For Businesses
Isla Vista Business Owner:
You, along with a few other similar businesses in the Isla Vista area are invited to participate in an upcoming UCSB Environmental Affairs Board Carrotmob campaign! A Carrotmob is an event that facilitates a unique customer and business interaction to make a positive difference in society—while bringing added revenue to your business!
Simply put, we organize large groups of customers to buy products from one business in a certain area at a specific time and date. When our customers converge at your business they will be coming for one reason…to purchase your products. This naturally begs two questions: a) what would motivate these customers to suddenly come to my store, and more importantly, b) how do I get selected as the one business to be “mobbed”?!?! Well, here are our answers:
What Motivates Our Customers?
As you know, there are a lot of social issues to worry about, and a lot of concerned citizens worrying about them. However, we’ve found that a lot of the methods out there to enact change are often very negative, too difficult or impractical for the average person to participate in, or simply ineffective. Enter the concept of a UCSB Carrotmob: what if we created a situation where businesses and consumers helped each other out? What if we directed conscientious consumers to a specific store to make the same purchases that they normally make everyday already—and in return for the benefits the business receives, the business would promise to put some of the additional profits towards solving a social issue? Well that, my friend, is UCSB Carrotmob.
Right now, our focus is on creating a healthier business environment in the Isla Vista community, and we are asking our businesses to become more energy efficient with the additional revenues they gain from Carrotmob.
Here’s how you become a partner with UCSB’s Environmental Affairs Board: Review the materials that we have provided you and prepare a bid that you will use in the competition against the five other Isla Vista liquor stores.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do you have the power to assemble a large group of customers like that?
The strategy of marketing this event at UCSB will be large and diverse in nature. This is an event coordinated by UCSB’s Environmental Affairs Board, which is the largest environmentally focused group on campus, with weekly attendance at our meetings of over 200 students. Besides speaking at our weekly meetings about Carrotmob, the event will be sent out on a weekly email through UCSB’s Environmental Sciences Department that is read by over a thousand students. Additionally, we have a publicity group of ten devoted volunteers who will speak in classes at UCSB, promote the event through tabling on campus, use social networking opportunities such as Facebook to publicize the event, and traditional flyers, posters, and advertising boards.
This could very well be a one-time surge of customers, is it really worth it for me to put so much time, money, and effort into a one-time event?
While the actual Carrotmob event only lasts a few hours, the effects of the event are long-term and can result is a significant increase in profits. Here are a few examples of how this event will benefit your business over the long haul:
• Cash—We will boost your sales, quite simply: more customers means more money right? This is the immediate reward to becoming a UCSB Carrotmob business partner.
• Free Positive Marketing— our Carrotmobs event will receive a lot of press throughout the whole campaign, culminating with a focus on the one business chosen at the end.
• Enhanced Reputation—by winning a Carrotmob and following through on your promises to contribute a specific percentage of gross receipts of the day of the event, the community’s respect for your business will be even higher than when you started the campaign. It’s likely that this will be an even greater benefit to your business then the short-term increase in profits.
• Decrease in Energy Bill – your company will undergo a complex energy audit by Sun Reconstruction Company, which will be paid for by UCSB’s Environmental Affairs Board, and once the up-grades to your business are installed you can sit back and enjoy the extra monthly cash flow.
Can you promise a certain minimum number of customers, or a minimum amount of revenue to bring in?
Predicting the amount of money we will bring in from the event is entirely based upon the store and its general sales figures which we don’t have access too, but concerning the amount of people we expect to bring to the event we can only make note from the recent past and cite examples like the Pardall Carnival, Clean-O-Ween, and our 350.org Day of Action which all brought an excess of 100 volunteers.
There are only so many things that I can do to make my business more energy efficient, I don’t think I can spend the whole XX% of the gross receipts from the event promised you.
We expect all businesses that participate in this UCSB Carrotmob event to hold true to their promises and contribute what they initially stated to energy efficient improvements. Sun Reconstruction Company will conduct an extensive energy audit and work with all of winners management to find an energy efficient fit that is just right for your business at whatever price range it may be.
There are so many things that I can do to make my business more energy efficient, will even a thousand dollars or less make a real difference?
Not all energy efficient retrofits are so expensive that the average store owner can not afford them, here are a few quick examples of possible upgrades to a liquor store that could be billed out at under a thousand dollars. Lighting retrofit (switching out bulbs, ballasts, and fixtures for more efficient lights) is one option, another quick fix is replacing existing insulating with more current products in the refrigeration cases. The lighting retrofit can save at least 50% of the current lighting load (which is usually 40% of a buildings overall load), thus they could expect 20% overall savings from lighting. The better insulation is another example that could save another 10% overall (maybe more!).
Am I going to be contractually obligated to spend whatever percentage I agree on towards energy efficiency, or is this agreement strictly on a verbal agreement?
We expect all of the revenue that you initially pledged to contribute to go towards energy efficient improvements to your business. In saying that, we as an organization have chosen to trust that you run an honest business that has integrity at the center of your business model and will not require a legally binding contract.
This project has no longevity, why don’t you have a plan that would promise that this group of consumers would shop at my store beyond this initial big weekend?
The event should act as a catalyst for new consumers at your store through an improved, more Eco-friendly, reputation. It’s likely that this will be an even greater benefit to your business then the short-term increase in profits.
Who’s paying for the inspection of my store to see what can be improved?
The energy audit that follows the event is entirely paid for by UCSB’s Environmental Affairs Board and will not be transferred over to the store owner. We wanted to make this as easy and cost-efficient for the winning business as possible, so we designed a business model that made sure the business didn’t face any barriers to participate in the event.
I want to know that you are going to promote the event; I don’t want to be responsible for advertising this event.
The Environmental Affairs Board has ten volunteers devoted entirely to promoting this event using a well rounded approach of social networking, traditional posters and flyers, and media on the UCSB campus.
What if the high numbers of people you expect do not show up?
EAB is confident in its abilities to bring in large groups of people, but the case there is a low turnout your business does not gain or loss anything. If the gross receipts from the day’s event are not significantly higher than a typical business day there is no legal obligation binding you our contract. It’s a win-win situation; we hope through our promotional efforts your store becomes flooded with business.
