Now that the world cup is over, I wanted to go back at the beginning of the year, where I wrote an article about taking steps in an effort to take advantage of the World Cup coming to the United States and what that could mean for the salon professional willing to think a little bigger than usual.
I said then that this was not just a sporting event happening somewhere else in the country. It was an opportunity sitting right in front of us, and it was ours to take or leave.
However, an opportunity only pays off if somebody actually picks it up. Did you? Walmart picked it up, and the way they did it is worth every salon professional’s attention.
What Walmart Actually Did
Walmart is not an official World Cup sponsor. FIFA sponsorship comes with a price tag most companies are not willing or able to pay, and Walmart chose a different path entirely. The retailer partnered with a major soccer league last summer to build momentum ahead of this year’s tournament, and it has been hosting soccer themed events in host cities including Miami, Dallas, Kansas City, Boston, Los Angeles, and a New Jersey market.
Then they went a step further. After the Miami quarterfinal match, Walmart hosted a VIP store tour for the first twenty fans in line, complete with custom passports, aisle stamps, swag, and guided tastings of American snack aisle staples. International visitors had already been filming themselves marveling at oversized peanut butter jars and gallon sized milk jugs. Walmart simply noticed the attention that was already happening around its stores and built something on top of it.
That is the whole lesson. Walmart did not wait for FIFA’s permission or FIFA’s spotlight. The company found a way to attach itself to the cultural moment of the World Cup without paying for the privilege, at a time when traditional advertising is losing its impact in an increasingly crowded media environment. Brilliant…just brilliant.
Why This Should Matter To You
You do not run a big box retailer, I get it. However, you run something Walmart does not have. A chair, a client relationship, and a community that already trusts you.
Every city hosting World Cup matches this summer has a version of what Miami had. Visitors walking around with time on their hands, energy in the air, and a story they want to tell when they get home. That same energy exists around your local events too, whether it is a marathon, a festival, a graduation season, or a holiday nobody else in your area is doing anything with.
The salon professionals who keep growing are not the ones with the biggest marketing budget. They are the ones who stay alert to what is already happening around them and ask one simple question. How can I attach my service to this moment?
For myself, when I owned my Salon, we were constantly hosting events, decorating, networking and getting involved in community events. These things didn’t cost a lot of money. I didn’t have deep pockets. I simply built excitement around what was happening and involved our clients. They loved it. And, my Salon business grew because of it.
You Do Not Need FIFA’s Permission Either
Walmart did not need an official sponsorship to make people talk about their stores. You do not need a client’s referral, a slow season, or a perfect marketing plan to try something new either.
Think about what is already drawing attention in your area this month. A local sports event. A festival on Main Street. A new business that just opened two doors down. You can build a small promotion around any of it. A pedicure special timed to a hometown game. A collaboration with a nearby boutique. An Instagram post that ties your service to whatever everyone is already talking about that week.
None of these ideas require a big budget. They require noticing, and then acting on what you notice. They require you to be pro-active.
Hope Is Not A Marketing Plan
I say it often around here when it comes to protocols, and it applies here too. (my new favorite saying) Hope is not a protocol, and hope is not a marketing plan either. You cannot hope a new client walks through your door because the World Cup is in town, or because summer is here, or because your service is good. You have to give people a reason to think of you at the exact moment they are already paying attention to something else.
Walmart did not hope tourists would notice their stores. They built a tour around the noticing that was already happening. That is the difference between a business that waits to be found and one that puts itself in the path of attention on purpose.
A Simple Challenge
Look at your calendar for the next thirty days. Find one thing already happening in your community, big or small, and ask yourself what a version of the Walmart tour would look like for your chair. It does not need swag bags or aisle stamps. It needs an idea, a little nerve, and the willingness to try something you have not tried before.
That is what separates the technicians who are remembered from the ones who are simply booked.
If you want help thinking through how to turn what is already happening around you into a reason for new and returning clients to choose you, call me at Centre for Beauty. I am always glad to talk through what is working, what is not, and how to build a plan that gets you noticed for the right reasons.
Business is tough. Business is competitive. To stay relevant in an industry that is swamped with not only licensed professionals, the DIYers….it is important to be creative, be pro-active and get out there in your community to let them know who you are. Step out of the box…you might just be surprised.
Outcome based education which drives product selection and confident use!
