You might think a post of January as National Soup Month only applies to restaurants as a means to promote your business, but you would be wrong. We can usually count on January to be dreary and cold. What a perfect combination to go with anything soup related. There is something just warm and welcoming about this comfort food.

Here are a few of other suggestions you might consider to bring people into your store or place of business in January.

Let’s start with the obvious: restaurants and bars

If you already offer soup in your restaurant just ramp up the way you promote it. Have a soup of the day or week. Use locally grown and produced items to create a signature soup. Offer soup shooters where your guests get a chance to sample smaller versions of soups and serve them in shot glasses. Create a “this” or “that” contest where you offer two soups and ask people to vote for their favorite. Have people enter a random drawing and the winner gets a gift certificate to your restaurant.

If you are a bar that does not ordinarily offer soup, consider choosing one day or one day a week to bring people in to enjoy a cup of soup or one of the suggestions mentioned for restaurants. The secret here will be to heavily promote it to bring people in that might not come otherwise.

So, you’re not a bar or restaurant. What can YOU do?

Let’s say you’re a gift shop or a store that sells housewares. If you already offer a line of soup mixes, ask your supplier for samples to promote the line. Then make a batch and invite people in to sample them. Have them located near a merchandise display of what you sell. Include anything that could be used to make or serve soup. If you don’t carry a line of soup mixes, how about cross-promoting with a local restaurant to sample their soup? Easy enough to keep it warm in a crock pot.

Maybe you are a bookstore. What can YOU do?

You probably sell recipe books including specialty one on making soup. As crazy as it sounds, you could find a recipe or two (or more) and make those, inviting customers in to sample the soup and check out the book. Create a merchandise display that stands out from all the others and promote with a special window display to catch people’s attention.

Create a Group Event

If you are located in a downtown area or strip mall, think about how you could join with some or all of your neighboring businesses to create an even bigger event. Maybe each business chooses a different soup to sample. Invite customers to come and sample them in each business and vote for their favorite.

Hold a contest for the best homemade soup. Choose an item that is locally grown or produced in your area and make that the main component they must use in creating their soup. For instance in our area it could be tomatoes. Not far away is the garlic capital of the world. Most any community will have something they can use to make this a fun and challenging event. Have local dignitaries be judges and even add a “People’s Favorite” winner.

What if you are a service based business  looking to increase sales and visibility? What can YOU do?

You can invite customers to come into your business for a free cup of soup to take the chill off. While they are there you can offer them a checklist that pertains to your business. You might offer a discount coupon for services to drum up business during a slow time. You could use this simply as “Customer Appreciation” thanking them for their past business. In any case, it gives you an opportunity to generate good will and create a positive impression of your business. Make the soup yourself or collaborate with a local restaurant.

Creating an unforgettable experience is what keeps them coming back

These are just a few examples to get the juices flowing on how you can take something unexpected and make it work for your business. Use this opportunity to not just serve soup but to promote your business in a new and unexpected way. Create the experience that will keep them talking about your business long after they leave. So, imagine what your business will smell like in addition to what it will look like. What can you do to engage the customer while they are in your business? You can find lots of graphics and ideas when you Google January is National Soup Month. Use these in your signage and marketing efforts to add interest. These are the things that make all the difference between a “dud” and a “dynamic” event.

Are you stuck on creating engaging events in your business? Reach out. I’d love to help!