Top 100 Dealer Awards: Inside Tips From 2021 Winner Dietze Music
Submissions for the 2022 Top 100 Dealer Awards are now open, and NAMM Members worldwide are invited to submit their stores for a spot on the list of Top 100. The Top 100 Dealer Awards will be held at The NAMM Show on June 2, where all NAMM retail members will be honored, and the winners will be recognized - an event you do not want to miss.
Now in its twelfth year, the annual awards hono retailers who have demonstrated a commitment to best practices, creativity, and innovation in music products retail.
The Top 100 Awards will celebrate retail innovation across nine award categories, including the “Best Community Retail Store;” “Best Customer Service;” “Best Store Design;” “Innovation Award;” “Best Marketing and Sales Promotion; “Best Online Engagement;” “Music Makes a Difference Award;” and the “Customer’s Choice Award” which at press time is currently underway.
All submissions will be evaluated for effectiveness in marketing, customer engagement, and innovation in retail by a panel of independent judges. From the winners of these categories, one store will be recognized with the coveted “Dealer of the Year” Award.
While there may not be a secret to winning one of the top awards, past honorees are pulling back the curtain to give us a sneak peek into what it took them to take home this impressive distinction and what being a Top 100 Dealer has meant to their business.
Dietze Music earned the title of “Best Marketing & Sales Promotion” at the 2021 Top 100 Dealer Awards. When the pandemic hit in 2020, retailers worldwide were forced to think creatively for marketing and sales promotion. With traditional means of sales coming to a grinding halt with stay-at-home orders, Dietze Music decided to take what could have been a tragic turn of events for their business and use it as a platform to reinvent their marketing strategy.
Cue the Dietze “Days of Deals” campaign featuring Larry Landers and his daughter, Anna Mae. This light-hearted yet well-crafted campaign harkens back to the days of the 1980s infomercials.The spots featured big and purposely low-budget graphics shooting across the screen and promises of a deal of a lifetime from a carnival barker-like character that Larry has developed, Anna Mae took on the role of disinterested teen, absorbed in her phone. No bit of description can do the campaign justice, so here it is for your viewing pleasure.
We sat down with the owner of Dietze Music, Tim Pratt, to discuss the campaign, the importance of fresh marketing, and how Dietze Days of Deals clinched a win for Dietze Music at the 2021 Top 100 Dealer Awards.
What inspired your “Dietze Days of Deals” campaign?
The idea was presented at a creative team meeting by the video's two main characters. We wanted it to look like an old promotion, something I could help with since I lived through that time!
How important are new and fresh sales promotions and marketing to running a successful retail operation?
Customers need to see new material. You can't become complacent thinking that people will come to you just because you have been around a while.
What impact did this campaign have on your operation?
Dietze Days of Deals brought people from every aspect of our business together and created a huge buzz. We have multiple departments, so finding a way to bring people of varying interests together to work toward a single goal was a big focal point. I highly recommend a campaign that brings your team together.
How difficult was it to execute a daily social media video?
We scheduled posts and used paid ads accordingly, which turned out to be an immense help in the process. The biggest challenge was that every day was something new. The return on investment is hard to measure, but the response to the videos was overwhelming. In the end, if our customers are happy, we have succeeded.
What advice do you have for retailers who may be considering a unique and more approachable marketing/promotion approach?
Go for it! You must shake things up and step out of your comfort zone. We took a lot of time to talk through how these videos might land with customers of different interests and decided we could pull off a fun yet informative campaign. If you become complacent, you will become replaced!
How has winning the Top 100 for “Best Marketing & Sales Promotion” impacted the business?
It was an honor to win this award. The win fired up our team to try and be better. It helped cement the mindset that we want every customer to have a wonderful experience, even if it is just through a video on social media. Winning Top 100 cemented our team’s commitment to the campaign and our brand even further.
Why is submitting for the Top 100 Dealer Awards important to Dietze Music and other retail stores?
It is simple. Seeing the ideas that our employees and even our competitors produce and the work that goes on is amazing! There are so many great ideas, and everyone in the industry faces similar challenges. Every year at Top 100, I see ideas that I can use in my own store. If no one were to submit for the Top 100 Dealer Awards, stores like ours and other stores across the industry would miss out on some truly inspirational and innovative ideas. You never know where inspiration for your next big idea can come from.
Are you submitting for The 2022 NAMM Top 100 Dealer Awards?
ABSOLUTELY! We talked at length about this category and continued with the same theme. Submitting every year is a way to measure your progress and will help you increase your overall bottom line. Every Top 100 category that you improve on in your store equates to increased positive customer perception of your business. It is a can’t lose situation.
Are you hoping to take home an honor? Be sure to submit for the 2022 Top 100 Dealer Awards by visiting https://topdealer.namm.org/. The submission period closes on March 18, 2022. Retailers ranging from mom-and-pop stores to retail chains are encouraged to participate to be recognized for their achievements, inspire other retailers, and showcase their staff’s fantastic talent.