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Great events are gold mines for word of mouth. If you can put on something your customers want to bring their friends to, you’re helping them look good in front of their friends, giving them a good reason to talk about you, and arming them with a great experience to talk about.
Here are three types of events that inspire word of mouth:
1. Festivals
2. Demos
3. Exclusive parties
1. Festivals
Did you know that one of the biggest festivals in South Korea actually started as a marketing stunt from cosmetics companies? Businesses using the beneficial minerals of Boryeong mud in their cosmetics brought the mud down from the Boryeong flats to create a Mud Festival. There’s mud wrestling, mud slides, obstacle courses, body painting, and a bunch of other fun stuff. Now, it brings about three million people to the festival every year, and Boryeong cosmetic companies set up shop just outside the gate. You never know what kinds of stuff will catch on with your customers. Start with the fun stuff and go from there.
2. Demos
Zingerman’s Community of Businesses includes a deli, bake shop, coffee company, candy manufacturer, and other food-related companies. And each year, Zingerman’s Deli holds an event for the community to showcase the company’s many suppliers, like cheesemongers, butchers, and pasta makers. That gives their customers a chance to taste test their stuff, watch food demos, and get to know the people behind the counter.
3. Exclusive parties
When Birds Barbershop opened a new location in Austin, they held themed party for redheads called Gingerfest. And while people of all hair colors were invited, redheads at the party got special treatment like Shiner’s Ruby Redbird beer, a coupon for the Soup Peddler’s ginger soup next door, and access to an all-redheads photobooth. That’s an event invitation you’d share with every redhead you know. Exclusive parties like these make people feel like they’re a part of a special group. And that feeling is a great motivator for word of mouth.
