Why You Must Make Plans For Your Buiness Ash Wednesday

What is your Business Ash Wednesday?

The Ash Wednesday is the first day of the Lenten season. It signifies the first day of the forty day fast that some Christians especially Catholics observe before Easter.

The Ash Wednesday of 2012 was observed on the 22nd of February. I went with my family to have the ash placed on our fore heads. It was while waiting to receive my own ash that I saw a key principle that has made the Catholic Church what it is today.

If a business can implement what I observed, I can guarantee that it will last for centuries like the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has used the principle of the Ash Wednesday to retain many faithful worshippers.

The Catholic Church made observation of the Ash Wednesday a holy day of obligation. This means that all Catholics must observe it. Catholics are also forbidden from eating meat on that day.  This means that on every Ash Wednesday, there is an unconscious marketing of the Catholic Church. The numbers of people that buy meat are fewer than normal. So the meat sellers are made to know that there is an observance called the Ash Wednesday.

The butchers slaughter fewer animals on Ash Wednesday. When other non Catholics ask them why they have fewer pieces of meat to sell, they tell their customers that it is Ash Wednesday. This acts as free promo for those who do not know about the Catholic Church’s doctrine.

These are not the aspects of Ash Wednesday though that I want to point the attention of businessmen to. I want to point out how the Catholic Church has been building loyal followership for ages and how you can implement it in your business.

 I am a catholic and for as long as I can remember, I have never missed going to have the ash placed on my fore head on any Ash Wednesday. I sincerely do not know the really significance of the placing of ash on the fore head on Ash Wednesday.

I will however feel like I committed a mortal sin if I do not go for ash placement on my forehead on Ash Wednesday. This does not apply to me alone but to most Catholics. This has made me and my fellow Catholics loyal and dedicated Catholics, even if we do not understand the significance of what we are doing.

As long as we continue flocking to the church on every Ash Wednesday, the church is sure of having a strong followership. It is also sure that I will take my family to the church for the Ash Wednesday and that with time; my children will be like me. They will go for the ash placement every year even if they do not know its meaning.

For a business, you must have a package that your customers must come back to at least once a year. You must build a sense of sacredness into that program that people will be looking forward to it each year. You must package it in such a way that anyone who misses it will feel they missed something irreplaceable.

In the entertainment industry, the various awards are a kind of Ash Wednesday. An American Artist that misses the Grammy or Oscar award will feel like they committed a huge crime.  

A more specific example is the Burning man celebrated in the US. People who attend it cannot really explain why they attend the Burning Man but they return every year.

Your ash Wednesday must not be geared towards making money but must be something that will draw your customers back to your program without them understanding why they are coming back. If your customers are from a particular region, organize a memorable celebration every year on that particular day. Then give out free samples or your products or branded gift items .

With time, people will start to look forward to that day. You must offer your customers incentives to attend. Build in a kind of ritual into it. With time people for reasons they cannot understand will start to prepare for that day months before it arrives. This will burn the name of their brand into their mind.

Package it in such a way that they will come with their family. With time, their children for reasons they cannot explain will start to look forward to your celebration. They too will become your loyal customers.

Having your own Ash Wednesday might look daunting. But, just start something in your local community that people can look forward to. This will create a great branding and marketing opportunity for your company.

remain inspired@

http://www.secretsofhopefulliving.com