Did you know that about 40% of Americans say they eat ice cream at least once every two weeks? If you?re running an ice cream parlor, summer is swiftly approaching, and that means your marketing game needs to be on point. Yours is a seasonal business; even if you continue to get some customers into the fall, it?s not going to be the same as capturing the very hungry summer crowds.
The average American will eat ice cream about 29 times this year. Here?s how to get them to eat it at YOUR ice cream parlor — not your competitor?s.
Make it an Easy Place to Gather
When people go out for ice cream in the summer, they don?t usually want to eat it in their car. Providing ample seating both inside and outside allows customers to enjoy their ice cream and think of your location as a destination, rather than just a point between one errand and another.
Advertise Your Product
It can be tempting to stick your ice cream into the cheapest cups available. However, you should strongly consider the advantage of custom ice cream containers, which can help advertise your company while your consumers are walking around. One of the most common reactions people have to seeing cups for ice cream are, ?where did you get that?? By opting for customized paper ice cream cups that clearly display your business?s name, it?s not so much of a mystery (and it?s easy to pull up the location on their phone!).
Offer Frozen Yogurt Cups as Well
It?s no secret that consumers — especially younger ones, who might be your key market depending on region — are increasingly interested in healthy food options, and ice cream isn?t always perceived as falling into that category. By offering frozen yogurt, you give a way for consumers to appease their ?healthy conscience? while still enjoying a sweet, frozen treat courtesy of your ice cream parlor.
Create a Customized Experience
Consumers in the U.S. are increasingly focused on having a ?customized? food experience — even when it comes to foods we have traditionally perceived as ?fast serves.? For this reason, allowing your consumers to customize their experience is important for making them feel like getting ice cream is an adventure in taste, not just a routine.
Will you be investing in paper ice cream cups this year? Let us know what improvements you plan on making to your parlor.