Slumber Party With Santa at Miller Hill Mall

LOCATION: Duluth, MN

DMBD: Machelle Kendrick

Objective:

Renew enthusiasm for Santa’s Arrival at the mall, create an interesting new sponsorship opportunity, community image builder for the mall.

Project:

Build a display area in Barnes and Noble Court with mall tenant: Sleep Number showcases the sponsor and Santa’s bedroom.

Cost:

Under $250 for 22x28’s advertising event, candy for children ect.

Return:•SBV Income from Sleep Number $1500 for a 2 day event. 2014 renewal $2500.•Attendance was SRO for Fri. evening and Sat. morning event. •Enhance image as a family-friendly destination.

Community Partner Testimony Simon Properties, Inc. - Miller Hill Mall

Attn: Machelle Kendrick

1/16/14

To Whom It May Concern:

The DTA was a proud participant of the inaugural “Slumber Party with Santa” event at the Miller Hill Mall in November of 2013. Our role was to provide transportation for both Santa Clause and Mayor Ness to the mall. We were also involved with the public relations and promotional planning for the event.

One of the DTA’s goals is to be a good steward in the community. We accomplish this through both community and business outreach activities. The DTA currently has a “Transit Hub” at the Miller Hill Mall’s Door 8 and we’re glad to offer service on Route 10 and Route 5 to the mall area. Our ridership to the mall is robust.

The largest benefit to the DTA from our participation was positive public relations. The exposure and media coverage from the event was beneficial to our brand. Promoting the event social media and on our website beforehand was good, but the real ROI came after the event concluded.

I posted a photo on Facebook of Mayor Ness with Santa Clause and some children in front of the DTA’s Port Town Trolley. That image reached more than 1,500 people on our page. At the time, that was a record number of views for one of the DTA’s Facebook posts. It also had 80 “likes”, had two comments and was shared once.

Branding is very important at the DTA. As an organization with more than 130 years of service in the Twin Ports, our brand has both strong equity and loyalty. We are very selective when it comes to establishing partnerships and collaborations. The promotional value from the activities and/or events that we are associated with is a key variable when deciding what to participate in. This event certainly provided that promotional value and we are looking forward to another strong event in 2014.

Regards,

Heath Hickok

Director of Marketing

“Best ‘Santa Arrival’ event I have ever seen!”~ Katie Altrichter, Mall Manager