Promotional giveaways on St. Patrick’s Day can help small business owners generate consumer interest in their establishments. The holiday is the perfect opportunity for independent entrepreneurs to hold a celebratory marketing event to attract new customers.
“St. Patrick’s Day offers entrepreneurs a creative reason to reach out and communicate with your customers,” Charles Gaudet, a marketing strategist, told The Globe and Mail.
March 17 is rapidly approaching, so small businesses owners must start preparing for the holiday sooner rather than later. Procrastination can negate the luck of the Irish and leave entrepreneurs wishing they had been ready to capitalize on St. Patrick’s Day.
Don’t rely on luck when it comes to promotional giveaways – follow these tips when planning an event on St. Patrick’s Day.
Holiday decorations and themes
As with all major holidays, St. Patrick’s Day features a plethora of iconic imagery. Shamrocks, four-leaf clovers, leprechauns and pots of gold are all staples of March 17. Because most of these symbols are in the public domain, small business owners can include them in decorations, promotional marketing products and advertisements.
For celebrations in an establishment, an owner should use as much green as possible. The color signifies that the business is celebrating the joyous occasion and will help attract like-minded consumers. Green balloons and signs should be hung on the exterior so passersby know that the company is holding a special event. Additionally, green streamers, banners and balloons can be used to decorate the interior to complete the holiday atmosphere.
The imagery should also be used on all advertising for the special giveaways. Timely marketing messages are much more effective than their broad counterparts. Marketing Zone recently highlighted an email that didn’t include any holiday themes and barely made any mention of St. Patrick’s Day. Small business owners want their advertisements to have lasting appeal, but for a giveaway on St. Patrick’s Day it is imperative to include at least one icon in every marketing message.
The perfect presents
When consumers attend a giveaway, they expect to receive a few gifts. On March 17, local entrepreneurs can give all of their regular branded items an Irish spin to create truly unique promotional products that customers will love.
Holiday imagery can be emblazoned on every trinket to create an association between a small business and St. Patrick’s Day. For instance, leprechauns can be embossed on promotional magnets instead of the standard logos and decorations. As with the decorations, all branded gifts should be green to help customers celebrate.
Additionally, there are some creative ideas that small business owners could try. The pot of gold is a common holiday motif that lends itself well to a giveaway. Owners can distribute chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil so patrons feel like they’ve found a leprechaun’s treasure at the end of the rainbow.
Let employees celebrate
St. Patrick’s Day is supposed to be a joyous occasion for everyone, including employees. The Houston Chronicle writes that small business owners should let their dedicated contributors enjoy the festivities on March 17 to increase workplace satisfaction.
The news source writes that the best way to allow employees to celebrate is provide entertainment for them. Short scenes of old Irish folktales while musicians play traditional songs are perfect for a March 17 celebration. The small performances are fun activities that make St. Patrick’s Day fun even while staff members are working.
Additionally, small business owners should distribute personalized business gifts to their most dedicated staffers. Functional presents like coffee mugs, custom pens, and USB drives show staff that their supervisors recognize a strong work ethic. All of the rewards should include a four-leaf to wish workers good luck on their next major projects.