This week saw the “Melbourne Cup” horse race here in Australia.
(No luck for me in picking the winner, I’m afraid!)
It’s a big event and known as “The Race That Stops A Nation”.
Even though it’s an official holiday only in Melbourne…
…it might as well be a national holiday for all the work that gets done in the afternoon!
Not only is it a big sporting event…
…but it’s also a big marketing opportunity.
Business analyst IBIS World reported…
“…an 18 per cent jump in cup-related tourism – airfares and hotels – will lead a forecast 12.6 per cent rise in overall spending, to reach $286 million. More than 403,000 people are expected to turn up at the carnival this year, against 389,000 last year. Corporate spending on the cup has also increased this year.
The punters will not look too shabby when they get there: the forecast is that $30 million (up $1 million on last year) will be spent on frocks, suits, hats and accessories and a staggering $17.2 million on beauty treatments.”
Which leads me to my main point in this article.
Around events such as the Melbourne Cup, people are predisposed to buy! If you doubt me, take a look at those numbers above, once again!
And that means if you can tap into the mood and run a promotion that convincingly ties in with the event…
…especially if you make a killer offer…
…it’s more than likely that you’ll have a big success.
Now every month I make a post on upcoming events that can be used to build a marketing promotion around (for example, this post “Looking Ahead – Marketing Calendar November 2010”).
The Melbourne Cup is one event I pointed out, of course, and it was no great surprise when I found 2 emails in my inbox on the day of the race with these subject lines…
“Here’s how to pick the Melbourne Cup WINNER!”
“They’re off and racing”
I’d be pretty sure these both got a good number of people to open them.
So, always be alert for events that you can base a promotion around. Not only does it give you a credible reason for the promotion…
…but you’re likely to find your audience more receptive than usual to your offer.
[…] Read more about ’Why Marketing Promotions Linked To Events Succeed’… This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. ← Pete Godfrey’s ‘Business Profits Triangle’ – Part 3 […]