Posts filed under 'Marketing'
A recent study on mobile advertising, found that “the number of advertisers using mobile display ad campaigns has more than doubled in the past two years”. Full report
An analysis of these findings indicated that “26% of these mobile advertisements were for consumer discretionary goods.”
Furthermore, “according to the Mojiva Mobile Audience Guide, 60% of mobile users click on mobile ads at least one a week”. Full report
Although advertising on mobile phones is still in it’s infancy, this topic may be something that you can start investigating. Your gift basket business could be on the forefront of this new trend!
Check out The Future of Mobile Advertising for more information and perspectives on this subject.
June 17th, 2011
The summer season is the time for special events, fairs and festivals in your hometown. Whether your business serves a large metro area or a small suburban community, summertime offers many occasions to support local activities and promote your business.
Check with your Chamber of Commerce and find out what events are scheduled to take place in your community. Then, get involved. Most community festivals include opportunities for business owners to display their wares. Set up a booth and show your unique gift basket designs. If the booth rentals are expensive, share a booth with another business. If the event will include any type of raffle, submit one of your baskets as a prize. Be sure to take plenty of gourmet food samples to the event. Consider a small giveaway for everyone who stops at your booth and be sure that it includes all of your business information. You can even pass out coupons that could be used for future purposes.
Don’t pass up opportunities to showcase your unique designs and get to know potential customers!
June 12th, 2011
There’s always a gift show to attend! Throughout the United States, gift shows are scheduled almost every month of the year. Some shows attract regional manufacturers and buyers; others pull in international buyers and suppliers. So why should a gourmet food basket designer attend a gift show?
First, most of the major gift shows include a gourmet marketplace: an area devoted to showcasing gourmet food products that you can use in your baskets. You’ll have an opportunity to see new products and talk with suppliers of those products you already include in your designs.
If you’re not already including gift items in your gourmet designs, you’ll see 1000’s of innovative products from premier manufacturers. Think about how you might add these products to your designs:
- Candles
- Photo frames
- Cookbooks
- Tableware such as napkins, coasters, & placemats
- Small cookware items including decorative and practical utensils
- Plush
- Stationary
- Mugs & Small Ceramics
Most shows include educational events that offer “best practices” for any type of business. You could learn about internet marketing: building web sites, social media marketing blogging. You can get new ideas for merchandising, branding, and more. You’ll have opportunities to talk with others and share ideas.
This summer and fall, you can attend a gift in cities across the country. Some of the largest shows include:
You can also find regional shows on-line web sites:
May 22nd, 2011
I was just browsing through some of my old blog posts, and came across an article that I wrote about GBA: the Gift Basket Association. Since Debbie Quintana founded GBA in 2009, the organization has grown to over 500 members and includes many new resources that will benefit you and your gift basket business.
Visit the Gift Basket Association web site and learn the 12 reasons to join the organization. Join discussion forums, shop the Gift Basket Supply Marketplace and enjoy discounts from supplier members. Get unique ideas from Trends and Tips Magazine and if you’re so inclined: become a contributor! Learn how you can creatively use internet marketing to promote your business.
Join the Gift Basket Association and become part of a collaborative effort to “uplift the global gift basket industry in the spirit of support and collaboration”.
May 14th, 2011
I just received an email with a link to a wonderful article about gourmet gift baskets. Please read Top 10 Reasons Why The Gift Basket Remains Undefeated in The World of Edible Gift. If you own a gift basket business, share it with your employees. It’s a great reminder about why we’re in the business…..we make other people happy!
May 1st, 2011
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2 – 8. In 2007, the NEA (National Teacher’s Association) launched a project to give teachers a ” big thanks” on National Teachers Day. Thousands of people responded by sending thank you cards which were used to create a huge mural that hangs in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C.
If you’re planning a special gift basket promotion for Teacher Appreciation Week, how about giving your customers an opportunity to send in a “virtual card” to express their thanks to teachers all across the U.S. for a job well done! Go to the NEA web site for more information on how you and your customers and create virtual cards and join the “Teacher Thank-You Project”.
