and adding those extra little touches of glamour can take your business to a new level. Contact us for help with your packaging needs to ensure that your patrons leave the spa feeling pampered and content.

Closed...on Black Friday!?

REI announced it will not only be closed Thanksgiving Day, but it will not open its doors for Black Friday sales either! Many other retailers are following suit regarding staying closed on Thanksgiving night (but will be open for Black Friday), including Staples, Game Stop, Home Depot, and DSW, to

name a few.

A recent poll revealed that 47% of the participating shoppers think retail stores should stay closed on Thanksgiving, and not open their doors after the leftover turkey is put away. But, it is well-known that the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year, bringing most retailers out of the red and safely into the black. So why is REI breaking the mold this year?

REI's announcement may have shocked fellow retailers, but it should not have come as that big of a surprise. REI’s mission focuses on their employees, with many employee-first policies, great health coverage, tools for wellness, and even sabbaticals. So, naturally, they would want to give them this time off to be with their families, celebrating the holiday.

It has been said that only well-known, big-box chains can afford to consider a drastic move such as closing on Black Friday. So, how could a small business or “mom and pop” shop survive – or even benefit from – such a closing?

• With social media, early promotion of holiday sales before Black Friday for the first week of December could encourage shoppers to wait for the better price on a less crazy day; also, if you have e-commerce capabilities – you can promote and run sales any time you want!
• Small communities, in particular, take note of businesses that care about their employees, and will be more inclined to shop there – during normal working hours!
• Happy employees translate into more productive work, which leads to better customer service – and that will keep customers coming back again and again – whether you are open on Black Friday or not!

There's no doubt the risk is great in closing on the biggest shopping day of the year, but perhaps REI is on to something. Maybe if more retailers shift to employee health and family time first, big sales and a healthy business profile will follow.

Secret Retail Weapon? Set the Mood!

Your brand is your baby and the tone you set in your store – from the layout to the lighting to the color scheme – embodies what means the most to you. But do you have this same control over how your store feels to customers? What are the subtle nuances—the ambience—that can make customers want to linger—or lunge for the door?

A lot of it has to do with music! You probably already know that music has a marked effect on a customer’s shopping and purchasing decisions. If you’ve ever noticed how the ambiance can suddenly shift in your store when that perfect, magical song comes to an end, then you’ve already seen how music has tremendous control over the human mood. But you might not be aware of studies that have been conducted in this area, which can help you pinpoint exactly which elements of music have the best retail-friendly effects on your customers.

The European Journal of Scientific Research found the following in their study titled “Effect of Background Music on Consumer’s Behavior:”

1.      Mood. Through tempo and volume, music can affect a customer’s mood – which can be positive or negative – leading customers to stay in the store longer and potentially buy more, or leave sooner.  

2.      Perception of Time. Music can also affect a customer’s perception of time, causing them to stay in the store longer – although this may not necessarily increase the probability of a sale.

3.      Perception of Merchandise Worth. Certain types of music can, through an association with an elite segment of society, create a perception of enhanced product worth, which could result in a sale.

Specifically:

·         Studies regarding the loudness of music have shown that customers left more quickly from supermarkets where loud music was being played, but that this did not necessarily affect sales

·         Studies in tempo have indicated a relationship between slower-tempo music and a lower traffic flow—yet a paradoxical increase in sales

·         Studies also indicate that while they’re listening to music, customers have a more realistic perception of passing time—meaning they could end up lingering in your store because they don’t have that nagging feeling that they’ve been in there longer than they really have.

So the big question is, with something as subjective as music, how to best create a playlist that will keep customers shopping long enough to appreciate everything your store has to offer! The answer might be a bit more scientific than simply plugging in your sales clerk’s favorite band. Music might well be just as important an aspect of merchandising as fixtures, lighting, and attractive window displays!

Build Your Brand This Holiday Season!

Tis’ the season! Retailers love the end of the calendar year as it brings several different holidays that increase sales and can spell the difference between a successful year and a mediocre one. Instead of simply focusing on how you can increase sales, however, the winter holidays are also an ideal time to build your brand through retail packaging.

