Scanning though viral e-mail and the advertisements and articles in newspapers over the past month, I have noticed that some hotels and restaurants are polishing up their act and coming up with their rather ingenious promotional ideas. As hotels are reeling from falling tourist arrivals and felling the impact of this wide spread recession, this development is encouraging, as it makes more sense to introduce refreshing promotional activities to draw in patrons rather than to forgo revenue by leaving hotels rooms unoccupied and food and beverage outlets barely filled. Cutting prices is easy enough, but the problem is that almost every other business is doing the same thing, and you could cut yourself right out of business! The challenge in getting customers to go to you, and not your competitors, is in how cleverly you conceptualize your promotion deals to satisfy consumers’ desire for added value, and the ways in which you get those special offers to become the take of the town.
What’s also important is that whatever you offer, it should be genuine and pot purely a sakes poly. And once you’ve tempted potential patrons and buyer in, do not disappoint them in any way.
If you succeed in delighting your customers, many more will surely follow, because not only will they come back for more, they will also spread the news to their friends, colleagues and family members! The days, the power of viral advertising can be highly impactful, be it in bring your business positive or negative results.
Written by Sheila Lim, Extract from The Straits Times (June 06, 2009)
