Many food truck vendors are busy getting prepared for their holiday marketing campaigns. We hope you haven’t forgotten that Veterans Day is coming up. Remembering the commitment and sacrifice of those who have signed up to defend our nation always deserves a moment or two of our attention.
Why not honor our nation’s veterans with your own veteran themed marketing promotion? Today we’ll share some ideas to get you started.
Veterans Day Marketing Ideas For Food Truck Vendors
- Provide Discounts. Offer military veterans a free menu item or discount on orders. If you normally offer military discounts, bump it up a notch for Veterans Day, such as 25 percent instead of 10 percent. You can also hold a Veterans Day sale for your entire community and offer additional discounts on top of your sale prices for military veterans.
- Get Involved. Is there a Veteran’s Day event in your community, such as a parade or an event where city officials will be honoring veterans? Get involved as a vendor or even as a sponsor. You can provide money, help with the event or work the event as a food vendor.
- Volunteer. Volunteer to help veterans and their families. Find national organizations that assist military veterans and ask how you can get involved. There may also be local opportunities available. In addition to getting your employees to volunteer, you can also recruit customers to get in on the act.
- Contribute. Food truck vendors can raise even more money for veterans by getting your customers involved. Donate a percentage of all your sales on Veterans Day to a veteran charity. Offer to match customers’ donations up to a certain amount or spotlight a specific menu item and donate a certain amount when anyone buys it.
Here are a few veteran charities to consider:
- AMVETS National Service Foundation, offers a range of services with a focus on helping veterans get through the red tape of the Veterans Administration.
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) provides support and advocates for veterans of these wars.
- Wounded Warriors Project helps post-9/11 military veterans who incurred a physical or mental injury in service transition into civilian life.
RELATED: Include Cause Marketing In Your Food Truck Marketing Plan
The Bottom Line
Honoring Veterans Day with a big promotional deal is a way to humanize your food truck business, and a great way to connect with consumers. It also gives you another excuse to speak with your customers them about something they care about.
While Veterans Day focuses on former military members, reaching out to both current and former members of the military will widen your potential customer base. And remember, marketing related to veterans shouldn’t just be offered on Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Especially if you live in a community with a high percentage of current and former military members.
All of our typical marketing advice applies to your Veterans Day promotion. Share it on your website. Put up in-truck materials. Share your best wishes and Veterans Day deals on all of your social media platforms, and ask your customers to share your greetings and promotions with any veterans they know.