April 3rd, 2011
Little did you know! During the month of April, you can create unusual gift basket designs for 10 holidays and special occasions. Put on your creative thinking hat, think outside of the box and produce some imaginative designs that will entice your customers and create new opportunities to increase your sales. Can you come up with a unique design for any of these holidays? Please share your ideas….send in your photos and I’ll post your design with your business information!
- April 1: April Fools Day
- April 2: International Children’s Book Day
- April 6: National Day of Hope
- April 10: National Siblings Day
- April 16: Husband Appreciation Day
- April 17: Family History Day
- April 19: Passover
- April 23: Movie Theater Day
- April 24: Easter
- April 27: Administrative Professionals Day: Check out the photo above. A calculator, a picture frame, a decorative pen and pencil holder plus some chocolates, snacks and candies, all wrapped in beautiful papers. What a terrific gift for any professional!
For more information about special holidays and events, see the “Idea Calendar” in the March issue of Gift, Gourmet & Decor magazine.
March 28th, 2011
There’s a business in Michigan that I’d like to visit: Zingerman’s Delicatessen. I’d like to stop by so that I can meet one of owners: Ari. He is a regular contributor to Specialty Food Magazine and I believe that I’ve read most of his entries over the past few years. Most importantly, I learn something from each article that I can use in business…and in life!
Ari wrote an article called “12 Natural Laws of Business” to try to answer the question he’s often asked: “What’s the secret to your success?”
So here are Ari Weinzweig’s 12 Natural Laws of Business. Read the full article to really understand how these work at Zingerman’s.
The 12 Natural Laws of Business
- You’re more likely to get to greatness if you have an inspiring and strategically sound vision.
- If you don’t give customers compelling reasons to buy from you, they won’t.
- If you don’t create a great, rewarding place for people to work, they won’t do great work.
- If you want the staff to give great service to customers, you have to give great service to the staff.
- If you want staff to give great performance, you have to give clear expectations and training tools.
- Successful businesses do the things that others know they should do but generally don’t.
- If you aren’t consistently getting better, you’re not going to get long-term greatness.
- Success means you get better problems—but there will always be problems.
- Whatever you’re good at is likely to also lead into areas of weakness.
- It takes longer to make something great happen than people think. Profit is good.
- Great organizations are appreciative and the people in them have more fun.
- Appreciate all those people with whom you work: customers, staff, suppliers….and appreciate them everyday!
March 14th, 2011
Ari Weinzweig, author of a monthly feature in Specialty Food Magazine, hit a home run with his article in the March issue. He proposes that our businesses have an energy of their own; that staff and customers can come into our stores and feel that energy….and react to that energy. If the energy is positive, customers love to drop in; staff is excited and creativity thrives. But if the energy is negative, you probably see a lot of flat faces on the part of your employees.
Does your company have an energy crisis? Are you asking yourself these questions over and over:
What’s wrong with all my employees? Why don’t they get it? Where are the customers who used to come in to shop? What happened to loyalty? Will the economy ever improve?
“The truth is that the (low or negative energy) issues starts with us as managers and owners. And, therefore, the solution starts with us: the people in leadership roles in any business, organization”. Read the full article and learn 4 key points that will help you put the energy back in your business. And let us know what you do to put the energy back into your company.
March 7th, 2011
I’ve been learning a lot about blogging….taking some online courses….doing a lot of reading. There’s a wealth of fantastic information that’s available for your examination. If you’d like to learn more, sign up for a free subscription 
to Social Media Examiner: Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle. “Offering a unique single source of knowledge, the site contains comprehensive articles and videos on how to use the best social media tools, along with original case studies, reviews of the latest industry research and advice direct from the world’s leading experts.”
An example of a great article: 26 Ways to Enhance Your Blog Content , posted on Social Media Examiner, on February 2nd. Sign up now…don’t miss another issue.
February 14th, 2011
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