Sure, you've heard the buzz, the card is coming...but how can you make sure you make this work for you? For the concept to work we must have significant ACTIVE participation of our membership. This program will provide revenue to the chamber, allowing for expanded budgets in areas such as marketing. The idea is simple; drive customers to your business with both static and timely "flash" discounts, increasing cash flow and net income. The customer will purchase this card because of its value. You will participate because it will make the sophisticated business owner money. More members will join the chamber in order to receive these benefits. Folks, this is a win-win! |
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Dear Chamber Members,
This month prior to the vacation week, the Chamber would like to launch the Chamber Card program. But we need your help!
Here are the details:
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What Is It?
The Chamber Card is a card that will be marketed to guests and visitors. The objective of the card is to empower member businesses to leverage the power of social communication by marketing their businesses to card holders, highlighting special events, micro deals, or static offers throughout the season. Each new cardholder will automatically become a, "Friend Of The Chamber". As such they will be notified of chamber events, receive updates on local events held at member businesses; strengthening the relationship between second homeowners, locals, and our member businesses. 
Holders of the card will be eligible for special access promotions, value-added offers, or specials offered by Chamber members. The goal is twofold; to create value for our guests and to offer chamber businesses a chance to offer & direct market incentives. Think of it like Groupon, except that you can create whatever offer you would like (the discount is up to you) and you pay no fees to a middleman.
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How Does A Business Participate? Chamber businesses participate by offering a variety of incentives or special to holders of the card.  These discounts/specials can be a flash notice, weekly, monthly, or "static" (not changing). You can create offers to get rid of excess inventory, drive business to a slow day, or just get traffic into your establishment. Offers may be changed as often or as little (once a year) as you wish. There can be restrictions. It's totally up to you! Here are just a few examples: - Free dessert with purchase of an entrée (maximum of 4 per card)
- 10% off a purchase of $xx or more
- Free x with a $25 purchase
- Xx% off dinner on Tuesday nights (excluding x-x)
- $xx lodging package March 1-2, 2012 (for example, if you have some rooms to fill, you can offer a last minute package to fill those rooms)
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Need more reasons to take advantage of this effective marketing tool?
Have excess inventory? Need to sell those wheelbarrows left from spring? Have some great loss leaders you want to promote to drive traffic to your door?
CAUTION: Do not think of this just as discounting. The Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce is greatly expanding its membership while providing you direct access to these potential customers. This tool, if used correctly will steer the local dollars being spent to your door.
The chamber will be out aggressively marketing new membership to businesses outside of our valley. Own a shoe store in Bennington? Want immediate access to our current 350+ members plus anticipated friends of the chamber members nearing 250-+? Accept our new associate membership, receive the card for yourself and begin promoting your product.
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This card will be marketed to the following people:
*Mount Snow Season Pass Holders
*1400 Chamber Facebook Fans
*900 Chamber Twitter Followers
*2000 Email list subscribers
*350+ Chamber Members, their employees, families and friends
*Condominium Associations
*Bennington, Brattleboro and surrounding businesses and community members.
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Cardholder
As a cardholder I will provide direct contact information to the Chamber so that I may receive updates on specials via, text, email, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and of course the web site. I will control how I want to learn this information. The more access I provide as a consumer, the more benefits I will receive.
Business Owner
Sophisticated business operators will see this relationship as one that is lasting. Card holders will understand that at the time of transactions at local businesses, they may be asked to sign up for the individual business contact list, or perhaps encouraged to "like" them on Facebook. This connection will allow business owners to foster a lasting relationship built on value, not just flash marketing opportunities.
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How Do Card Members Find Out About the Specials?
First, there will be a page on the chamber web site listing all the specials. Initially the Chamber staff will enter the specials; eventually each chamber participant will update the page with their specials. Weekly emails, texts, tweets and Facebook posts will go out to notify cardholders of the specials.
Where Do Guests Purchase the Cards?
Cards will be sold at the Chamber Office and on our web site. The cost is $100. The card will be valid through
September 30, 2013.
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Sincerely,
Adam Grinold
Interim Executive Director
Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce
adam@visitvermont.com
802-464-8092
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