Package is the wrapper for your small business. Why wrap a present? Because it adds to the anticipation of opening and makes the present seem even more special. OK, well why even bother to wrap a present in colorful wrapping paper, then? Why not just use plain brown wrapping paper, instead? Much simpler, right? You know we use it because the colorful wrapping paper is pleasing to the eyeand the theme-oriented wrapping paper adds to the occasion itself. Colorful balloon patterns on birthday wrapping paper reinforces the occasion for both the gift giver and the birthday girl or boy. It boosts the joy. Yet package is possibly the most neglected marketing element in a mature small business. Its time to boost the joy for your clients, just a little. Its time to make their lives a less gray place. Heres what usually happens to a small business: The business opens. If its a retail store, the owner pours tons of hours into cleaning and painting and sparkling up her shiny new diamond of a shop. And theres so much packaging. New signs, new brochures and point-of-sale displays and ads in the yellow pages and fliers and business cards and racks and shelving and once shes perched at the precipice of exhaustion the store opens. The customers trickle and then flow and some days pour in and somehow she survives those first months. And the musts come. She must pay the payroll tax, she must make payroll, and she must pay the utilities and she must pay the suppliers. And yes, there are others to help her with the marketinga little. The vendors are there to suggest ways to help their line of products move. And soon she has a relationship with the local print shop; and or course her yellow pages rep(s) are there to make sure her ad gets placed in their book(s) each year. And business picks up and she scurries through days that become a blur and she becomes ever busier. But not busy enough to justify hiring anybody to help with the marketing. And she finds herself so buried that it becomes harder just to complete all the daily tasks. But the customers keep coming in, so she must be doing something right. Fast forward a few years. She finds herself in a rut. Customers still drop in, but the store somehow seems a little flat. Shes kept on top of the cleaning and even repainted. True, her shop doesnt look sparkly new, but it is not dingy or run down. The signage is still adequate, and people can find what they want in her small business. Her regulars swing in; her vendors come in to stock the shelves and to post their specials each month. But the magic is missing. And then she realizes whythe soul of her store is flat. Not gone; she hasnt lost her passion for running her small business. Its just a bit deflated; lagging a bit. This is where its time to step in with some sweet somethings for the customer. These can put the fizzthe sparkleback in your small business. Remember the Snapple Lady ads when they were cool ten years ago? You really felt like inside that glass bottle was a drink really made from the best stuff on earth. Sure it was merely another glass bottle on the shelf in the C-store, but its whispered sweet something spoke plainly to each customer, telling them: Youre worth putting the best stuff on earth inside you. If your sales seem a little flat, then maybe its time to do something to get those customers thinking that they are special. Remember: when your customers feel good about your small business they discuss it with their friends. When they feel neutral they usually say nothing.and when they are mad they definitely tell their friends. The challenge then is to keep them talking about you for good reasonbecause they feel special. So, its time to inject some of the magic back into your business. Its time to put the finishing touches on your package. You did a good job with the initial wrapping. Your paperfolds were crisp and straight and tautly taped. But you were tired and rushed and ready to open up and though you wanted to your time ran out before you could add a ribbon and a bow. Nows the time to add those final marketing touches. In another article well discuss strategies on how to finish the package. Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your Face to the Customer) + People (customers and employees) = Marketing Success. 2006 Marketing Hawks |
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