While your shop tenants are planning out their promotions, it’s crucial for you as a mall to come up with unique marketing ideas to increase foot traffic. Why not incorporate these ideas into your next marketing strategy?

Go tactical

Tactical and PR stunts – when done well – have a way of cutting through the noise and getting people to pay attention. Take, for instance, the DAVINCI Hotel & Suites in Sandton’s superhero window washers. By doing something as simple as dressing their window washers up in Marvel superhero costumes, they caught people’s attention, elevated their brand and got some major media exposure.

What unique features does your mall have that could lend itself to a clever marketing stunt like this one?

Really USE your social media

It seems so obvious, and yet not enough Johannesburg malls are really utilising their social media. Posts are sparse and far between and there’s very little interaction or engagement with shoppers.

Social media is a art, and it is definitely a good idea to consider an agency that specialises in it to manage this marketing aspect for you. They’ll be able to device a content strategy, tone of voice and posting schedule for your mall that will make you stand out above the rest. Advertise your social media handles around your mall and use specific hashtags for your sale and shopper campaigns.

Mall decorations

Some malls attract hundreds of shoppers purely by their decorations. Melrose Arch, for instance, have established themselves as THE mall to visit over the festive season to look at lights and decorations. What is your mall planning in terms of season decorations? Instead of trying to do all of the holidays, pick a certain holiday that you’d really like to focus on and pour your decoration budget into that one.

Host mall events

Kids holiday programmes, exhibitions, showcases and even music – there’s a plethora of events you could bring to your mall to attract shoppers. People are looking for free entertainment and something to take their kids to. Make their choice of mall easy by being the place that offers that.

They may not be paying for the event, but they are spending their money in your shopping mall and driving traffic to your stores.

Go for localised marketing

One of the most effective forms of communication for your mall is through a reputable publication.