Tax-Time Celebration | Promotional Consultant

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Tax-Time Celebration
By: Audrey Sellers, Associate Editor
Issue: May 2010

An alarm clock, t-shirt and teddy bear set the stage for a three-day, around-the-clock event.

People know it’s coming, but inevitably some wait until the last moment to file their taxes. It’s these stragglers that Liberty Tax Service hoped to reach when it decided to keep its offices open around the clock April 13-15. Franchises around the country wanted taxpayers to take advantage of the extended hours and they also wanted to add some excitement to the process.

Deborah Higgins, chief operating officer of Virginia Beach, Virginia-based distributor Impressions In Print, Inc. (UPIC: iipnprin), stepped up with an idea: Make it a party. “Liberty Tax Service wanted to encourage fun and no stress during a stressful time for those who waited until the last days to prepare their taxes,” she says.

Her solution was a franchise-wide party, “Up All Night,” where taxpayers could stop in anytime day or night to complete their taxes, enjoy refreshments and even wear their pajamas.

“The goal was to receive media attention by getting coverage of the event,” says Higgins. “By increasing awareness of the program using promotional products, we anticipated more customers would come to have their taxes prepared during the last peak days.”

Higgins gathered customized bell-style alarm clocks, t-shirts and teddy bears, and packaged them in customized boxes along with a press release detailing the “Up All Night” event. The boxes were sent overnight to more than 400 national media outlets including newspapers, TV stations and syndicated radio stations.

“The most challenging part of the promotion was the time frame. We only had two weeks to create the art, get all of the items imprinted and do the fulfillment. All the boxes had to be shipped overnight to the media for early-morning delivery on April 13 to keep the promotion confidential. With help from wonderful employees and dependable suppliers we were able to reach the goal,” says Higgins.

Higgins also created banners, signs and sticky-note coupons that franchisees posted around their communities to promote the event. Plus, remote radio was done in conjunction with a roadside party at many locations. Those who stopped by received t-shirts and travel mugs.

“The graphics were fun and many folks wore the t-shirts around town, helping to promote the event,” Higgins says. “Customers had fun getting their taxes done and many wore their pajamas. The overnight box was well-received by media and resulted in major media hits.”