Would You Like a Guinea Pig with your Stuffed Crust?
This is not a ‘value add’ you would expect to hear when ordering your Friday night pizza feast but this is exactly what was happening at one particular Pizza Hut store in Melbourne when they teamed up with a nearby pet store for a very random promotion.
The Pizza Hut store which is owned by a private franchisee obviously tried to think outside the (litter) box and thought their pizza purchasing patrons would be tantalised even more with the incentive of “Buy Any 10 Large Pizzas and Get One Free Small Animal from Pets Story.” Now, it doesn’t take a marketing genius to see the many flaws in this promotion which has been thankfully stopped by Pizza Hut HQ.
If you are looking at doing some cross-promoting with another business there are a few simple rules to follow:
Ensure there is some relevance between the businesses
Food and furry animals are not on the top of the list for pairings you would like to see together. If your business is in fashion for example, find a business that will compliment your product and in turn draw more clients to each one of the contributing businesses. A good example of this was when Kaftan Queen held a combined Facebook promotion with Sun Parasols. Both of the products complimented each other beautifully and in turn both businesses saw an increase in social media followers and sales.
Ensure the promotion is legal and kept within company guidelines
Franchisers often encourage their franchisees to embark on promotions that are specific to that area but it is worthwhile running your idea past the big boss to ensure you are not breaking any protocol within your company or the other company you are promoting with. If you feel it is necessary, also check with the local council if there is a chance of traffic congestion, health and safety issues, etc. If it is your own business, discuss your idea with a few people and gage their response. You may think it is a great idea but it may look very different from an outside perspective and potentially damage the image of your company.
Ensure you have the promotion terms and conditions agreed upon by all contributing businesses
Terms and conditions are so important and absolutely essential when conducting a promotion or competition. These are what protect your business from potential lawsuits. When you are dealing with another business for a cross-promotion then it is a good idea to have a third party present so all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed and nothing is missed out.
Ensure you are not insulting your customers
Creating a promotion with another business is an important decision as you are affiliating your brand with another. This is the standard you are setting for your business and you are inadvertently telling your customers that this other business is what you think will appeal to them. You want this promotion to benefit both companies and most importantly compliment the service you are offering to your clients. This is showing your customers respect. So perhaps offering a pet mouse with a pizza is not ideal in complimenting your clients intelligence.
When embarking on any competition or promotion, a lot of it does come down to common sense. If you were a customer of your business, what would you like and who would like the business to affiliated with ? If you are buying a pizza, the answer probably will not be a small furry creature.
If you are looking for advise on your next campaign or competition, contact us today and see how we can help you out.
