Maximize Holidays to Boost Your Brand and Sales

On the morning of Valentine's Day, as I neared my office in New York City I noticed a new street vendor. As I got closer, I noticed that it was a hotdog truck. I thought it was odd for a hotdog truck to be open for business at 7:45 am, but then I noticed that he wasn't selling hotdogs.

The truck had been transformed into a street-side Valentine's Day gift shop. He had large gift baskets wrapped in red cellophane with teddy bears and candy stuffed inside. The gift items were displayed in the customer window and he setup three tables in front of the truck that were stacked with Valentine items. Behind the woman in the customer window you can see the soft serve ice cream machine (obviously not running in 30 degree temperatures) which I am certain gets lots of use during the summer months. They even had roses for sale in a bucket of water.

The hotdog truck vendor made good use out of his truck to benefit and hopefully profit off of what I call a built-in marketing opportunity - Valentine's Day. Hate it or love it is here to stay. And as long as people are willing to spend money on flowers and candy, retailers will always promote it.

Obviously, this street vendor knows a thing or two about consumers. If you bring it, they will come. The spot where he was setup has thousands of professionals and tourists walking by. He is sure to sell his items to those who need a quick gift on the run.

Sometimes a simple idea can lead to big profts. When a high profile holiday comes around, consider doing a promotion of your own. For some businesses, it may not be appropriate to take advantage of a holiday. But for retailers and restaurants, leverage built-in marketing opportuntities such as President's Day, Christmas or Mother's Day can give your business a jolt.

I have noticed that more and more restaurants have "Mardi Gra" promotions. Who said it is only celebrated in New Orleans. For the last several years, chain restaurants all over the country now promote Mardi Gra by giving out beads, decorating and having special "Fat Tuesday" promotions. The idea is if you cannot make it to New Orleans you can still celebrate at INSERT YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT HERE.

Check the calendar for the next big holiday. Maybe there is a way for you to leverage the holiday and market your company.