It may seem contradictory to work harder over the holiday season but special occasions offer business opportunities that are too good to ignore. After all, there must be a reason why big brands create limited edition pieces to coincide with major events on the calendar. But how can a small business get noticed and compete in a marketplace that is dominated by exclusive celebrity tie-ups and mega-budget marketing campaigns like H&M x Versace, Marc Jacobs x Sephora, and Uniqlo x Disney?
Creativity.
We visited HYPE Festival in Indonesia recently and found that a little ingenuity goes a long way. More than 200 stalls were on site, offering a wide variety of food, fashion and craft items. But it wasn’t just all about business. Since Halloween is just around the corner, there were also thematic activities like trick-or-treat, kids costume contest, and even a haunted house to keep festival-goers in the mood. Among the many stalls, here are a few that caught our attention with their spooky Halloween specials.
Onnie Studio
Spooky nails have never looked better. Photo credit: HYPE
A very inviting space, don’t you think? Photo credit: Onnie Studio
Why settle for a French manicure or a few glittery sequins when you can give your nails an all-star creepy treatment? Let hand-drawn spider webs and Jack O’Lanterns take residence on your hands for a weekend. Who knows it might just be the little extra touch you need to take home the best costume award at the next Halloween party!
Efenel Baby
Let the little ones join in the ghostly fun. Photo credit: Efenel Baby
The cutest bibs for the cutest bubs. Photo credit: Efenel Baby
Little ones need not feel left out with these cute and ornate bibs. Put one on your bub and let them have fun with some ketchup. Be warned though, grubby baby hands can be extremely scary for guests who are wearing white.
Bank of Blood
Unleash the vampire in you. Photo Credit: Bank of Blood
What a blood-thirsty crowd! Photo credit: Bank of Blood
Serve up gory packs of blood with a colourful, tasty twist. Choose from fun flavours like bubblegum, taro, red velvet latte and chocolate; and let your guests be vampires for a day (or night!). You can even personalise the blood packs with your name.
Forbidden Cakwe
instagram.com/forbiddencakwe_id
Add some “blood” on your Halloween party menu. Photo credit: HYPE
Love Forbidden Cakwe? Guilty as charged
This popular traditional street food gets a spooky makeover this Halloween with a limited edition Bloody Cakwe. Other great tasting options include Dynamite Sauce and signature Padang Sauce.
Are you feeling inspired yet? Let your creative juices flow and plan ahead for the next big thing on the calendar: Deepavali, Christmas, or even Chinese New Year! Remember to notify your customers beforehand so that they’ll have something to look forward to, and to keep them excited about your brand.
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About HYPE Festival
HYPE Festival is a platform set up to promote local, creative entrepreneurs to a wider audience. The festival is held fortnightly from June through December in Pantai Indah Kapuk, a convenient location that is 15 minutes away from the airport. Read more about HYPE at www.hypeproject.id/our-events
About Shoppertise
Shoppertise is a mobile commerce platform that empowers small businesses with smarter, safer, and easier ways to manage sales, inventory and customer data. This platform includes Shoppertise Marketplace (A curated marketplace with uniquely designed goods) and Shoppertise Pocketbook (A personal sales assistant for merchants on-the-go).
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