THE CHALLENGE – RETAIL MALL PR & EVENT PUBLICITY
The Montgomery Mall in North Wales, Pennsylvania was home to approximately 120 stores. Its brick-and-mortar business model had been bolstered over the years by numerous renovations and the continual addition of new and trendy retail outlets.
The big challenge for any physical shopping center is remaining viable during the all-important holiday season — that period from Thanksgiving up to the days right after Christmas. Online shopping presents a major challenge, and the Montgomery Mall needed to be sure it remained viable for shoppers from Black Friday to New Year’s Day.
Kate Voegele Concert at Montgomery Mall
OUR DELIVERABLES – RETAIL MALL PR & EVENT PUBLICITY
Using the power of celebrity and social media, Furia Rubel recommended and implemented successful campaigns during multiple holiday shopping seasons.
Public relations and event publicity, Furia Rubel, engaged the services of Don Polec, a well-known television news personality closely associated with Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate. Mr. Polec rode with Santa atop a fire truck and signed autographs during the mall’s annual Santa Parade. His participation virtually guaranteed local news coverage.
Furia Rubel and the mall’s marketing team aggressively promoted the event ahead of time. These efforts included carefully researching and identifying an array of online and print “community calendars” to get the event listed.
To keep excitement going after the parade, the team developed a “Black Friday Shopping Survival Guide” that was printed in local newspapers and secured media coverage of a “Black Friday Survival Kit.” Shoppers were reminded to stay hydrated, bring snacks and shopping lists, wear comfortable shoes, and plan a productive itinerary in advance of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Furia Rubel also leveraged the power of social media, managing the mall’s Twitter account and organizing a “Tweet Santa” program to help build excitement. Media outreach included encouraging the use of a hashtag and suggesting that tweets can be like a holiday wish list. To attract adults, the @MontcoMallSanta Twitter handle provided deals and discounts on the most in-demand holiday gifts at the mall, and detailed which stores carried the items.
