Brands coming to life in stores

Hostess promotions are the biggest “events” that take place inside stores. What are the details which need to be taken into consideration in order to make such events truly effective? The time frames of marketing campaigns are of primary importance in timing hostess promotions. Regarding sales, the first days of the month, or the first two weeks are preferred. Largest turnover is usually generated on Fridays or Saturdays. The best time to begin promotions is late morning or early afternoon on Fridays, whereas major activity starts around 9 AM on Saturdays and can last till 6 PM. The special features of products should be taken into consideration in choosing the time of day when sampling takes place. Before choosing a date for a hostess promotion, we should check if one of our competitors or a private label of the retail chain has booked the same date already for a similar product. Simultaneous promotions are less effective and can lead to embarrassing situations, if the gifts offered by our competitor are more valuable than our gifts. News of promotions to be held often does not reach the stores where these are to take place and products are not available in sufficient quantity. This is why sales reps should visit stores personally before such promotions. The method how a specific product is to be sampled is sometimes determined by a marketing officer of foreign origin, who is not necessarily familiar with local customs. Technical details require careful preparations. The physical condition of promotional desks is an important issue. It should also be checked if these are suitable for accommodating everything required for sampling the specific product. Getting our desks to be placed in the ideal places inside stores should be another major consideration. Promotional desks and the uniforms of hostesses should be branded and as attractive as possible. There is no point in trying to save money on these items. It should also be checked if hostesses arrive on time and get everything prepared. This is normally done by the agency, by calling the store. Hostesses should have check lists with everything needed for the promotion. If anything is missing, hostesses should immediately ask help from the HQ of the agency. The success of promotions depends on the abilities and personality of the hostesses. Care should be taken to select persons who are truly suitable for this kind of work. Hostesses are often good at “selling” themselves, but less efficient in selling the product. Being a good salesperson is essential. Hostesses should be taught the various arguments which can be used to persuade different types of customers. An increasing number of companies employ older, “housewife” type hostesses, who are sometimes better at communicating with the target group than younger girls. Hostess promotions can be used for market research with questionnaires filled out by hostesses. A detailed analysis of the promotion is expected from the agency within one or two weeks of completing the campaign. (Hostesses should insist on getting the daily sales figures from store staff.)