Look after current customers

Catherine & Alan Logue, Hutt St Photos, Adelaide, Australia

Christmas and summer are at the same time in Australia – they’ve been suffering under record high heat, with country-wide average peaking at 104.5F early this month – and poor old Alan’s been sick with a severe viral infection, away from the store since early December.

Catherine decided to “look after the customers you have instead of spending big dollars getting new ones.” She explains:

We normally crank up our radio advertising in the last two weeks prior to Christmas and during January, which in Australia is our peak summer season. December is focused on Christmas celebrations and January is summer holiday time. Many businesses have their summer closure early in January, and the universities and schools are on holidays until February 1 [like the northern hemisphere’s June/July /August school break].

Our radio ads are pitched at the Baby Boomer generation. We use just one radio station for the commercials.

This year because Alan was not visible in store due to his illness, we decided to record a new ad playing on his absence:

“Christmas Enlargement Specials: Do you have a special photo that would look great on the wall? Or maybe would make a great gift for someone special? We have a great offer while the boss is away. I’m Catherine from Hutt St Photos, and we are giving you a gift. Our big enlargements are 50 percent off.

Bring in your negative or digital file and we will give you a half price gift. At Hutt St Photos, 186 Hutt St, we are the photo specialists making gifting easy.”

Our customers have really enjoyed the humour; normally Alan records our ads.

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