OLD IDEAS NEW LIFE for

Some promotions stand the test of time

Good bowling promotions are like Warren Buffet’s stock picks that rise and pay dividends. Other times, we create promotions, advertise them with great effort, incur expenses, and sometimes they fail. Fred Kaplowitz of the Kaploe Group once told me, “We throw them on the wall and see what sticks.” Over the years, we tried many things; some of those failed offers are still buried in my backyard with the daffodils.

What if these old ideas are retooled to fit today’s guests? I contend that old stuff can be made new and marketed in ways we may not have had before. Look at our sport itself. Yes, the machines still go up and down, and guests still don our ugly rental shoes. With innovations that address the current times, we’re attracting new people. Online reservations, other technology, and even air purification systems have helped old ideas of yesterday succeed in 2023.

Failures like the Bad Bowlers Club just had unacceptable names in my market. There are some terrible bowlers participating in our Y103 League, but we don’t call them that! Guests bowl in the Short-Season Fun League with their favorite DJs and music. We advertise it in January when radio spots are cheap and we can get more exposure for our buck. This one has been paying its way handsomely every winter for over 25 years!

LET’S LOOK AT SOME OLD IDEAS THAT EXPERIENCED A REFRESHER AND ARE MAKING MONEY NOW

1. Short Programs, Random Payouts: We all love our traditional leagues that run 30 or 32 weeks and payout big at the end of the season to top-scoring teams. Innovative proprietors like my girlfriend Patty Rebman from Rebman’s Recreation, have started short programs with a jackpot paid out randomly, not based on skill. She calls the promotion In It to Win It and credits a BPAA seminar for the idea. Patty’s crew collects $5 extra each week for the pot. Recently her 12-week program still had $400 in the pot; you can be sure those bowlers show up every week!

2. Women Bowling with Wine: Why should we allow the guys to have all the fun? Gals love a good glass of wine, bowling, and socializing with their friends. Patty reports that her program has grown more extensive because of social media messages from the women participating in the fun. “The camaraderie the ladies share results in these 6-week sessions to go on indefinitely,” said Patty.

3. After-School Bowling: Over twenty years ago, Ray Stalnaker of Akron, OH, started an after-school program at his center. He said, “The kids ran to the buses and came on board laughing. They were happy to bowl even without music or lights.” My husband, Bob, and I started a similar version of this popular program. Fast forward to today, and we’re still making money with it. Well-paid coaches, running two buses, and competitive bus driver salaries have helped the lasting power. As a bonus, our center has been recognized by the Chamber of Commerce as a service to the community. Offering this to elementary kids builds interest in high school bowling and has helped increase our birthday party business.

4. Multiple Price Packages: When Bob and I were rookie proprietors, we asked Fred Kaplowitz to help us with quarterly planning. He suggested we offer three birthday packages. The thinking was that most parents would buy the middle offer. We imagined that no one would book the most expensive one as the cost was high for our neighborhood. However, we discovered that for some parents, any expenditure is okay for their kids. A costly package with a flashing ball, the child’s name on the marquis, more game tokens, and other added extras makes more money in the same space.

5. New Year’s Eve Options: The old-way NYE was offering one party with a fancy buffet. Our new way to offer NYE has been to host four parties with a pizza on each lane. Every one of the later time slots is sold out days before NYE. This year, the 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. time slot also sold out. Initially conceived for the special needs community, this year, the offer appealed to families who wanted to celebrate early and get home to watch the Ohio State football game at home. We were unprepared for the bar business that afternoon. I called Fred on January 1 this year to thank him for the largest money made in one day ever!

What worked for you in the past that you stopped doing for one reason or another?

How might those ideas and offers be modernized and brought back to life?

What may seem like an old idea could well be viewed as new and exciting by today’s potential guests. Open the archives and dig a few out!•

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