Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Find a local charity or maybe even a national charity and kick of the grand opening with a benefit for the charity. For example, your store could donate a certain amount of money for every x number of dollars the customer spends to the charity. If you do this, get the media involved and have them interview the store manager/owner and the charity as well. It's a great human interest PR piece and will draw attention to the store.

Another idea might be to talk to local restaurants and have a "block party" type of grand opening. Section off a part of your parking lot, let the food vendors set up their cooking areas and let people come in for a "Taste of (your city name)" sponsored by your store. I would still try to work donating some of the profits to a charity, because that would bring the media in.

All of this will also help to establish your store as a business that cares about the local people.

Hope this helps!

Jeff

Free pancake breakfast! Its cheap to put on, you get your meat department's product INTO the mouth of the customer (free sample, free taste, great sales pitch!).

If you wish, ask for a donation of two dollars per person per plate (but its not mandatory) with the proceeds going towards rebuilding New orleans, hurricane relief, Iraq Vets, local charity, etc.

Hot dogs at lunch, burgers in the afternoon.

Draws for free groceries.

Scratch and win cards with every fourth cart winning a 40 percent off the bill (or so).

Free eggs, free milk with purchase (yes, it does work).

Radio radio radio.

Hope grand opening is a great one!

Darcy Moen
Customer Loyalty Network

Hi Resurgam,

I am sure this is what you have been visualizing, planning for, and working toward. The big event! Grand openings do not succeed by themselves. Lets start with the common things. I don’t know which country and what is your company? Still the I am expressing the general idea for you.

Blanket your city with flyers and coupons. Employ good public relations and issue special invitations to the media. Pierce the night sky with a laser beam visible for 60 miles! Advertise with the most efficient media, with the most effective ads. Build the excitement by offering food vouchers.

Hammer home the impression that finally, now your city has the hottest newest supermarket. Make sure your budget is affording these kinds of things.

I hope this will help!

Regards,

M Bhor

resurgam,

I hope you're having a great day!

CHOOSE THE EASIEST AND QUICKEST WAY TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM...I was thinking what would be the easiest solution to your problem. Most of the time we work to hard. So I figured the easiest solution to your problem would be to use what you already have plenty of and that's *OPE...*(Other People's Experience).

Now imagine If you have four other stores that have opened before this one your problem is easily solved by doing the following.

MAKE FOUR PHONE CALLS...INTERVIEW THE OTHER STORES... and see how they used various ideas to do their grand opening. Contact the store managers and ask them what they did. they will all be so helpful to share that knowledge with you.

MAKE THEIR EXPERIENCES WORK FOR YOU...
Whenever someone has gone before you always make yourself aware of the history (their experiences). If we fail to observe history it is more than likely possible that it will repeat itself. In this case you want to use history to work for you. You want to repeat the positive experiences of the other stores openings. Go ahead try it and let me know what happens. Remember our only real problem in life is our failure to be "MORE Creative" than we’ve ever been. If you “Invent” your opportunity YOU WILL most definitely C-R-E-A-T-E your future. I'm here for you if you need my insight. Is there anything else I can do for you?

Your Servant, Deremiah, *CPE (Customer Passion Evangelist)