HAS ANYONE SEEN WENDY?
CLOSE-UP
Hillside shopping center has some fun with a sales promotion twist on a classic
W
hen you choose “Where’s Wendy?” as the name
for your shopping center’s promotional campaign,
you’re bound to get the same question over
and over: “Why not Waldo?” Michele Paget has a simple
answer: “Waldo’s otherwise engaged, he’s male, and not
a big shopper. He’s not our demographic.” That should be
clear enough. As the marketing director for Hillside Centre
(Victoria, Canada), she launched the campaign to drive
shoppers—primarily women—into stores located in the wing
where the old Sears department store used to be. She does
it with a combination of on-site graphics (e.g., floor decals
and food court show cards) and social media posts.
“When the customer spots
‘Wendy,’ they tell the store's
sales associate and are
instantly rewarded.”
Wendy
doesn't
exist, but her
smiling face is
still drawing
shoppers to
Hillside.
Before delving into the details of how this campaign
actually works, it is worth mentioning that Wendy does
not exist. She’s a fictitious character, but one who’s been
very effective at drawing shopper attention. Her smiling
face appears on decals that are hidden in eight alternating
stores, a different one each week. Nobody knows where that
is until Paget and her staff offer hints on Hillside Centre’s
social pages, and it’s up to shoppers to figure it out.
“When the customer spots ‘Wendy,’ they tell the store's
sales associate and are instantly rewarded,” Paget explained.
“By having the retailer provide the giveaway to the
customer, it keeps the customer in the store and builds
great customer-retailer relationships.”
The promotion will run for eight weeks during which the
center will give away 50 instant prizes ranging in value
from C$5–$8 (approx. US$3.90–$6.30). Paget might even
extend it if need be.
“[Thus far], the Purdy’s Easter Bunny [giveaway has been
the most popular], probably because ‘Wendy’ appeared
March 28, just a couple of days before Easter,” Paget noted.
“We have tried to theme the giveaways, tie them into the
various marketing campaigns and calendar holidays! Other
giveaway items include pink flamingo compacts [and]
mini zipped pouches with retail related messages [like]
#retailtherapy.”
The giveaways are paid out of the center’s marketing
budget and, when she can, Paget buys the items directly
from retailers, like she did for the Purdy’s chocolate bunnies.
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