Bar Promotion Fundamentals: Understanding What Result Areas Your

Bar Promotions Should Achieve

You know you need to run promotions for your bar. But do you know the reasons you need to
do so? If you're like many bar owners and managers, you have a decent idea about what
promotions accomplish, but are probably not aware of the full range of reasons for running
them.

Promotions get your customers and staff excited and interested in something new or different.
But do they help you achieve the right objectives for your bar?

Before you start planning a promotion, you first need to know the answers to the following
questions:

1)what is the purpose of the promotion

2)what are the hoped for end results
3)can you get the same results by doing something other than running a new promotion

Running a promotion without a clear understanding of the objective, end result wanted, and
reasons for having the promotion may result in wasted money, unproductive use of you and
your staff's time, and a promotion that underperforms or bombs.

Let's discuss the main reasons you should consider running a promotion for your bar.

Drive Sales

A well executed promotion will result in more customer traffic. This can be from regular
customers, infrequent customers, and from new customers to your bar.

More customers mean more revenue, as you'll hopefully sell more drinks and food. Depending
on your promotion, it could also mean higher average tickets based on type and quantity of
drinks sold

By making your bar the place to be on that day or night, you'll cast a wide net to attract many
different customer types.

Promotions that keep customers in your bar longer mean higher spend per customer.

Sell More of a Particular Product

You may decide to focus on selling more of a higher margin product to maximize your profits
from your promotion. This could involve creating drink specials around specialty cocktails that
allow you to charge premium prices and use well liquor.

You could also run a promotion in conjunction with your distributor where you focus your
promotion around a particular drink. The distributor could provide special pricing to you, swag
items, and co-op advertising support to make the drink promotion successful.

Increase customers on a slow traffic day

One challenge almost every bar faces is attracting customers on slower days. Running a
promotion on slow days will help you increase sales where you need help and allow your bar to
reach it's potential.

Get customers to come in earlier

Many bars are happy with their sales and customer volume later in the night, but struggle with
afternoon and early evening hours. In this case you should look to run a promotion that will help
you attract customers earlier. A couple of extra hours of steady business will do wonders for
your bottom line.

Get customers to stay later

If you're trying to get customers to stay later in the evening, you'll want to focus on promotions
that entice your customers to remain later, such as drawings or prize giveaways later in the
evening that require the customer to be present to win.

Get existing customers to come more often

You have customers who stop by your bar a couple of times a month. These customers already
know and like your bar. Unless you have something going on you bar can quickly be known as a
dull place to go. All they need are reasons to come by more often. Having fun and exciting
promotions that appeal to your customer base is a great way to increase customer visits.

Create fun and excitement

The smartest way for your bar to be successful is to be known as a fun and exciting destination.
Customers will seek out places that have fun things happening. Running fun and exciting
promotions often will establish you bar as the place to go to.

Plus, customers will pay more as long as they are having fun. You eliminate the need to
compete with other bars on pricing when you establish your bar as the place to go.

Create a buzz about your bar

Running a unique promotion will get the "wow" factor going. Let's say you decide to run the
largest margarita in Ohio promotion and get your regular customers involved. They will talk up
your promotion with their friends and get them excited as well.

You can also notify radio stations, television stations, and newspapers in your area and get
them to cover your promotion for free. All this factors in to your bar getting lots of positive word
of mouth and sets your bar up as being unique and different from your competitors.

Match the competition

If another bar in your area is running promotions often, you need to do the same. You cannot let
them establish themselves as a more fun place to hang out. It's absolutely essential that you
have the "fun and exciting" quotient going on at your bar.

Keep tabs on your competition and find out in advance what types of promotions they are
running. Never copy another competitor's promotion idea or name. Instead make your
promotions creative and unique so that customers do not confuse you bar with your
competitors.

Offer more than competition

Once you find out what types of promotions your competitors are running, one-up them. Make
your bar stand out and make them out to be the dull bar. One thing we know for sure is that
word of mouth is king. Some of your customers who also bar hop to your competitors will spread
the word about how your bar is more fun and interesting.

Many bar owners and managers are lazy. Your competition will likely not be aware of what you
are doing with your promotions and you'll be able to create a permanent competitive advantage.

Attract new customers (specific demographics and target market)

Promotions allow you to target a specific demographic and target market. Let's say you want
more women between the ages of 21-30 in your bar. You would run a promotion designed to
attract this demographic.

Getting new customers is vital to the long term success fo your bar. Just as important is adding
the contact information of your new customers to your database. Run a contest where the only
way the winners can be eligible is if they fill out something where you acquire their contact
information.

Even if the promotion does not make much money on the front end, it can still be a very
successful promotion because you added new customers to your bar's database.

Reward regular customers

Customer appreciation promotions are ideal for building stronger ties with your core group of
regulars. Your regulars are the foundation that your bar is built on. In addition to drink specials
or offering free drinks, run a promotion contest where everyone's a winner. Ideally make many
of your prizes bar tabs to limit your out of pocket expenses.
The key here is to let them know that you value their business and that they are part of your
bar's "family". Keep in mind that your regulars represent the bulk of your word of mouth in your
community. Keep them happy and interested in your bar.

Celebrate a new change in your bar

Use changes in your bar, such as a new staff member, new pool table, renovated or expanded
area, or new additions to your menu as a reason to run a promotion. Customers love change
and are looking for new things to try and experience. Us this to your advantage and design a
promotion around your bar's latest change.

As you can see, there are many reasons for running bar promotions. Assess your bar and
decide what areas you need to improve.

Is it getting customers to stay longer? Getting them to come in earlier? Getting a regular flow of
customers on slower days? Something else?

Once you decide where you want to improve, choose a bar promotion that will allow you to
increase sales where you have the biggest need.