Supercuts' Clever Promotional Hats Giveaway Runs Out in 40 Minutes

By Joseph Myers

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to confound the world, the most daunting challenges to everyday life have become plain. People everywhere are dealing with joblessness, coping with the inability to see loved ones through stay-at-home orders, guiding children through homeschooling and enduring long lines to enter stores. Even smaller things, like getting a haircut, have become difficult if not impossible. Recognizing that, Supercuts conducted a clever promotional hats giveaway, and customers made it an instant success.

Okay, they're out of stock, but this was brilliant @Supercuts #HairLongStayStrong #StaySafeShaveSafe pic.twitter.com/npuH9OZgid

— Todd Bernhard (@ToddBernhard) April 17, 2020

“This came together quickly,” Melissa Amponsah, associate vice president, integrated brand marketing for Regis Corporation, of which Supercuts is a subsidiary, said of the headwear initiative. “All of our salons have closed, and through social listening, we were seeing two things: First, a lot of customers expressing love and support for their Supercuts salons and stylists. Second, a lot of people taking their hair into their own hands at home out of desperation—but the emotion behind those posts was humor, not frustration. So, we decided we could chime in and help. Home haircuts are not easy, so we took a different approach. We produced these hats and gave permission to customers to cover unruly hair with a hat and be patient until Supercuts reopens.”

Bearing the text “I’m waiting for SUPERCUTS,” the promotional hats, according to Amponsah, were gone in under 40 minutes, with the company having emailed news of the promotion to clients. She noted that when her employer saw how much demand the items had been drawing and had fielded feedback from disappointed customers following the rapid acquisition process, Supercuts upped its order quantity immediately, covering shipping costs in the process.

The company is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, and while reaching such a milestone during a pandemic is a fate that nobody would aspire to experience, Supercuts is making the most of a perplexing period in our economy’s history. From a branding perspective, the swift response that the giveaway received bodes well for the Minneapolis-headquartered company, with Amponsah eager to observe the overall effect of the we’re-waiting-for-you gesture.

“The true impact of this has yet to be seen, but the fact that customers seem to love the hats and want to wear them is a really good start,” she said. “I hope some will wear the hat into their Supercuts when it reopens so their stylists can see the love [they have] for them and their salons.”