Halloween is generally seen as one of the most exciting dates on the calendar, giving businesses the chance to show off their creative abilities in order to provide a little festive fun for customers and employees alike.
During the recession, many firms chose to ignore the scariest day of the year in order to save money yet, although funds remain rather low for some, there are plenty of ways in which your company can celebrate today in a low cost and effective way whilst also drumming up interest from the local community.
If you work in a shop or restaurant, for example, a little interior decoration on a budget can truly catch the eye of passing consumers. It’s very simple to do too – a length of cotton wool pulled thin can be strung up across windows and the top of door frames to emulate spider webs, while employees could pick up accessories and costumes to get into the spooky spirit – this always goes down well with consumers with young families, for example.
Trick or treating is one of the key parts of Halloween, so offering a “treat” in the form of a discount for consumers who come in to your restaurant in costume can be highly effective. Furthermore, pictures can be used as part of a social media marketing campaign, simultaneously demonstrating the generosity and spirit of fun prevalent in your workplace.
If you run a hotel, playing on the trick or treat theme gives you the ideal opportunity to go the extra mile for guests. Setting up “Halloween rooms” where young guests can go to receive a candy gift and hear ghost stories is a budget-friendly way of encouraging repeat custom.
One business that really proves how profitable Halloween can be for those who put in the effort is Alton Towers, which has become something of a legend with its annual Scarefest event. Each year, thousands of visitors flock to the Staffordshire theme park during the Scarefest season to experience the thrill of the family favourite with a sinister twist – organisers set up temporary scare maze attractions while costumed characters roam areas such as the Dark Forest to lend a further air of tension to the park.
Additionally, Alton Towers’ bosses chose to extend opening hours during the Scarefest extravaganza with the gates remaining open until 9pm from the 19th October until the 3rd of November this year. As well as giving visitors excellent value for money and encouraging spending in the restaurants and shops on the site, the ability to ride the park’s most popular rollercoasters in the dark has hugely contributed to the popularity of Scarefest.
While the majority of businesses do not have the budget or scope to copy Alton Towers on such a grand scale, putting a little thought into Halloween can nevertheless boost profits before the intensity of the Christmas trading period begins. Finding a unique angle and marketing the holiday carefully could see your business become just as notorious for scary surprises as Alton Towers – just on a local scale.
Does your firm tend to celebrate Halloween, or is October 31st simply part of the build-up to Christmas?
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