6 Ways to Leverage Creole Month for Your Business

Every year, Creole-speaking countries around the world celebrate Creole Day or more appropriately Jounen Kwéyòl, to help increase awareness and pride in their unique cultural heritage, encourage the practical use of the creole language and culture and to inspire solidarity among creole-speaking communities.

For more than 30 years, Saint Lucia has celebrated Jounen Kwéyòl on the Sunday closest to International Creole Day, which is officially October 28^th.  Over the years, the celebration has become a significant tourist attraction for lovers of folk culture.

And in recent years, the entire month of October officially became designated Creole Heritage Month on the island, featuring a number of smaller creole-themed activities throughout the month. The centerpiece activity, however, is still Jounen Kwéyòl.

However, Creole Heritage Month offers a lot more than just a time for celebration. It can provide both economic and social benefits for many local businesses and communities. It is important that local businesses learn how to leverage celebrations like Creole Heritage Month for their success.  Here are a few simple but very effective tips.

• Sponsorship – Sponsorships are always a great way for businesses to gain exposure and increase awareness of their brand and products. It is also a significant way for local businesses to leverage an event for their success. In the case of Jounen Kwéyòl, as a local business, you can become a main sponsor of the celebration or provide sponsorship to one of the designated districts. When taking this path, it is important to remember to be dedicated to your efforts.

• Themed Promotion/Sales – One of the most effective ways to increase brand awareness and sales, is to run a successful promotion and/or sale concurrently with a current event and/or local celebration. It makes the promotion timely and increases the likelihood of customers being interested. Therefore, an effective way to leverage creole celebrations is to have a promotion or sale around the creole theme. If your business is in the food industry, e.g. a restaurant, offer special discounts or vouchers for creole food all month long. If your business is a retail store, offer sales on creole inspired clothing items, etc.

• Utilize Social Media – Social media continues to be one of the most effective marketing tools for any business. It’s fairly cheap, with incredible reach if utilized in the right way. Your business should use social media not just to promote your promotions, sales or sponsorships but also to celebrate Creole month in general. Find interesting and engaging 3^rd party content related to the history and celebration of creole, its relevance to the island, the people, etc. Content from respected and trusted sources is an effective way for your business to also gain credibility. Another way to leverage creole celebrations using social media is to invite user-generated content. Ask customers and consumers to tell you what they love about Jounen Kwéyòl and what it means to them. This is a very simple, yet very effective way to increase consumer/customer engagement.

• Use Mobile Marketing – We are all attached to our mobile devices, which is why mobile marketing is so effective. Push notifications to targeted customers announcing your Creole month promotion is another effective way to reach customers and hopefully increase sales.

• Use Email Marketing – Email marketing is a very inexpensive yet effective way to announce any special promotions and events you are having. Send an email blast to your customers announcing your involvement in Creole Heritage month as a sponsor and/or any other related promotions you are having.

• Create a Strategic Alliance – Strategic alliances in business can be very effective and beneficial to all parties involved. A well-executed strategic alliance can increase brand awareness, introduce your business to a new target audience, reduce costs because resources are shared and by that token, reduce risks. The biggest key to a successful strategic alliance though is for businesses to find the right partner that aligns with their goals and is a good fit.

Want more tips, or not sure how to get started on your Creole Month promotions, Yello can help.