HER LIFE Magazine

classes can be tied to goods and services offered by the business, such as aclass on pruning roses offered by a nursery, or a tax seminar offered by anaccounting business. Or they can target an unrelated but fun topic suchas a deal-of-the-day offer for a painting class at an Italian restaurant withwine, appetizers and all painting materials included for $29. Announcementsof in-store classes and speakers are often listed by local newspapersunder the heading of community events, a form of free advertising forthe host business. Tying an in-store event to a local or national charity isanother way to create some newsworthy buzz.Although these deal of the day websites and coupon discounters mayincrease short-term customer capacity, there are some disadvantages aswell, including brand dilution. In order to balance short-term and longtermbrand and image goals, it's important to provide the best possibleservice for customers who are drawn in by sales incentives. Attracting newcustomers is always important, but keeping customers and enticing themto spend more money is what keeps a business going. No matter whatgimmick or technique a business uses to attract customers, promotionsthat positively reinforce its image are the best way to build customerloyalty and foster repeat sales. According to Tomuse.com, by discountingyour price, your brand becomes susceptible to a reduction in perceivedvalue by a customer, and the short-lived attention may not ultimately attractthe long-term and loyal customer you had originally intended. ■Sources for this article are brooklyn.cuny.edu, marketingteacher.com and tomuse.com.HERLIFEnewyork.com 37