A professional sports team in Saint Louis is working to reach out to fans and boost attendance with a plan based on the current economic turbulence. The NHL Blues have introduced their own "fan bailout plan."
This week the team announced every remaining Saturday home game beginning Nov. 29, 2008, the Blues organization will call the seat number of a fan and pay that person's mortgage or rent for four months, up to $4,000 total! But the marketing move does not stop there; the club is also offering discounted tickets. And what would the action on the ice be without food and souvenirs? The team will also continue its Free Food game, where fans can receive some free food when they attend the March 15 game against Minnesota.
Even non-hockey fans are taking note of the new promotions. Perhaps there is a way your business could demonstrate to established customers and potential clients you are reaching out to help them in the economic downturn. Could your outreach take the form of a coupon or sweepstakes? SBTV.com Legal Editor Cliff Ennico has some tips on creating coupons.
Contests can be a useful marketing tool to bring attention to your business, attract new customers, and increase sales. They can also be a way to step into legal trouble if you are not careful. Ennico discusses how to keep your small business contests legal in this streaming video segment.
Need some ideas on how to reach those potential customers? Susan Benjamin, marketing expert and author, discusses innovative marketing strategies to help weather the tough economic times in this video interview.