Happy Friday. Welcome sun and week's end!

Going back to something I wrote about previously- tax day deals. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are both offering freebies to loyal customers on tax day. You can bet I'm sneaking out for TWO coffees that day. One from Starbucks and one from Dunkin Donuts (which comes with a free donut).

When interviewed about their promotion, the Dunkin Donuts spokesperson said "We are trying to do something for our tribe." What a neat way to think of your customers.

To me the word "tribe" suggests commonality as well as community. It says this customer group has a love for coffee, donuts (and value). It also suggests a higher level of caring about your customer.

Thinking about your customer base as your tribe may open up new promotional avenues for you. What do you really know about your customer? You know she makes scrapbook pages or cards. But do you know what ELSE she does? Knowing that you have a large group of customers who enjoy gardening, watching college football or reading romance novels can give you direction for special events.

For example, here the Philadelphia Flower Show is a big big deal. A local photographer sponsored a bus trip to the show for loyal customers who would then... yep, take LOTS of pictures. Along the way, an expert photographer shared tips on shooting flowers.

If your customers are avid readers, consider starting a book club in your store. In fact you could start a book club with books that have scrapbooking or photography mentioned in them!

Football fans might enjoy a post-season crop to get all those tailgate party photos into an album.

Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are offering discounts on tax day to reward loyal customers. Yes, non-regulars will also clamor to take advantage of the deal. But by offering these promotions they are creating a tribe of people that feel like they are valued. You can do the same.--Beth