How about this for a great, free, local marketing idea that’s also ecologically sound and recycles natural resources?

Local Marketing Idea

A few months ago I was in need of some packaging material. We were about to embark on a kitchen project at home and needed to empty three rooms before knocking them together to make a kitchen-diner. You forget how much stuff is stored in kitchen cupboards, utility rooms etc. Everything had to be stored in the garage for a couple of months, so I was looking for some boxes.

There were plenty of places that sold them but the cost of the kitchen was already high and I wanted to minimise further costs. So I looked on Gumtree.com, the local online free classified ads service. I found a local independent retailer, Missy Moo Balloon Shop in Maldon, Essex and they offered boxes for free. They receive all their stock in boxes, often quite large ones. They solved their continuous challenge of recycling them by offering them through Gumtree. All I had to do was turn up and fill my car with flat-packed cartons.

Superb, Free Local Marketing

What a great initiative! It’s local marketing, it’s better than free marketing as it saves them time and money and it’s ecologically sound. What’s more, it builds awareness for their store and generates recommendation; I have no hesitation in supporting this great marketing initiative by Missy Moo Balloon shop in Maldon, Essex (https://twitter.com/missymooballoon ).

This is a superb free local marketing idea that many independent retailers could emulate; free marketing for their business and providing a local service of value.

This blog first appeared on 5th December 2016 at the Coyne Sales and Marketing site.