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Marketing Special Sales

Erinn Morgan

Here are several examples of effective ways to market special promotions and discount programs.

PROMOTING AND ADVERTISING

1 Midwest Vision Centers runs a bevy of promotions and, thus, does a lot of advertising to support them. “We advertise it 10 days out from the promotion and then hit it really hard when it gets closer with radio ads, newspaper ads, and direct mail pieces,” says president and CEO Larry Pearson. Adds Jim Dennen of Total Eyecare in New Jersey, “Most of our newspaper advertising specifically targets people who currently shop in the box stores. I want them to bring their prescription in here.”

KEEP IT SIMPLE

2 With elegance as the overriding theme of his sales, Ed Beiner, president of Florida-based Edward Beiner Group, says the goal is to keep marketing minimal. “We put signs by the front of the store that say 20 to 50 percent off,” he says. “We hardly ever advertise our sales in magazines or newspapers.”

CONTACT CUSTOMERS

3 In addition to its advertising boom, Midwest Vision Centers sends out email blasts and direct mail postcards to patients.

“For our last promotion, we sent out 80,000 postcards to customers,” reports Ira Haber, president of the Denver-based Europtics.

USE YOUR ASSETS

4 At Total Eyecare, Dennen employs kiosks on the stores' front lawns to advertise specials. “We also have digital LED 5-foot signs up on the side of the building that we use. Our main store is located on one of busiest state route highways and about 80,000 cars pass by every day. So, we make sure we advertise our sales and promotions to all those potential customers.”

GET SOCIAL

5 Many ECPs also use a blend of social media. “We put sales on our website and our Facebook page, plus we Tweet them,” says Beiner, who also notes that he pays to advertise his sales on Facebook. “You definitely get some business out of that. The best strategy is a mix of media.” EB