I know the Boston area well.
Here are some suggestions:
1) Visit (in person) the local major employers in the city.
a) offer it to their HR department and senior level executive
assistants as a venue for private parties for management
b) offer it to their employees at a discount
2) If you are good at events, sponsor an event and invite your target
market to it as an introduction via a closed invitation list (VERY
upscale). At that event have small samples of what's offered in the
lounge, and have contact sheets everywhere with a promotion for a
discount off event booking(s). Buy the Mass High Tech mailing list
$1695, (www.masshightech.com) focus on a 15-mile perimeter of your
lounge, and invite only sales and marketing folks (the list has
titles.) (Their profile is High income, high energy, into schmoozing,
and very "activity" oriented.) There are other local associations
that have mailing lists for sale. It's a worthwhile investment.
3) For the general populace, nothing works better than great signage,
word of mouth, and great PR. A funky slogan that would help people
remember your name and location would help. There's a eatery near
where I used to live that said "lousy food, warm beer" as their
slogan. How can you forget that? You can't. (Eventually, lots of
restaurants adopted that, but you get the idea.)
So, to tie in the theater and the restaurant lounge, you could do
something that plays on both, i.e. you know the slogan "All the
world's a stage. Some of us just have better seats. " You could have
something like: All the world's a stage. Some of us just have better
eats." or instead of "Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry
feast" something like "Small cheer, great welcome and a merry feast."
Not perfect ideas off the top of my head, but you get the picture.
Cross promotions with other local companies would also be key, i.e.
salons, spas, sports clubs. Advertise each other's businesses in your
venue. One of my fave cigar bars in the late 1990s/early2000s had
advertisements in gorgeous carved gold leaf frames in the restrooms.
They advertised the polo club, a dance club, and an upscale furniture
store.
It wouldn't hurt to have something extrordinary happen at your venue
either, i.e. to have a local up-n-coming fashion have a trunk show
there, have a charity event there, or a really cool event I went to in
Palm Beach had very upscale jewelry on display and was co marketed by
the jewelry company to their client list. (I believe they showed Rolex
and a DeBeers stuff.) The women came in the door with no jewelry but
their wedding rings. Same for men. They got to wear a piece while they
were there, and had to surrender everything at the door prior to
leaving (unless they bought it.) Now THAT's upscale. Security was
really heavy, though. That cost $$$.
Anyhow, just some ideas. I live in a Boston suburb and most likely
fit your profile. These are the types of things that would get me to
try you out. |