1. Put Your Logo On It! Packaging, gift wrap and bags in which shoppers take home their treasures can go a long way toward keeping your brand in front of customers all year long. Consistency is one of the keys toward brand identification. Company logo and slogan are important elements in packaging, and should appear on all items in your lineup.
2. Choose Multi-Use Items! Take a look at what large successful retailers like Victoria's Secret or Bath & Body Works do during the holiday season – both provide special collections often placed inside sturdy, attractive packaging that not only displays the brand's products in the store, but may also be reused by the consumer during the year to store toiletries, knickknacks and the like. Packaging your product line in similarly suitable containers will keep your brand in front of customers throughout the year.
3. Glamorize Your Everyday Packaging! Already have a large stock of everyday bags or boxes? Add holiday flare in the form of a belly band, hang-tag, or festive ribbons and bows. This will allow customers to reuse the bags and boxes throughout the year, and will allow you to continue to give out your everyday, branded bag, but with an additional holiday touch.

Action Bag can customize your store's packaging and help you increase your brand this holiday season! Call us to discuss your options today!

Retail Color Trends for Fall

Fall has arrived and while that might mean colder weather in parts of the country, it also means new retail color trends. The Fall 2015 Fashion Color Report from Pantone has come out with a set of new colors you need to keep an eye on this season.  According to the report:

"This season displays an umbrella of accord that weaves earthy neutrals with a range of bold color statements and patterns to reflect a landscape of hope, fun, fantasy and all things natural."

And the most exciting thing?  Both men and women can get in on the color action.  Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute® Leatrice Eiseman states in the report that:

"The Fall 2015 palette is rooted in multi-faceted, androgynous colors that can be worn to portray effortless sophistication across men’s and women’s fashion; it is the first time we are seeing a truly unisex color palette."

So what are the hot new colors for this season?  Here are the main ones Pantone lists in their report:

• Desert Sage: This is a gray-green shade that embodies the earthy tone look reported to be hot this season.  It's "timeless and unobtrusive, yet powerful enough to make a statement on its own."
•  Stormy Weather: A dark gray color perfect for those stormy fall days and nights.  Described as "strong, protective and enduring." 
• Marsala: The burgundy color that is only worn best in the fall. “A wine-inspired red-brown that adds finesse and savoir faire to the palette."
• Biscay Bay: “A lush and elegant teal... combining the serene qualities of blue with the invigorating aspects of green.”  A bright yet deep bluish green that adds beautiful color to the reds, browns, and oranges of Fall.
• Cadmium Orange: Remember the shade of orange that was so popular in the hippie days of the '60s and '70s?  It's made a comeback.  “Cadmium Orange is a warm, welcoming and subtly dramatic hue that is striking enough to stand on its own or act as a bold contrast.”
• Reflecting Pond: “A cooling blue that adds dimension and intrigue… a serious shade that speaks to the need for stability and security.” This dark blue has a grayish tint that is all the rage this season.
• Amethyst Orchid: Described as “the jewel in the crown of the Fall 2015 palette.”  Purple appears every season in some shade or another, and this fall, it's a darker shade of lavender.

     Let us know if we can help you incorporate these fabulous fall colors into your coordinated packaging.

Get the Most Out of the Holidays!

The holiday season is retail's busiest time of year -- exceed your sales goals and get the most out of the holidays by tapping into your customers' psyche. Whether they know it or not, product placement, staffing, and decorations all play a role in creating the perfect environment for holiday spending. This year, implement the following practices in your store, and prepare to generate revenue AND holiday cheer.

Incorporate Holiday Packaging. 
So what makes shopping during the holidays different from any other time of year? The excitement of gift giving. Help your customers anticipate the joy on their loved one's faces by adding holiday specific gift tags, wrap, or bags to your everyday packaging options. Brightly colored holiday wrapping paper and shiny bows in trendy colors just help to put everyone in the holiday spirit.

Staff Your Store with Merriment.
Holiday shopping can be stressful and your customers are likely to head home if they feel overwhelmed. Fortunately, your staff members can ease the strain by providing expert-level advice on your product line. Make sure your staff is trained and prepared to help holiday customers with exceptional service and a jolly attitude.

Deck the Halls.
Get into the holiday spirit by making sure that your holiday decorations drive sales. Try using pre-wrapped packages of common holiday gifts to create a dramatic presentation near your cash registers or end-aisles. Even a pretty ribbon or bow can entice a customer to make that purchase.

If you are looking to spruce up your holiday marketing strategies this year, contact us to discover the perfect seasonal looks to fill your store with cheer.