ICE CREAM MAN

This has been a great week for ice cream!

Last night was 31-cent cone night at Baskin-Robbins (with a promotional tie-in to America’s firefighters), and Wednesday was the annual Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops. And, even thought the new scoop shop near my home wont open for months, the Ben & Jerry’s folks parked a portable shop (like the kind used at fairs and festivals) in front of the as-yet empty storefront where they will be and they were handing out free cones all day long.

Both locations were packed during the events, proving that a good promotion can still line up a crowd. All it takes is a willingness to hand out free samples (always the best way to get folks to try something new) or sell at a significant discount from regular retails (which I bet still covers the cost).

Want a double-scoop of new business?

Take a tip from the ice cream man and create something like Free Cone Day or 31-Cent Cone Night for your business.

If you do it right, you can also end up with all kinds of media coverage (AKA free advertising)!