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As featured on Eventbrite Australia’s weekly blog.
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At a glance a VIP launch is a perfectly sound idea. You invite a bunch of people over, toast your success and ask guests to #socialmedia so their FOMO friends rush out and buy what you’re selling. Unfortunately, you aren’t the only one inviting “pro bloggers” over for a cheese plate and champagne darling. VIP launches are now as common an occurrence as the opening of a toilet seat. The only measurable outcomes are headaches, and leftover hashtags on Instagram the next morning.
In 2014/2015 the ABS reported twenty one thousand new ABN’s were registered in Australia. That’s an average of fifty-five new businesses launching every day. It is no longer a phenomenon to launch a business in a competitive global marketplace. So how do you remain top of mind and attract new customers?
Don’t put all your champagne bottles in the one ice bucket darling…
Develop a 12 month calendar of events and invite your customers to regularly interact with your product or service. Unique and engaging events will build rapport and maintain brand visibility with your customers.
Here are 4 event ideas to put in your calendar that will trump the outcomes of a VIP launch every time…
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Workshops:
Interrupt the daily grind and slow customers down with an interactive workshop in store or offsite. Position yourself as a specialist and build appreciation for your product or service by teaching others how to do what you do.
Adelaide retail cafe, Brick + Mortar Creative, connect customers with exhibiting artists through workshops and events. Check out illustrator, Doris Chang’s, watercolour and calligraphy workshop in store next month!
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Collaborate and innovate:
As mentioned in my Eventbrite “Collaborating on cool: partnerships that create event success” article, collaborating with brands on events will introduce you to new customers.
Check out Flow Athletic’s After Dark Silent Disco Yoga in Sydney in July. This event re-energises existing customers of Flow Athletic and attracts new clients looking for a unique experience.
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Festival and Market Stalls:
Bring your product to the people and take your business on the road with a festival or market stall. Go beyond the trestle table set up and design your stall as if it were a mini-event. Design opportunities for interaction and tell your product’s story with signage, demonstrations, competitions or activities.
Bottle Shop Concepts‘ Game Of Rhones events showcase some incredibly unique activations. Wineries will dress up in costume, provide barrel tastings and design their stall to stand out from over 20 other wine producers.
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Behind The Scenes Tours:
Reward customer loyalty with a secret squirrel behind the scenes tour of your business.
Sensory Lab in Melbourne host free roastery tours to “demystify the roasting process” for loyal customers. Events like this are a powerful opportunity to turn loyal customers into brand advocates.
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