There is nothing quite like receiving a thoughtful gift that lets you know someone is thinking about you. However, finding that perfect gift isn’t easy. One way the college store can help the campus community is by giving customers the option to order a pre-bundled care package.
With everything that has happened this year, people are looking for ways to connect with friends and family they aren’t able to see in person. A curated care package gift helps those indecisive buyers make a meaningful gesture.
How to set up care packages on your site
- Create a plan
The first thing to do is to make a plan. How many care packages will you offer? What price range? How will you market that they are available? Who will be the audience for each option? It is good to think through the process before you start.
For example, you might do a costlier care package with healthier snack options, a sweet treat, a blanket, a soup mug and a sweatshirt. This could be marketed to parents and delivered to the student’s dorm. Think about convenience and what parents might be looking to supply their students with.
Next, you might put together a game day package with logoed merchandise and something for the home viewer. This could be marketed to your alumni shopping base. That way, even if they can’t attend the games, they still have an easy way to update their college gear.
Finally, perhaps you could put together a sampling of your bestselling small items and some candy. This could create a less expensive care package that would interest students who want to treat themselves or send something to a friend who has to quarantine.
By thinking through the packages, you will have a better idea of what would make sense to include in them. - Curate items
Using your store analytics, you can put together creative, fun care packages that will inspire shoppers. Look at what your target audience for each different care package is buying the most online. Begin to put together a bundle in your target price range with at least one bestselling item.
Consider adding a theme to the collections. Themes make it easy for shoppers to identify the care package that makes the most sense for what they want to do. For example, a care package with soup, a blanket, vitamins and a stuffed animal might not make as much sense for a birthday present as a get well soon present. Themes help customers quickly identify if that care package is the right one for their needs. - Price the care package and add it to your site
One way to add a care package to your eCommerce site is to set it up as a kit. MBS system partners can watch a instructional video here about how to bundle merchandise items in your system. - Market your care packages
The final step is to let people know this service is now available in the store and the delivery options. Go through your typical marketing strategies: sending emails to target groups, social media, website banners, etc.
Consider how care package bundles could be used at different times of the year. Maybe offer a move-in bundle to parents before kids come back to campus or holiday bundles to celebrate different holidays all year long. The options are endless. You can also offer promotional codes to encourage people to check out the bundles you have available.
If you are able to offer a variety of delivery options, make sure people are aware. Like parents might be interested in dorm delivery or on-campus pick up. Share the convenient ways this care package can be delivered that they might not be able to get if they just go online.
This idea gives you a lot of room to be fun and creative with what you offer. Really look at your campus and students and try to identify where the demand for care packages might be greatest. Also, consider campus partnerships. Are there any other areas on campus that might want to partner with the store on creating fun care packages like different Greek letter organizations or your alumni center? By partnering with others, you can help amplify your marketing efforts.
