I had the opportunity to have a Q&A session with Jim Tunison, President & CEO of the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, and Sarah Schultz, Director of Membership Services, about their Red Ticket Campaign. This initiative began three years ago and has generated over five million dollars spent at local businesses.
Q: How did the Red Ticket Campaign begin, and why was it started?
A: The year after Covid, we wanted to find a way to get people out to support small businesses again. Many people got used to the “Covid click” and adding items to their online carts. One of our ambassadors saw a similar campaign in another city and thought it was an excellent idea for Aiken.
Q: How do people participate in the Red Ticket Campaign, and how do the tickets work?
A: We will publish a list of our participants, who are all members of the Aiken Chamber. When you shop in any of these participating businesses, you receive a red ticket for every $25 spent. The more you spend, the better your chances of winning some cash or a gift card. Our staff members collect the tickets from the businesses every week. Starting November 4th, we will do a Facebook Live drawing every Monday at 5 p.m. The drawings are every Monday except for Veterans Day.
Q: What feedback have you heard from the participating businesses about this campaign?
A: The merchants love this campaign. They enjoy the interaction it brings with their customers. Their customers get very excited about getting their tickets after shopping. They appreciate the support they receive as a small business because of this event and how it often brings out-of-town visitors into the shop.
Q: Why is the initiative to promote and support local businesses so important to you and the Aiken Chamber?
A: 85% of our memberships are small businesses with ten or fewer employees. Small businesses make up the heart of downtown and make Aiken unique.