Question: Dear Coach Cannon: What can restaurants learn about successful marketing strategies from other industries?

Answer: In a down economy when budget is tight a great low-cost marketing strategy is in planning PR Events:

PR EVENTS: Plan special PR events targeted to very specific market niches.

1. Define your niche

2. Establish the emotional appeal

3. Choose the attraction

4. Decide what to use for retention after the event

5. Have an email capturing strategy during the event

6. Cross promote with other local businesses.

For example: a restaurant could have a Cinderella Party. The niche would be mothers of pre-schooler’s through 3rd graders. The emotional appeal is something like: Bring your little princess to the Cinderella Party dressed in her princess costume at ___ Restaurant on ___ date/time. The attraction: Dance with Cinderella, glitter glam makeup center, free cotton candy, prizes for wearing your costume! There are a number of creative ways for retention to keep your restaurant top of mind from all those who attended the event through useful promotional products. This Cinderella party is only one example of a niched PR event. You can plan events, themes and attractions to niche to any subset of your community.

PR Events are very successful for many industries because it not only brings additional foot traffic to your business, but the press releases before and after the event leverage a ton of FREE advertising! Submit a collection of photos and the newspapers will often dedicate a full page color spread on covering your event. To kick it up a notch, bring in a local celebrity to your event.

Got a question about your business? Submit your marketing, branding, advertising, PR, hiring, firing, staff training, customer service, sales, business management, leadership development, and other business questions to yooncannon@paramountbusinesscoaching.com.

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