December 3, 2013

12 Christmas Promotion Ideas

What’s the purpose of the Idea of the Week?
We work with about 1000 independently owned supermarkets in America and we know how difficult it is for the independent to operate against larger national and regional chains with seemingly unlimited marketing funds.
Our goal is to provide an idea each week to help the independently owned food store compete more favorably with their competitors. Sometimes we have more than just one idea each week (no extra charge).
Where do the ideas come from?
They come from you, the independent retailer. As we work with retailers across the country we come across some really great ideas that meet these three criteria:
1.  The idea is practical and scalable to any size or format independently owned food store.
2.  The idea can be easily implemented – sometimes in minutes, sometimes in hours or days but never in weeks or months or years.
3.  The idea needs to be affordable.  In 75% of the ideas we hope they can be implemented for less than $25.  We fully expect the return on that investment to be far greater than $25.
So, we hope you enjoy the Media Solutions Corporation Idea of the Week and we hope that you find at least one idea that helps you compete more favorably.
At any time you think this exercise is a waste of your time, just unsubscribe by clicking on the button at the bottom of each email.  We don’t want to waste your time and respect your decision.
And, if you have any suggestions, ideas, photos, critiques or even complaints – just click on the link below and shoot me a quick email with your thoughts.  I’d be interested in your feedback.
Jim Lukens
General Manager
Media Solutions Corporation
5350 N 48th Street, Suite 240
Chandler, Arizona   85226
480-639-1200 (office)
480-797-1558 (mobile)
www.mediasolutionscorp.com

Idea of the Week:  
12 Easy Ideas to help you sell more Christmas Holiday items next week
 
Most are priced $25 or less each !  
“At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year”   
Thomas Tusser 
 
“Christmas comes but once a year so stop what you’re doing and get into gear” 
Jim Lukens 

Click here to view PDF
Idea #1:
Holiday Party Platters from your Deli and Produce-
 
Using the template (see right) we can produce an eBlast email that will be sent to all your customers.
 
Get started TODAY: 
  
1.  Tell us you want the “3 item “Party Platter” blast
2.  Send in your 3 custom items and pricing along with the “send” date you want us to use  to email it out to your subscribers
3.  We’ll send you a proof and send it to your shoppers    on the day you select
This promotion cost is $25 is you use this template.

Idea #2: 

Click on picture to view Christmas digital signage
Click on picture to view Christmas digital signage
Use Christmas themed Digital Signage to communicate with your customers and to tell your stories.    Select Christmas themed movies for all your store LED screens.
Digital signage movies can help tell your Holiday Season story.  If you’re already on our digital signage subscription system, your $10 per store per week fee includes all our Christmas Season movies at no additional charge. 
 

You can make as many video playlists as you’d like so sign-on today and start incorporating Christmas themed videos throughout your store.
If you’re paying the $10 per week fee, why not take advantage of all the available videos relating to the Christmas season?   If you decide you need customization of any of the included videos, just call.
This promotion cost is “free” if you’re already subscribing to the MSC digital signage program.  If you are not subscribing, the cost is $10 per store per week for access to approximately 400 of our movies for your in-store LED screens.

Click here to view PDF image
Idea #3:
Holiday Meal Deals- Promote your program online
 
If you offer a complete “Holiday Meal Deal”, it should be posted on your website homepage, on your FaceBook for Business website and in an EBlast that is sent to your opt in subscribers.
We still have time to produce a homepage slide promoting your program.  You can also place this information on your FaceBook for Business page TODAY.
This promotion cost is $25 to produce a customized home plate slide or $25 to produce a customized eBlast.
 

Click here to view PDF
Idea #4: 
Promote your Holiday Gift Baskets – digitally
 
Use  an eBlast you email out to your customers :
1.  Tell us you want the “3 item holiday basket” blast
2.  Send in your 3 custom items and pricing along with the        date you want to email this blast  out to your subscribers
3.  We’ll send you a proof and send it to your subscribers on the day you select
This promotion cost is $25 using this template

Click here to view PDF image
Idea #5: 
Promote your Community Connections this Christmas Season- 
 
There are plenty of beneficial things you do in your community and you should be promoting those community connections during the holiday season.
Enlist the support of your customers to help those in need this upcoming Christmas season by promoting the cause with a website homepage slide or eBlast informational sheet.
This promotion cost is $25 to produce a homepage customized slide promoting your charitable cause.   

