Local Business Spotlight: Happy Anniversary, Lucky B’s!
Happy 6th Anniversary to co-founders Mike Lombardo and Bates Battaglia, and their whole team, at Downtown Raleigh’s classiest dive bar… Lucky B’s! Join in the celebrations just “Around the Corner” starting at 5pm today (Saturday, May 21, 2011).
There will be free food, live music from James Dunn (pictured at right), a Red Bull DJ, and great giveaways like Kenny Chesney concert tickets! Check out http://www.facebook.com/LuckyBsBar for more chances to win before you head out.
Thank you to Mike, Bates, Mr. B, Suz, and the rest of the gang at Lucky B’s for allowing Raleighwood Media Group + Raleighwood Event Group to be a part of your continued successes – best wishes for another six years in Downtown Raleigh… and many more to come after that!
Come Join Us Today at a Few Shop Local Raleigh Events!
This month marks the two year anniversary of the launch of Shop Local Raleigh by the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association – happy birthday, SLR! Join us in celebrating today with two great local events:
Networking Event at Joint Venture Jewelry in Cary
From 4:00pm until 6:00pm, come and enjoy networking, great discussion, and a beverage with other SLR members, volunteers, and local business owners. (Don’t forget those business cards!)
Anniversary Party at Natty Greene’s in Raleigh
Shop Local Raleigh turned “2” on April 15th and to celebrate, we have partnered with NCSU marketing students to plan an Anniversary Party at Natty Greene’s Brewing Co. On April 28th, starting at 7 pm, there will be giveaways, $3 pints of local beer and fun guaranteed for all.
To add to the festivities, we have shared some fun statistics regarding small businesses, public relations, and the return on investment of email marketing, for SLR to use at these events. Along with those “trivia facts”, we’ve also included a special offer for event attendees – so be sure to check out what’s “in store” and “on tap” at these great events tonight. We’ll be back with those special offers here later on the blog, but we didn’t want to spoil the fun by giving them away in advance!
Cheers!
What’s ON Your Cup?
What’s in your cup may not matter as much as what’s written on your cup, with this great idea from Caribou Coffee. To be fair, I don’t believe they pioneered the idea, but I do love the customer engagement! Way better to use your customers words (with permission, of course) than a small array of old quotes, no?
Engage guests with memorable digital interactions.
When the company asked guests to submit comments about what they stay awake for, more than 15,000 people responded. Next year, Caribou plans to reissue its coffee cups with statements from those guests.
via: Marketing executive shares lessons from Caribou Coffee’s growth, growing pains – http://www.restaurant.org/nra_news_blog/2010/10/marketing-executive-shares-lessons-from-caribou-coffees-growth-growing-pains.cfm
image: http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/products/3075181/double_wall_paper_cup.html (PS – I’m not advocating importing your cups from China, I just like the picture.)
How are YOU Capitalizing on the Latest Sports Marketing Trends?
Fantasy football is one of my current favorites because the people who are into it… are REALLY into it! Some play in several leagues, some just play in one hardcore league with a lot of cash in the pot for the season winner.
Here lies a great opportunity for restaurants, bars, and even retailers to cash in on this consumer trend for several reasons.
1 – If you’re a restaurant or a bar that caters to sports fans, you’re a great option for a host venue!
No messy cleanup, no need to worry about bringing a cooler of having enough space in the host’s fridge… a restaurant or bar makes it a no-brainer for draft party attendees to show up, have fun, and then head home. This option requires the least effort on the part of the attendee or fantasy league commissioner. When you’re marketing primarily to men… this is a major selling point, in my humble opinion.
2 – If you’re a restaurant or a bar that offers carryout or catering orders for draft party favorites like wings, bar-b-q, etc., you’re a great option for party attendees who don’t cook!
Not all leagues are going to opt for the option to host their party at your bar or restaurant… and that’s ok, just make sure they still have the opportunity to spend money with you! My other half’s league had their party in our home last night and of the 10+ attendees, only three of us (that I was aware of) cooked their offerings at home prior to the party. (Truth be told, even though I did cook most of what we offered at home, I did send Nick out to our neighborhood Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q(R) for bar-b-q, sweet tea, and hush-puppies… “because it’s just not a tailgate without the bar-b-q”!)
3 – If you’re a retailer – what draft party supplies can you carry or special order for your customers leading up to the big event?
Nick ordered his team’s draft board and supplies (stickers, rosters, etc.) online, but I’m sure I could have convinced him to Shop Local had someone been touting their merchandise offerings for draft party must-haves to local leagues. But alas, I’m not aware of any local retailers targeting this niche market.
4 – Work the concept for a different market!
When my gal pal Denise and I were hanging out yesterday, she mentioned that a local radio show host (Kentucky Kristin on G105) had been talking on-air about the Emmy’s Draft Party that she and her girlfriends had recently had a lot of fun participating in. The girls created their event around pairing Hollywood’s hottest with designers they were likely to be wearing. During the red carpet premiere, attendees scored points for correctly pairing Emmy attendee with the correct designer they were wearing! How fun? If you’re a bar or trendy restaurant, this sounds like a great opportunity to upsell girly cocktails, show the celebrity-studded event on your televisions, and attract vendors and sponsors wanting to target this in-demand niche with great giveaways, swag bags, and more.
So, how are you planning to capitalize on this sports marketing trend next year?
Can’t wait ’til next year? Target teams who have already drafted (pre-season games end this week) to come in and see how their teams shape up on a weekly basis in your bar or restaurant! The good news is that you haven’t completely missed your opportunity as this is an on-going promotion that gets more exciting by the week for fantasy league faithfuls.
You can read more about how national chains like Buffalo Wild Wings (and local restaurants like Garner’s Cleveland Draft House) are putting this trend to work for their businesses from the News & Observer online at http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/09/04/663556/chains-score-with-fantasy-football.html.