community relations
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Lansdowne Place brings the community together with annual charity event
Following in the footsteps of its sister center, St. Vital Shopping
Centre (Winnipeg, Canada), Lansdowne Place introduced the residents
of Peterborough and the Kawarthas to Behind Closed Doors in 2013.
An annual success for both centers, the event is a private, after-hours
shopping extravaganza that promotes awareness for local charities and
not-for-profit organizations. For an entry fee of C$5 (US$4), shoppers
gain access to wall-to-wall sales, an exciting entertainment line-up,
and the chance to win a C$1,000 (US$800) shopping spree. A way to
shake up the ordinary and find the best deals, the night celebrates the
bringing together of people to give back to the community. This year,
Lansdowne will be supporting 10 organizations, all representing a
good mix of different causes, including health, bereavement, physical
disability, and literacy.
"...a private, after-hours shopping
extravaganza that promotes
awareness for local charities and
not-for-profit organizations."
With a competitive selection process, participating organizations are
responsible for selling tickets throughout the summer and providing 10
volunteers for the night of the event. While Lansdowne supports changing
those involved annually in order to spread the love around, the shopping
center invites the highest selling participant to return. Striving to benefit
all categories within Lansdowne Place, Behind Closed Doors looks to build
lasting relationships with local charities and non-for-profits, and strengthen
community relations. Leading up to the event, the Lansdowne team begins
with a call for submissions and goes on to implement a personal approach
to promotion.
“Many participants offer essential services that many are unaware of. It
is our goal to bring a face to the organization and connect the community
with the people that bring these programs to life. To do so, we feature our
participating charities and not-for-profits in television commercials, and
interviews, as well as through social media posts and radio ads,” shared Emily
Dart, marketing director.
With browsing the mall a regular weekend freebie, charging shoppers to
participate can be a challenge. Lansdowne relies on two key factors: educating
the public and developing strong partnerships with local media. Dart notes
that as soon as people are aware of the associated causes and the plan of
action in regards to full proceeds, their interest in buying a ticket increases.
The media tie-in is also central to the mall’s marketing plan.
“In the most recent years, we have worked with Corus Entertainment Inc.
[which] assists with advertising Behind Closed Doors through radio, television,
and social media for four months leading up to the event. Not only does this
partnership help to boost ticket sales, it provides our participating charities
with another venue to highlight their services through radio and television
interviews,” Dart added.
Reaching close to full capacity on the night of the event, overall center
traffic is heavily made up of well-planned, ready and waiting shoppers. Dart
said that, thanks to Behind Closed Doors, some stores earn more sales in
three hours than they do in a week. Setting an inclusive tone, Lansdowne
welcomes all shops and customers to get in on the fun by organizing multiple
promotions, giveaways, and food samplings. A surprise run-in with the Prize
Squad promises shoppers a handful of vouchers, which can be redeemed
immediately for free gifts.
During its introductory year, close to 4,000 people attended Behind
Closed Doors. Since its launch, with a steady annual increase in
number of tickets sold, the center plans to sell 5,000 tickets this year.
More than making an impact on center traffic and retail sales, the
program has raised over C$80,000 (US$64,000) for its participating
charities and not-for-profits to date. Following the shopping frenzy,
in order to ensure a growing interest and continued success, the
organizations involved and the marketing and customer service teams
meet for a final review.
Thanks to close collaboration with community
organizations and the media, Behind Closed Doors has
acquired quite the following and shopper engagement.
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