Volume 26/Number 19; February 4/11, 2013
TOUCHDOWN: In the fall of 2011, we told you about a creative promo by CC Carpet & Floor Design in Arlington, Texas, which rewarded customers with $500,000 worth of free flooring because then Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton hit a grand slam during the last month of the season. This year’s Super Bowl resulted in a similar payout from Gardiners Furniture & Mattress, a 51-year-old Maryland chain that also happens to sell area rugs. The retailer ran a promotion announcing customers who made a purchase between Thursday, Jan. 31 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 would get a refund if the Baltimore Ravens returned a kick for a touchdown at the start of the Super Bowl or just after halftime. Well, to start the second half, the Ravens’ Jacoby Jones returned the opening kickoff 108 yards for a score.
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PAYOUT: The result of Jones’ historic runback, which tied an NFL record, was $600,000 worth of free goods for a number of lucky customers. Kasee Lehrl, the store’s advertising and marketing manager, told the Baltimore Sun this was the third year the store has run such a promotion, figuring it is such a rare occurrence. In the 46 previous Super Bowls it had happened eight times, the last being in 2006. Luckily for Gardiners, the promo only cost the store $12,000, which is the cost of the insurance policy it took out just in case there was a runback.
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AD MONEY: Gary Mullaney, co-owner of Gardiners, told the Baltimore Sun he considered the insurance premium an advertising investment and noted the amount of attention received from the promotion has been priceless: “We’re not a bar. We’re not a restaurant. During the Super Bowl, no one says, ‘Hey let’s go to the furniture store.’ [This] was just our small way of being able to participate in the hoopla… People are hearing about this all over the country.” Even though its phones were “ringing off the hook,” Gardiners didn’t wait for people to contact the store. One customer who made a $4,000 purchase told the paper she had forgotten all about the promotion until she got a call from the store about her winnings the next day.
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EXTRA POINT: Instead of just sitting back and grabbing whatever attention the promotion garnered, Gardiner’s did what any professional business would do and immediately jumped on the excitement. Shortly after the touchdown, the store posted on its Facebook page, “That was amazing! Furniture is FREE! If you made a purchase this weekend, it’s your lucky day. Go Ravens!” That was followed by, “So excited for all of our customers who purchased their furniture from Gardiners this weekend before the game!!!! Congratulations to all!” Since then it has been posting links to articles and videos of the coverage the promotion has received. Gardiners is also encouraging customers to submit photos of themselves and their free furniture.
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PLAYBOOK: Gardiners was not the only local business who tapped in to the big game as FCNews learned of promotions by hotels and restaurants promising discounts for every point the Ravens scored along with extra discounts if they won. In addition, during the regular season, retailers around the country held similar quirky promotions, such as free appliances and cars if the local team shutout its opponent. The point? In this difficult climate it is promotions like these that help set businesses apart. There is no reason why flooring retailers can’t get a little creative while rooting for the home team. Remember hockey is back, basketball is in full swing and baseball is just around the corner. And don’t forget the local college teams.