Announcing the winners of the Karate Kid Movie Poster Contest!

Please join me in congratulating the following martial arts school owners who submitted their ideas on how to attract potential students from the release of the next Karate Kid movie:

1. John Young

1. Bring in your ticket stub from the new Karate Kid movie and receive a free week of lessons!

2. Have a karate kid movie night where you watch all the original films and students can bring a friend to the event.

3. Have bully busting classes free to the public since that is what the movie is about..bullying!

2. Sensei George

There is a drive inn movie theater within a few miles of my school. We have worked out an arrangement that in addition to performing an demonstration on the opening weekend of the Karate Kid movie we will be printing all the concession stand menus which include an ad for my karate school on them. Every car that comes to the drive in is given one of these so after people get excited about the karate kid movie they have a take-away that leads them to our door! We plan on printing the menus for them for the whole run time of the movie so we will have at least 4- weeks of solid advertising targeted to people interested in karate!

3. Brenda Guiden

1. Plan to take your school as a group to the movie (pre-sell matinee tickets to students), preferably on June 12th (day after the opening but is on a Saturday when most kids will attend). Make sure all your students are wearing their school T-Shirts which will look very impressive as a group. Make sure instructors are there and have business cards. Anyone who remotely shows an interest in your school should get a card and offer to present the card for a week of free beginner lessons and a personal invitation to come witness your next belt testing.

2. Any community event attended by your school should always (if permitted) have a drawing box for a free pair of tickets to “The Karate Kid”. Info can be added to your data base.

4. Raymond Bennett

My wife and I own a small Kung-fu school and are operating on a shoe string budget. However, we are going to try and purchase 10 tickets and advertise in the local paper, “The first 10 people to stop in and try our Free Introductory Class receives a free ticket to the movie.” Or something to that effect.
If there are no takers (not a pessimist, just a realist) then we’ll take our students to the movie wearing our school t-shirts.

And/or, have our students waving bright signs near the theater with “Ask me about FREE Kung-Fu lessons” Then hand out our fliers with “Bring in your Karate Kid ticket stub and receive 1 month of Kung-fu lessons FREE!

5. B Basche (Send me your email address!)

I think a large park on a Saturday and Sunday doing some demos. Offer one free class and for everyone that signs up, there will be a drawing for a free movie pass to Karate Kid

If you see your name listed here, you won!

I’ll send you an email requesting your address so I can send you a poster. If you are B Basche, I need your email address so I can request your address.

Your posters will be dropped in the mail by Tuesday (assuming I get your address by then!).

How did they win? They entered their ideas on how to attract new students from the release of the next Karate Kid movie and their idea was selected.

While the contest is closed, you can still share your ideas by commenting at the bottom of this post:

Karate Kid Marketing Ideas for Martial Arts School Owners PLUS Movie Poster Contest

Congratulations everyone!

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How would you like to win a free movie poster for the upcoming Karate Kid movie (opens June 11) to hang at your martial arts school?

As part of a promotion, Sony sent me five Karate Kid movie posters (<— see left) and I’d like to share them with you.

All it takes is for you to share a new marketing idea to help other school owners out and you will be entered to win. It’s that simple!

Here are four marketing/promotion ideas to help get you started:

1) Contact local movie theaters and speak with the manager to see if you can set up a table and do demonstrations on opening night. I was contacted by one so I know they are open to it.

2) Take prospects to the movie! Buy tickets in advance and have your students bring their friends who are interested in taking lessons. Your treat. Turn it into an enter to win contest to build the excitement then make them an offer to get started.

3) Develop a “Karate Kid” trial package you can use to help recruit new students. Advertise it on your website and at your martial arts school.

4) Look into advertising on the movie screen at the movie theater. Sometimes this can be very affordable. When you’re on the phone with the manager, be sure to ask about rates. Run this for as long as the movie is playing at that theatre.

Remember, taking full advantage of this event is not just about marketing before the premier, it’s the entire time the movie plays in the theaters and even when it comes out on DVD!

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