A Zamboni, Marketing, and You.

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I've only been to hockey games a few times. Fortunate enough to attend games at Madison Square Garden in a fabulous suite reserved by my employer, complete with nifty little kitchen and wet bar. Sweet.

Also went to the Winter Olympics in 1988 and saw four very international hockey games. Here’s where I felt the passion of the fans since glass and walls didn't separate us. So much colorful expression in many different languages!

And there’s that interesting machine that looks like an intergalactic dump truck as it magically works resurfacing and smoothing that ice. Behold, the Zamboni.

We can apply that device’s process to your marketing endeavors too. Often it’s referred to as “tweaking” which almost sounds like a bunch of knobs are being adjusted. In this case think of  “resurfacing” as being more about the polish.

The foundation of your business is in place already and it’s pretty darn thick ice. Solid.
However, sometimes a bit of cool freshness is needed.

Let’s say you’re a restaurant. Resurfacing could include some relatively inexpensive ideas like these:

• The menu items are great; people love your food and most items are popular. The one or two that aren't as popular could be changed with something similar, still a fish dish, but with different spices.
• Your menu itself may be looking dated while the atmosphere of the restaurant has changed. Perhaps demographically the clientele has changed over time? Some new graphics could be in order that would appeal to your new audience.
• The white plates you've been serving food on are getting scratched and they’re not making the food look exciting. Perhaps a bolt of cheer using different colored Fiestaware plates.
• Or maybe the tablecloths and napkins are starting to look tattered and should be replaced.
• You've always been wanted to have live music again on Thursdays and Fridays along with a happy hour. You had a guitarist for a while but it wasn't the right fit for the crowd; maybe someone who encourages the clientele to sing along could bring a bigger draw?
• You’re open for breakfast but the choices are limited. Bring on the grits and Taylor Ham; in some parts of the country they’re hard to come by and may be greatly appreciated.

All of the ideas above can make skating smoother and bring a little more success to your business. And it’s not about skating on thin ice like Jethro Tull back in 1974.

This is Z, the final entry in the Blogging A to Z challenge. Here's X and Y.
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