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FROM THE EDITOR: May 2006 |
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Written by Anja Sonnenberg
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So I know you’ve all heard about Valentine's Day, Mother’s Day, Easter,
St. Patrick’s Day, and Christmas right? But did you know that the
calendar is filled with countless wacky and unfathomable holidays? In
fact, there seems to be a quirky holiday for every day of the year that
we could celebrate.
Quirky Non-Traditional Holidays
So I know you’ve all heard about Valentine's Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, and Christmas right? But did you know that the calendar is filled with countless wacky and unfathomable holidays? In fact, there seems to be a quirky holiday for every day of the year that we could celebrate.
Take May for example. We all know that Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of the month and Victoria Day gives us a well-deserved long weekend, but did you know that the 3rd is Lumpy Rug Day, the 14th is Dance Like a Chicken Day, or that the 30th is Tiny Bikini Day. What about Kite Flying Day, Hug Your Cat Day, Paper Clip Day, Body Painting Day, Good Posture Day, No Socks Day, No Diet Day, and my personal favourite Chocolate Chip Day. It seems that anything and everything can have a day designated in its honour.
Now I’m not saying you should put out a sign everyday, like ‘Celebrate Escargot Day’ on May 24th for example, but these wacky holidays can provide a unique marketing tool to have some fun with your customers. If you sort through all the special days throughout the year, you can pick the ones that are applicable to your shop and business. Take Herbal Plant Day on the 22nd for example – you could pot up a few herb gardens, or on May 8th you could feature iris bouquets for Iris Day. A mixed bouquet selling for 3,500 pennies could be a promoted for Penny Day on the 23rd, and Visit Your Relatives Day on the 18th is the perfect excuse for a customer to stop and pick up a bunch of tulips for his Aunt Gertrude. These days may not generate a lot of sales the first year, but customers will come to appreciate your fun attitude and will likely anticipate the next zany holiday.
Special promotions don’t necessarily have to focus around holidays; ideas can be found everywhere. Events occurring in your community, professional sporting events, the changing seasons, charities or even ordinary days – the possibilities are endless. You can even create your own special days using seasonal flowers or in-store events. Every successful business has to use some sort of promotion to influence their customers. It helps increase visibility, adds credibility to your shop, enhances your image, and brings in new business. To differentiate yourself from competition, it’s vital that you strive to find unique opportunities to promote your company and increase public awareness with potential and existing customers.
The business side of owning a flower shop doesn’t always have to be dull compared to the creativity used when arranging flowers. Imagination is your best defense when it comes to promoting your services. So have some fun! There are even two zany holidays designated for that exact purpose – Don’t Go to Work Unless it’s Fun Day and Fun at Work Day.
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