DIY TN NOv2013 November 2013 | Page 71

DIY Trade News November 2013 COMPANY PROFILE OPINION FEATURE NEWS SPORT 71 Target your promos successfully HARDWARE YOU CAN TRUST SECURITY SECURITY PRODUCTS PRODUCTS CONCEPT CONCEPT There is a great danger in just doing promotions. They need to be planned to increase your chances of success, which means developing an annual calendar of promotions. This allows you to pace your promotions rather events. Now put in the ones specific to your type than having a last minute sprint to take advantage of business, for example a home renovation event of the next promotional opportunity. It also or a lawn mowing demonstration day. ensures that you don’t have long gaps at certain Next to each promotion you have listed identify times of year when there is no promotional activity the target market it is aimed at. By this, I mean to excite and attract customers. the customer type or types that this promotion is designed to attract. Let’s make sure we don’t Then for each promotion answer the following questions: • limit your thinking and take an example from well outside your industry, a pharmacy. For a What is your target market for this pharmacy key customer types may include: particular promotion? • What are your objectives? • How are you going to achieve these • The elderly. objectives? • Workers from nearby businesses. • What resources will you need? • Teenage girls from the local schools. • How far in advance will you need to • • ttractive and informative A POS Patients of local medical practices. • • ategory concepts designed C for maximum ROI Mums with infants and pre-school children. • • omprehensive range of KVI’s C available in all price points Shoppers from the supermarket next door. put things in place, e.g. printing of as a magnet towards certain customer types. aways and props as well as product? Product price promotions may attract bargain Have you employed and trained sufficient hunters shopping at the local supermarket but staff to handle the extra business? • target markets, but different promotions will act suppliers for support information, give• There will be some overlap between these promotional materials, contacting this customer type may tend to cherry pick the Has every member of your team been discounted items and avoid the full price items. informed and enthused about the Now it’s time to focus on your business. Is promotion? • there a predominance of promotions aimed at How will you measure the success? one or two customer types to the exclusion of a couple of others? If so, what can you do in your Let’s examine the first of these questions: What is your target market for a particular promotion? promotions to take a more balanced approach? If you would like a copy of the Annual To help you answer it, here’s a simple exercise I’d Promotions Calendar and also a form to help you like you to complete. It will allow you to assess and your colleagues agree on your key customer whether your promotions are balanced to attract types, then do get in touch and I’ll email both your key customer types. forms to you. Complete this information List in date order all the main promotions you ABOUT typically get involved in throughout the year. Subscribe to Jurek’s FREE monthly ‘Terrific Tips’ Start with the obvious ones; end of financial year e-newsletter at: www.terrifictrading.com. sale, Fathers Day, Christmas, etc. Next add in Alternatively, email [email protected]. events specific to your area, including community For further information www.mackiediy.co.za 021 508 1250