Ho, Ho, Ho? Dealers quick to push holiday promotions
When I went to Target on Sunday and found Christmas stockings, ornaments and faux pine trees staring me in the face, I felt a rush of anxiety, as I thought of the 10 million things I have to complete before Dec. 25. However, when I started seeing holiday-themed dealership e-newsletters this week, I was beyond elated.
Why the different reactions? While I personally may not be ready for the holidays, many shoppers are. A friend of mine proudly displayed a photo of her already-assembled Christmas tree on Facebook Saturday, and I overheard a morning show host report this week that he already had half of his holiday shopping complete.
Though there are a lot of people like me, who don’t even want to think about decorating or shopping until closer to Thanksgiving, others are already primed, and as soon as Halloween passes, they’re rushing into stores, seeking out that perfect gift. Smart dealers have learned that in order to compete with the box stores and e-tailers of the world, they have to be prepared to push their holiday marketing as soon as those companies do.
Here are a few e-newsletter holiday promotions that already caught my eye:
- Hoping to get its events on customers’ calendars, Battlefield Harley-Davidson in Gettysburg, Pa., announced its Ladies’ Night Out, featuring a light buffet and shopping, is set for 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, while its Men’s Night Out is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21.
- Shawnee Cycle Plaza in Shawnee, Kan., shared the date of its Free Photos with Santa session, set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6.
- Harley-Davidson of Lynchburg’s Wednesday e-blast, with the subject line “Get Ready for the Holidays,” noted the Lynchburg, Va., dealership’s offer of a free extended service plan or dealership gift card with the purchase of a new Harley, while also pushing 15 percent off leather outerwear, LED lighting and licensed jewelry through the end of November.
- Lawless Harley-Davidson of Renton, Wash., is already promoting its Black Friday offer of no sales tax on all H-D licensed products and accessories, excluding motorcycles.
- Eastside Harley-Davidson in Bellevue, Wash., and Emerald City Harley-Davidson in Lynnwood, Wash., are advertising Bev’s 15th Annual Big Bad Bargain Bonanza, set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday at both locations using snowflakes and an image of Santa to promote early holiday shopping. The sale will include blowout pricing of up to 75 percent off for end of season MotorClothes and obsolete and discontinued Parts & Accessories.
There’s no doubt that even more dealers have already begun marketing their holiday events and sales. If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late, but obviously your competition within and outside of powersports has already started. So jump on that holiday spirit and capture that holiday spending!
Liz Keener is the managing editor of Powersports Business, a trade magazine for the powersports industry. She reports on the powersports industry through Powersports Business’ varied media, including in the magazine and online. She assembles the brand’s three-times-a-week e-news and handles a variety of assignments for the magazine. Powersports Business is known for its exclusive national dealer surveys, in-depth industry analysis, Power 50 dealership honors program and dealership conference, Powersports Business Institute @ AIMExpo.
Contact: lkeener@powersportsbusiness.com
Website: www.powersportsbusiness.com
