Taubman Incents Shoppers with Ice Cream Treats; Sweeps

Taubman Centers will reward consumers visiting select shopping centers and area events over the Memorial Day weekend with sweet treats, including free ice cream and T-shirts as part of a new guerilla marketing campaign.

The campaign, called GO, is designed to fill shoppers’ requests for “fun and different” mall experiences based on a customer survey, the company said.

Starting today, ice cream trucks will distribute some 70,000 free frozen treats and 45,000 T-shirts in nine cities nationwide through Memorial Day at mall locations, parades and other events. T-shirts will feature one-line sayings based on Taubman’s new Go campaign.

In addition, Taubman will create sales lists and store promotions for shoppers in eight categories (women’s fashions; men’s apparel; children; home, gifts and electronics; shoes and athletic wear; jewelry and accessories; health, beauty and services and food). The sales lists will be available at each participating mall.

“We were looking for an unconventional way to market stores in our malls that personalizes their shopping experience,” says Glenda Cole, Taubman regional marketing and sponsorship director, in a statement. “People today are so time-stressed and preoccupied, you have to work out of the box to break through the clutter and reach them.”

Participating locations include the Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, MI, Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA, Northlake in Charlotte, NC, Regency Square in Richmond, VA, Stamford Town Center, in Stamford, CT, Sunvalley in Concord, CA, Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, MI, The Mall at Wellington Green in Wellington, FL and Westfarms Mall in Farmington, CT.

Shoppers will find GO signage throughout Taubman locations, including bathrooms, parking lots and beverage containers directing consumers to a list of related stores. Messaging includes “Go…because you’re not the only one applying for that job” or “Go…because her birthday was yesterday.”

Consumers also have a chance to write their own “GO” lines for chance to have them featured in Taubman’s fall campaign. Shoppers can enter their one-liners at FindYourGo.com, or take a quiz to find their own GO shopping style, Quiz-takers will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 mall gift card, Cole said.

Taubman is promoting the campaign via in-mall signage and window clings in metro areas and online support. Colle+McVoy, Minneapolis, handles.

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