Small Business Saturday plans 100 days of marketing

From 26 August, #SmallBizSatUk is beginning 100 days of marketing on social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, plus LinkedIn and widespread mainstream publicity. The goals: to increase awareness among UK shoppers of the benefits of supporting small businesses, to introduce small businesses to a wider audience and to encourage purchasing from small businesses on 3 December 2016.

Small Business Saturday was originally founded by the global financial services firm American Express. The UK group is now independent, operated by Small Is Big CIC to promote small businesses all year.

Since its inception, Small Business Saturday has been growing in awareness and participation. In 2015, customers spent £623 million buying from small UK businesses on Small Business Saturday.

This year, 100 small businesses will be featured in the weeks leading up to 3 December, giving each the opportunity for higher awareness and positive brand associations. In turn, each small business can leverage this opportunity for more local recognition and specific promotions targeting its customers, using tips and tools provided by Small Business Saturday UK. 

Opinion leaders in the palaces

Opinion leaders are people who are particularly admired or who have special qualities that result in their having influence over what some consumers like or buy.

For some segments, the Duchess of Cambridge is an opinion leader for women's fashion, as an example.

In the UK, the display of a Royal Warrant confirms that the households of royal opinion leaders have used the brand for at least five years. Products apply for and may display the Royal Warrant indicating product use by one of three royal households (HM The Queen, HRM The Duke of Edinburgh or HRM The Prince of Wales).

Among the Royal Warrant holders in food and beverage, for example, are BritVic, Renshaw Baking, Johnnie Walker and Selfridges.

When Unilever's Marmite became a Royal Warrant holder just ahead of the Queen's 90th birthday this year, it celebrated by publicising the warrant and toasting the Queen's special birthday. The brand received extra social media attention on this occasion, as 'Love It' fans were glad that Marmite is enjoyed in the palaces.

Zoolander 2 on Valentino's runway

Even if Paris fashion isn't your cup of Earl Grey, you have to smile when Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson stalk the runway for Valentino. It was a clever publicity stunt that had fashionistas gasping and reaching for their iPhones earlier today.

The stars made a surprise appearance during Valentino's Paris Fashion Week show to promote . . . well, the hashtag #Zoolander2 says it all: The Zoolander 2 movie debuts in 2016, starring Derek and Hansel, two models with attitude. The Zoolander Facebook page (1.1 million likes) also carried photos and posts as the stars completed their walkoff.

Both Zoolander2 and Valentino trended high on Twitter for hours after the stars left the runway. No promoted tweets needed, the photos and hashtag went viral worldwide through buzz. Think of the promotional value for the designer and for the movie when two well-known actors get into character and "perform" in front of a star-studded audience expecting a couture collection.

Bottom line: The promotion was effective because it was live, it was a surprise, and it took place in a setting where those characters would ordinarily be seen--a win-win for the designer and the movie.