Tools for Tomorrow: National Chocolate Lover’s Month
It should come as no surprise that February is also National Chocolate Lover’s Month! So even if over-the-top Valentine’s Day celebrations are not your thing, there’s no reason you can’t celebrate chocolate with your customers! It’s a fun and easy way to spice up your late-Winter marketing!
Fun fact: The smell of chocolate increases theta brain waves, which induce relaxation. Additionally, when you eat chocolate (specifically dark chocolate), it triggers the release of extra endorphins (natural opiates) and lights up the brain’s pleasure centers. No wonder you often feel better after eating it!
This month-long homage to the feel-good goody is the perfect excuse to drum up some new (and tasty) marketing activities to drive traffic and trial and create buzz around your small business! Here are a few ways you can incorporate chocolate into your February marketing strategy (yes, we’re planning ahead!):
Restaurant
- Give each of your customers a little piece of chocolate at the end of their meal
- Create a “Chocolate-Lover’s Menu” – include obvious items (chocolate desserts, chocolate martinis) and unexpected items (chocolate stouts or a savory molé and chocolate chicken dish).
- Create a different chocolatey dessert for each week of the month
- Create a chocolate and wine pairing for your restaurant or bar customers
Retail
- Keep a bowl of bite-sized dark chocolates at your register for customers to enjoy
- Stick a coupon for a chocolate pastry (from a local bakery) in your customers’ shopping bags
- Host a “Love and Chocolate” event at your store: promote Valentine’s Day gift items, and offer chocolate treats
- Partner with a local bakery or local confectioner to raise money for a sweet donation to an after school program or other children’s group in need of a little cheer
Services
- Keep a bowl of bite-sized dark chocolates at your register for customers to enjoy
- Offer your catering customers a “cooking with chocolate” class
- Partner with a local bakery or confectioner to send “thank you” chocolate gift baskets to your best customers
How will you be celebrating National Chocolate Lover’s Month with your customers?
