Marketing Lessons From The Renaissance Fair

Last weekend, our family visited the Bristol Renaissance Fair in Wisconsin

. What a hoot. The bottom line is that if you can't have fun at a Renaissance Faire then you can't have fun anywhere. And, of course, the whole fair got me thinking about, you guessed it, marketing! Renaissance Fairs are the essence of good marketing; they understood how to upsell, downsell and everything in between.

Here are five quick lessons that I took away from the fair:

1.Get your customers and clients involved.

At the fair, not only are the workers dressed in medieval fashion, but the customers are decked out as well. As the customers walk through the fair in their velvet bard shirts, black-laced renaissance boots and flowing sorcerer's cloaks, they feel that they're an integral part of the entire experience. Customers love being intricately involved with the places that they do business with. So, the question to ask yourself is, "how can you get your customers to feel more involved with you and your small business?"

2.Upsell.

I must admit that after we paid our $45 family admission fee, I was expecting that everything would be free. Oh no! We had to pay for food, shows and rides. Now, I'm not going to say that I love having to pay extra, but it is part of the business world. How can you add extra products, programs and services for your existing customers?

3.Make it fun.

There's nothing better than having fun with your small business. And, if you can get your customers and clients involved in the fun, even better. At the Renaissance Fair, the workers speak in a thick "Middle English" accent, teasing and poking fun at the customers. There's even a worker with his head thrust in a gallows, taunting the customers to throw rotten tomatoes at him. (Of course, this savvy businessman upsells his rotten tomatoes for a dollar a piece!)

4.Encourage repeat business.

The Renaissance Fair is renowned for repeat business. They have customers who don't miss a weekend. Better yet, these repeat customers are spending money each and every visit. How are you encouraging repeat business and creating customers who are begging for more?

5.Create a unique identity.

I must admit, I've never quite seen anything like a Renaissance Fair. There's no doubt in my mind that it owns an exclusive and distinctive corner of this particular market. When you create a one-of-a-kind experience for your customers and clients, you are carving out an irreplaceable position for your small business that will last throughout the years.

So, the next time you visit your local Renaissance Fair, look at it through the eyes of a small business owner and discover how they epitomize innovative, inventive and groundbreaking marketing tactics.

by: Jessica Swanson

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