Banks can't make money if they don't have customers. But in today's difficult economy, people are less likely to make changes in their financial situation unless you can provide them with a good reason. Very often, the most effective way to introduce potential customers the banking services you offer is to have them come into your bank, which they are not likely to do on their own without a strong incentive.

Grand openings and bank marketing promotional events give potential customers the reason they need to walk through your doors. Organizing fun, far-reaching bank marketing promotions provide banks with a proven solution for driving traffic through your bank doors.

Getting Potential Customers Through Your Bank Doors

The key to gaining new banking customers is to create incentives for people to walk through your doors. Based on the results of banks we have worked with, offering real chances to win quality prizes through exciting interactive promotions is one the most successful ways to bring traffic into the bank.

These are just a few of the interactive bank marketing promotional products available today for your grand opening or promotional event that are sure to get people interested in your business:

Cash Cube Money Machine Bank Marketing Attraction

The Cash Cube Money Machine looks like an old fashioned phone booth -- except that it contains hundreds of bills or coupon vouchers swirling around in a Blizzard of Dollars. Contestants are invited to enter the Cash Cube Money Machine for twenty-five seconds to try and capture the swirling currency or vouchers redeemable for bank prizes.

With the Cash Cube Money Machine, banks have the power to choose and control what they will give away during the promotion. Consider including vouchers for a large prize such as a $1,000 savings account or a Hawaiian getaway to add to the appeal and increase participation. Other vouchers ideas are $50 in free money when you open a checking account or 1 month of a free safety deposit box. If you choose a currency grabbing promotion, consider doubling the amount of cash grabbed if participants choose to open an account!

Treasure Chest Bank Promotion

Treasure chest promotions pull people in with the opportunity to win great prizes. A promotional Treasure Chest comes with of a collection of keys, some of which will open the Treasure Chest and some which will not. You control how much is won by the number of functional keys and the contents of the chest, but your guests will be delighted at the opportunity to win and you will build better name recognition and a positive image for your bank.

Scratch Off Cards: Ideal for Direct Marketing Campaigns

Scratch Off cards are ideal for direct marketing campaign promotions. Sending Scratch Off cards to local area residents and inviting them to come in and pick up their prize has resulted in a high return on investment among our banking clients.

Scratch Off cards can also be used as an incentive for people to attend your bank marketing event. With a Scratch Off Card promotion, you get to decide on the prizes offered. You can offer anything from a grand vacation to three free months of a safe deposit box rental. You can decide if the majority of Scratch Off cards result in non-wins, or if everyone has a chance to win logo imprinted bank promotional items, such as pens, shirts, coolers, and piggy banks.

Kids Penny Pool

The Penny Pool is delightful to watch as children are given 30-60 seconds to "splash for cash" and grab as many pennies from the pool that they can. Participants are each given a logo-imprinted piggy bank to hold their prize pennies. These youngsters will forever after have a positive image of your bank in their young minds. Who do you think they will consider "their" bank with fond memories like these?

Photo Booth Bank Promotion

Today's Portable Photo Booth machines do much than just take pictures. With green screen technology, you can superimpose someone on the cover of "Fortune" magazine or next to his or her favorite sports hero. A Portable Photo Booth as a bank marketing attraction not only attracts visitors, but also allows them to walk away with a logo-imprinted keepsake that they are likely to display at home or work, and keep as a memento.

Prize Safe Vault Promotion

The Prize Vault is always a big favorite as guests try their luck at guessing the combination to a vault that houses an incentive inside. There are several ways to organize a Prize Vault promotion. You can either have participants randomly guess the combination or you can give away combinations -- one of which will open the safe to ensure a guaranteed winner. 

The 'prize insurance' promotion option is a smart way for banks to offer local residents the option to win a $10,000 prize without having to foot the bill for the winnings. With this option, Lloyd's of London will sell you insurance against the odds of someone winning a random guess promotion -- meaning your bank gets all the promotional benefits of offering a $10,000 prize with none of the risks.

Bank Marketing Carnival Games

Carnival Games have been enjoyed for hundreds of years and you can use this fact to improve attendance at your bank marketing event. The bean-bag style Toss 'N Win offers everyone a chance at winning and you can customize the inserts to fit your bank's image. Plinko boards are another popular favorite as guests bounce chips of a Plinko spot and onto a prize spot.

Traditional Carnival Games such as the High Striker, in which participants use a hammer to test their strength, and the Penny Crusher, which provides guests with a memento of their fun day at your bank, are always crowd pleasers. Other activities to offer at your bank marketing event include a Moon Bounce, Giant Slide or attended Rock Wall, clowns, a caricature artist, pony rides or a talented face painter can all work to make your bank marketing event highly popular.

Alerting the Public About Your Bank Marketing Event

To compliment your direct marketing approach, giant advertising balloons, promotional inflatables, and marketing blimps are always a good choice as they will capture the attention of potential customers as they drive by, running errands with a few minutes to spare.

Never underestimate the power of direct marketing campaigns when paired with a bank marketing event. Mail Scratch Off cards and invite winners to stop in and pick up their prize. Or send out "safe combinations" and invite people to stop by your bank to try their code as part of your Prize Vault promotion.

Proper planning paired with enticing bank marketing promotions has a proven result of getting more potential customers in the door. Once inside, your sales team can introduce them to the various banking products and services you offer and invite them to make the switch.