Click here to contact our help desk for this promotion

 

click here to view PDF image
Idea #6:
Beef Tenderloin, Beef Rib Roasts from your Meat Dept-
 
In an eBlast you email out to your customers you can promote three of your seasonal meat specialties :
1.  Tell us you want the “3 item “Tis the Season” blast
2.  Send in your 3 custom items and pricing along with the        date you want us  to email it out to your subscribers
3.  We’ll send you a proof and send it to your subscribers       on the day you select
This promotion cost is $25 using this template
 

Click here to view PDF image
Idea #7:
Promote your Holiday Open House Event –
 
Have us create a Home Page Slide for your website for your Holiday Open House Event.  It’s also easy to add this promotion to your FaceBook for Business Site and eBlast it to opt in email customers.
This promotion cost is $25 to produce a customized homepage slide.  There is no cost for you to post your event on your FaceBook for Business site.  If you don’t have a FaceBook for business site you can build one for free (on your own) – or we can build it for you for a one time fee of $350 to $400.
 

Click here to view PDF image
Idea #8:
Promote Whole Pies and Christmas Cookies  from your Bakery-
 
Promote “Whole Pies” and Christmas Cookies and signature items Holiday Sales event in an eBlast, on your website slideshow, text message event and on FaceBook for Business.
The cost of this promotion is $25 for a website homepage customized slide promoting your signature pies and cookies.

Click here to view PDF image
Idea #9:
One step better than a Holiday Open House- 
 
Holiday Open Houses are fun to promote.  Lots of holiday item sampling, Santa Claus photo ops, Recipe ideas, gift ideas and more.
How to make it even better?
Offer a discount to those who attend that day and pre-book holiday specialties (e.g. Rib Roasts, Party Trays) to be picked up closer to the Christmas and New Years Holidays.
Perfect as an eBlast, slide show for your website, on FaceBook for Business and via text message to opt in customers.
The cost of this promotion is $25 if you use one of our existing templates.
 

Idea #10:
Holiday Hams – Promote them early- 
 
It’s always difficult to promote all your holiday ham varieties going into the Christmas season.  You’ve got whole, boneless, double smoked, country, city, spiral sliced and other varieties. This is difficult to promote in your meat case.
 
Why not promote your “Holiday Ham Specials” on your Website Home Page Slideshow – with links to your Ham varieties and pricing?  We can also produce a full page ad of your ham choices to post on your website and eBlast to your customers if you wish. 
The cost for this promotion is $25 to produce a homepage slide, $25 to produce an blast using one of our existing templates and $25 to have us produce a website ad (that will be emailed as well) for $25 if we use one of our existing templates.

Click here to view PDF image
Idea #11:
Update your FaceBook Banner Photo-
 
 
Update your FaceBook for business site Banner Photo with Christmas season photos at the top of your FaceBook for Business website.
Need photos?  With your Social Octane subscription you have plenty of photos for your banner page that are Christmas themed.  Don’t have Social Octane subscription?  Call us and by the time you hang up the phone you’ll have access to Social Octane Postings and Banner Photos to use.
The cost for the annual subscription to our galleries of pre-formatted and sized, licensed photos for your FaceBook for Business banner page is $180 per year- which is less than $3.50 per week.
 

Idea #12:
Post items that are Christmas Party and Christmas Dinner Related on your FaceBook for Business website-
 
‘Tis the season to keep your social media content relevant and personalized to your customers.  Promote your offerings for Christmas season parties and special deals on Christmas dinner items on your FaceBook for Business page.
If you already have a FaceBook for Business page, the cost for an annual subscription to our Social Octane content posting system for FaceBook for Business is only $360- which is less than $7 a week for professionally written FaceBook posts with licensed photos for each post.  Many of these posts have seasonal recipes and party planning tips. You can edit and personalize any post if you wish.