How To Create A Fantastic Publicity Event

But that's not the way good businesspeople think - for a good entrepreneur, if there's no external factors to drive sales, they create one internally. Thus the birth of Tomatomania.

Tomatomania is a simple concept - give people the opportunity to taste different varieties of tomatoes to determine which ones they personally prefer, in hopes that they will come back next year and buy those plants for their garden.

But its the way that Milaegers executes it that gives us lessons can be learned.

Tomatomania was held in one of their newest greenhouses (with high, rounded roofs) located right behind the boutique portion of their store. As one walked in, we were directed outside through their remaining nursery inventory, featuring lovely blooming roses with signage pointing out that fall is a great time to plant roses.

Walking into the greenhouse we were faced with a u-shaped set of tables, surrounding chairs and additional tables in the middle. On the outside tables there were 83 different plates, each containing cut-up pieces of a different variety of tomatoes. (I had no idea that there even were 83 different varieties!) Each variety was numbered. We were handed a worksheet where we could record our choices (by number only - no names to influence our choices) and a recipe book containing tomato recipes. All of this was accompanied by nice music and a plethora of managers and employees tending to the samples and chatting with the visitors.

When we finished sampling, we returned to a table, where we were given a chart allowing us to determine which varieties we personally preferred, and an entry form for a door prize. That form asked for our contact information, plus a list of the tomato varieties we preferred. This simple door prize entry enabled them to

1. Build a mailing list of tomato lovers

2. Mail us in the spring, reminding us which varieties we chose, and inviting us to return to pick up our plants from them (which, in my case would have to be from them, because I found that none of my personal favorites were varieties which are commonly sold in other garden centers... another key reason to hold an event of this type)

3. Determine which varieties are most preferred by their customer base, enabling them to feature that in their signage next year and to determine in advance how much they should plant of each variety.

From there we were drawn into the middle where they were serving food, cooked by their cafe staff and available either in their store or from their cafe (sampling their products)

Finally, they conveniently set the operation up to draw us from the greenhouse directly into the boutique portion of their store (remember that we already came through the nursery operation, now we're exiting through the clothing, Christmas, and other product lines) where we ran right into the discount racks clearing out inventory at good prices, and catching a glimpse of the Christmas preparations being made on the side.

And, by the way, I heard that they had done a special closed showing the night before for their A-list customers.

In total, they probably pulled in 20% of all of their target households from the community, plus many from outside, who will then probably make a special trip in the springtime just to pick up their personal favorite tomato varieties for their garden.

All in all, it was a great example of how attention to detail can turn a so-so promotional event into a success. Remember, they could have just put out a bunch of tomato slices for us to try. Instead this event featured:

1. Good marketing (marketing actually started early spring with flyers given to anyone buying plants at the store) and it was included in all of their promotional announcements throughout the season (they have a regular set of seminars and other activities throughout the year)

2. Forced exposure and strong tie-in to their core of the business (it's amazing how often we see events that, though they bring in a ton of people, don't have anything to do with the business that sponsors the event - picnics sponsored by banks, and parades sponsored by insurance companies leap to mind). Remember, they pulled us through the mainstay of their operations either on the way in or the way out of the event, where I'm sure lots of people dropped a few dollars too.

3. Participatory - this wasn't just a stand around and chat with a drink in hand, it was an opportunity to interact on a deep and personal level with the product they sell. After all, I was actively (and blindly) choosing my personal favorite tomato varieties.

4. Providing an automatic and useful recycling mechanism (I say recycling because the mailing that I'm sure I'll receive in April will recycle me back into their store and future Tomatomania events.) Remember that this mailing can not only be personalized to my address, but to my own individual tastes because they asked me to tell them which ones I liked.

5. Providing an upwardly-spiraling promotional loop. This event will feed into next year's sales, which will inspire next year's event, which will increase the next year's sales etc. And keep in mind that though this promotion pulls me into their store to buy tomatoes, I will also walk out with lots of other products during the key planting season next year.

Keep in mind also, that this whole discussion didn't even talk about the media attention received by the event. This was pure public relations, building relations with their public.

All in all, a powerful program that really works. Now, jump back and read this list of 5 criteria for a great event. How many of these types of elements did you have in your last event? What ideas can you implement in your next one?

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Tags: publicity events retail