Town Sampler contest starts March 1
That’s the prediction of Stephen Krempasky, executive director of Shop Farragut/Farragut Business Alliance, following the alliance’s “third Thursday morning” meeting Feb. 15 in Town Hall.
Any area consumer has a chance to win six $25 gift certificates each month from six of at least 20 Town businesses.
“Sign-ups will start March 1,” Krempasky said.
The six Town businesses to each give a $25 gift card for the March contest are: Costco Wholesale, Great Clips, K Town Specialty Shoppe, Mario’s Pizza & Grill, Planet Fitness and The Casual Pint.
To enter the contest beginning March 1, “People go to [facebook.com/shopfarragut] or our website [shopfarragut.com] and just enter their e-mail. Check the box where we can use their e-mails in the future,” Krempasky said after the meeting about contestants allowing their e-mail addresses to be targeted for direct-mail discounts and coupons tied into participating businesses’ advertising.
“We’re going to have all the businesses listed [stating] ‘you can win prizes from these businesses,’” he said during the meeting.
“The last Friday of each month I’ll draw a winner,” Krempasky added, with March 30 the first drawing day. “And the winner will reach out to [the businesses] and we’ll set a time to get them the [winning] package. … I contact the person right away and we’ll set up a time the following week” to deliver the gift cards.
“The idea is the winners have to physically go in and use the coupons — either the gift certificates or the gift cards they receive,” he added.
Krempasky credited Tony Cox, Shop Farragut Board member, with the idea for Town Sampler. [Cox is president of Republic Newspapers, Inc., parent company of farragutpress, and the paper’s publisher].
“The inspiration really came about from how to find shoppers for Shop Farragut,” Krempasky added.
“… We use this contest to develop a list, because people have to opt into the contest. They’ll have their e-mails, and I can generate a list of shoppers, so I can tell [when a given Farragut business] is going to have a special … direct marketing through e-mail, which we’re not doing right now because I don’t have a list of the shoppers who are interested in shopping this area and businesses.”
As a result, “It’s going to grow an e-mail list for us to have customers,” he said. “I’ve got a great e-mail list for businesses, but now we’re going to grow a list of people who shop Farragut, or are willing to shop Farragut that we can market to.”
Interested consumers may enter the contest each month. Winners in any given month would need to wait 30 days to re-enter the contest.
The March 30 winner, for example, would have to wait until May to re-enter the contest.
At deadline, 20 Town of Farragut businesses had signed up to be part of Town Sampler according to Krempasky.
The other 14 businesses signed up are Campbell Station Jazzercise, Fitness Together, Health Markets Insurance Agency, Jiffy Lube, Knoxville Academy of Martial Arts, Kumon of Farragut, Michael Broyles Photography, OsteoStrong of Farragut, Rick Terry Jewelry, The Consignment Shoppe @ Campbell Station, Water Into Wine Bistro & Lounge, Elliott’s Boots-Shoes-Sandals Farragut, Nurture With Nature and Longhorn Steakhouse.
“These businesses are so hot to get into this,” Krempasky said.
“We’re excited about it.”
