As one of our most popular posts from
2018, we’re bringing back this tip for Groundhog Day, just in case you missed it! Plus,
we’ve added a bonus tip to make your 2019 celebration even sweeter!
Nestled snuggly
between New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day is Groundhog Day on February 2.
Although it may be a mystery to many of us as to why we give these furry little
critters any merit when it comes to predicting the weather, there’s no question
many consumers will be excited to participate in this American holiday. Here’s
some ideas of how your candy business can take advantage of all the groundhog
hype next month!
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| Groundhog Cupcakes by Bakerella on Flickr |
Make
Groundhog Day Sweet
Just when you
thought those cuddly groundhogs couldn’t get any cuter, they took on a
chocolate form! Baking blogger, Bakerella, created
adorable little groundhog cupcakes using peanut butter cups and other candies (click here for ingredient
list), but we think you could really do without the cupcake—unless you already happen
to sell cupcakes or could partner with a local bakery.
Of course, there
are lots of options for substituting similar ingredients if you don’t have
these items on hand—bonus points, if you make your own peanut butter cups!
Another option would be to try chocolate-covered sandwich cookies in place of
peanut butter cups for the head. If you don’t have mini marshmallows for the
teeth, try using white sprinkles or piping white confectionery coating for the
teeth. These little guys are almost too cute to eat!
Get Animated with GIFs
Tell your customers
about your adorable chocolate groundhogs or other themed products by adding an
animated GIF (pronounced "jif", like the brand of peanut butter, in case you're wondering) like this to a promotional email or social media posts. Adding
animation to marketing messaging is super trendy now. According to MailerLite.com,
animations are widely considered to be the best way to attract attention to
your brand or to market your product online. Click here for
more reasons why you should be using GIFs in email marketing.
RCI Member Savings! Constant Contact Email Marketing offers a fast, effective
way to get your message out to customers and keep your organization top of
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receive an RCI member discount of 20% for purchasing the 6 month prepaid option
or a discount of 25% for purchasing the 12 month prepaid option. Already use
Constant Contact? Contact RCI to begin
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BONUS TIP: Offer Winter or Spring Specials
If you don’t happen
to have a bunch of groundhog moulds or other related products on your shelves
on February 2, consider Groundhog Day as an opportunity to sell off any
remaining winter-themed products (like
snowmen and snowflakes) and encourage customers to welcome in spring with a
fresh display of spring-related (think
flowers and bright colors). You could leave it up to Punxsutawney Phil’s
prediction to decide whether winter or spring confections are discounted, or offer a discount on both!
Don’t be afraid
to get creative! Have fun with Groundhog Day this year and your customers will
wish we celebrated this silly holiday more often!
RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many
resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon
their business and marketing practices. Review past blog posts for quick and
actionable tips to apply to your business. Look for the "Subscribe
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