Bars have a lot going on. Throngs of rowdy people. Noisy cover-bands mangling "Born to Run." Walls plastered in neon signs, Christmas lights and, for some reason, photos of Burt Reynolds. For a beverage brand, this can be a nightmare—with so many things competing for bar patrons' attention, and so many other beverage brands jockeying for space amid the chaos, it can be tough to stand out.
Unless Gayle Piraino is running the show.
As president and CEO of GAP Promotions, Gloucester, Mass., Piraino regularly works with beverage brands, combining expertise in on-premise marketing tactics with an eye for promotional displays and products. So when a major brand contacted GAP Promotions about providing materials for a large event, Piraino jumped at the chance. Here, she shares the thought process behind the event and provides a little inspiration for distributors looking to boost their sales in the bar and restaurant market.
Print+Promo (P+P): Describe a promotion of yours that you consider one of GAP Promotions' best.
Gayle Piraino (GP): One of GAP's best on-premise promotions was for Atlanta Smirnoff Pride. GAP worked on a regional on-premise program and provided our customer with everything from custom floor mats to full-color condiment trays for the back bar. We ran the materials for the first event in Atlanta back in 2011, and have continued to provide these custom materials every year since. The success of this LGBT event was so popular that the program gained traction and became part of a national program within Diageo, the beverage company that owns the Smirnoff brand. In addition to this, we also headed up some off-premise programs, which was a spinoff of the on-premise events. These programs have also had continued success.
P+P: What items were featured in this promotion, and what influenced that decision?
GP: We featured full-color condiment trays, napkin caddies, napkins, bottle openers, bar mats, bartender clothing, armbands, floor mats and custom body stencils. In addition to the on-premise bar programming we also started to run different items for pool party events in the summer. These items included water bottles, beach balls and T-shirts. Our customer at Diageo collaborated with our team on this program and he let us know the types of items he needed. From there, our art team created custom artwork that displayed the vibrant colors and branding that Smirnoff has to offer.
P+P: How was this a profitable promotion for your company? For your client?
GP: This was definitely a profitable promotion for both GAP and Diageo. Smirnoff product was the featured drink on the back bar. All of the promotional products were extremely visible to the consumers, which was the main objective for GAP. This program not only brought brand awareness to Smirnoff but also successfully targeted the LGBT community, in turn creating this into a yearly event for the community!
P+P: Did you encounter any challenges with this promotion?
GP: We did not encounter any challenges with this event. The account loved the POS, and more importantly, the consumers continue to attend these events year after year.
P+P: Do you have any advice for distributors interested in selling to the bar and restaurant market?
GP: Talk to the restaurant and bar owners. They know what works in their establishments. Find out what has worked for other brands, and try to learn from their successes and plan how you can make your brands stand out amongst the competition. Having these conversations is only going to help you sell in that market.
P+P: Is there anything you would like to add?
GP: Get out there! The most important thing to do is to stay up-to-date on the current trends and explore what is currently working and not working out in the field. That knowledge and experience will help in cementing your place in the market.