Good LSM: Monthly Cross-Promotion
In our series “Good LSM, Bad LSM,” we share real-life examples of both good and bad Local Store Marketing (LSM) we see as we’re out and about to help you in your marketing and sales driving activities.
Today, we’re sharing an idea from Ivy Provisions, a gourmet shop that considers themselves “Charlottesville’s finest food and beverage outfitter.” They serve local coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to go or stay.
This year, they’ve launched a Barn & Brew Night series. One night a month, a local BBQ purveyor and local brewer team up to bring tasty pairings to to the Ivy Provisions customer!
The events are free to join and taste (which is awesome), and they offer full pours of any beers for just $5. We love this idea because it’s truly about promoting local small businesses – each one helping the other succeed. Plus, as with all cross-promotional marketing ideas – each participating business gets exposed to new segments of customers! The beer fans are introduced to a new BBQ joint and shop, and the BBQ fans can enjoy their favorite pulled pork with a new beer in a new setting. Best of all, Ivy Provisions is recognized as the place to be for beer and BBQ lovers to come together once a month.
Additionally, tasting events are a great way to drive trial and then traffic to your business. People are often reticent to spend money on something they haven’t tried, so a tasting event like this will set the businesses and the customers up for success! We bet they’ll be more likely to buy from The Rock Barn Butcher and Blue Mountain Brewery the next time they need their BBQ/beer fix.
Would this type of event work for your gourmet grocery shop? Let us know in the comments section below!
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