We’ve been talking about it a lot. Things have sucked. We’ve all been through difficult times. In addition to Covid-19, social unrest after the events in Minneapolis may also had a huge impact on your business. Even if they haven’t, it is still difficult to process the events that we see unfolding in the news. Despite all of it, we persist. We have made it through and can now see positive signs beginning to emerge. Depending on the area your store is located you may be in a different stage of reopening. Never the less, you will be in a spot to reopen sooner rather than later. Now is the time to begin to think about rebuilding your business and your community. Now is the time to start planning your grand re-opening. Here are some ideas to get you going.
Set Goals
As with anything you do in your business, you should have a goal in mind. You can not measure success without a goal to measure with. You need to create a plan that gives you something to shoot for and can be measured. What are you trying to accomplish during your Grand Re-Opening? We came up with a shortlist.
Drive sales: Obviously, the main goal is to drive sales. Compare your grand re-opening day with the same day last year. See if you can beat it.
Create awareness: This can be a difficult goal to measure, but after the past few months, you have to let people know that you are in business. This is about building your brand. Make sure your employees are all on the same page. Get everyone excited! You want one unique, unified message to be told to every customer.
Find new ways to stay connected: Chances are you have customers that have not had contact with you since stay at home orders were put into place. Now is your chance to not only reengage with those customers but find new ways to stay connected with them. Create a raffle to capture email addresses. Have a give-a-way for a Facebook like. Make sure that you don’t lose touch again.
Do Something Unique
Now that you have some goals set for your grand re-opening, you need to find something to make it unique. This is a big deal! Your customers have been stuck in their homes for months. They are craving new experiences and a little fun.
Create a publicity stunt: The Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade started out as a publicity stunt. In his early days, Henry Ford used to race cars to promote his automobile. Be Bold! Create a car parade. Coordinate a social distanced flash mob. A publicity stunt is a great way to generate buzz and attract positive PR.
Get people involved: People want to be connected, especially now. Get other people involved. Ask for help in creating an event. Solicit ideas and opinions. Partner with other local businesses to cross-promote. When you get other people involved they will naturally become great promoters of your brand.
Have a theme: It’s easy to create an event around a theme. Everyone can dress in costumes, you can create themed drinks or food. The right music can set the mood. Reward your customers with a prize form the best costume. The possibilities are endless.
Support a cause: Now more than ever we all need a little help. Your grand re-opening can also be an opportunity to help others. Find a local charity in your area to partner with. Not only can you feel good about helping others, but chances are a local charity has a network that they can promote to as well.
Market, Market, Market!
You have set your goals. You’ve picked your theme, You’ve partnered with a charity. Now what? Market! This is your big moment. You need to make sure that everyone knows. Use the tools you’ve been using during the shutdown. Emails, social media, flyers, radio, TV, carrier pigeon! These marketing tools should be part of your year-round marketing arsenal. You need to tell everyone anyway you can. Your Grand re-opening will only be as successful as your marketing.
You now have everything is in place. Go out there and do it. Happy grand re-opening. You got this!