CGM blog: The value of bubbles

01 Sep CGM blog: The value of bubbles

So what did we learn on our holidays? The value of giving something away.

On offer among the vast array of food and drink at breakfast at our lovely hotel in Dubrovnik was prosecco. And it was free.

Sparkling wine for breakfast adds a touch of elegance. Did most people try it? Yes.

Were champagne flutes full to the brim, greedily quaffed by drunken guests bumping into one another to drain the free flutes throughout their entire holidays? No.

Like most other holidaymakers, Teresa and I simply sampled this heady start to the day a few times. Our first and last breakfasts and one in between, I recall. No one got hammered. The gesture was enough.

Did people mention it on social media? Of course. It was a simple piece of marketing kicked off by the hotel. Guests did the rest on Trip Advisor, social media and, I dare say, word of mouth.

Newcomers were primed to seek out the ice bucket with bottles of bubbly draped in crisp white napkins.

I doubt many hotel bookings were secured solely on the strength of free sparkling wine but it may have been a contributory factor among waverers between the choice of Hotel A and Hotel B.

Having literally whetted people’s appetites, the hotel will also have upsold evening meal drinks. There was a timeless offer on one specific brand of prosecco that also looked good value.

The marketing moral of this particular tale? Perceived value.

Offering free wine for breakfast isn’t a commercial disaster. It’s a friendly gesture, appreciated and much talked about among guests.

Question is – what can your business offer that will get your customers raving about you in a positive way, that appears to give a lot but actually doesn’t cost as much as it first seems?

Let the head scratching begin….