Last week’s Apprentice was a neighborhood marketers dream!
Creating a new bowl for El Pollo Loco, from the ingredients to the name, was the task for each of the teams. Not only did they have to create a product that would appeal to consumers, but they had to market it inside and outside the four walls.
Both teams took a very different approach. One dreamed up a bowl made with chicken and fruit (yikes). And they spent hours laboring over ingredients and a name.
The second team spent most of their time creating in-store POP and brainstorming ways to sell the product. And they developed a bowl with ingredients that were popular with El Pollo Loco’s core customer.
Who won? The team who focused on sales and marketing (of course).
Team members sampled the new product in the drive-thru prior to customers ordering. At the register, they suggestively sold the new item. And team members visited a local car dealership, informed them about the new bowl, took their lunch order and walked away with a big sale. That sale is what made them this week’s winner.
That is the essence of neighborhood marketing – doing a “meet and greet” with a local business, telling them about your product and walking away with a sale for the day. And most likely new customers who will visit you again and again.
Don’t be shy about getting out in your trade area and meeting potential customers. I promise you it will be worth the effort.
Happy Marketing!
