Success
INSIDE TRACK

MARKETING

Low-Cost Promotions


EVEN THE TINIEST COMPANY CAN
wage a high-powered promotional cam-
paign -- without spending an arm and a
leg. So say brothers Marc and Jeff
Slutsky, who run Street fighter's Retail
Marketing Institute in Columbus, Ohio.
They recommend these easy, low-cost
promotional techniques:
   Cross-promotions with local businesses.
For example, a restaurant might team
up with a nearby dry cleaners. The dry
cleaner's customers would be eligible to
receive coupons providing a free des-
sert at the restaurant. "That way, the
restaurant gets a low-cost way to dist-
tribute the certificates and both parties
win," says Jeff Slutsky.
   Charitable campaigns. You can come
up with an inexpensive approach that
gives you a lot of exposure -- and makes
you a hero in the community. One oil-
change business offered a nonprofit
group an ingenious plan: It would split

Jeff (r.) and Marc Slutsky: Try cross-promotions.



the proceeds from every oil change
done on a Wednesday. The nonprofit
organization took responsibility for
publicizing the deal -- and the business
attracted a lot of new customers
   Employee programs. Offer your em-
ployees prizes for selling large quanti-
ties of specific items. Or hand out
discount cards that they can give to
friends after work. "You can turn your
employees into your best promotional
asset," says Slutsky.