01/27: Your Vet Comes When You Call
Many veterinarians are starting mobile vet clinics and going to their patients instead of having their four-legged patients come to them.
They like the novelty of traveling to different places rather than from exam room to exam room, plus animals are calmer and less frightened on their home turf. These doctors offer routine checkups, shots, and sick visits. More involved procedures, such as surgery or x-rays, require referral to a free-standing facility.
Pet guardians pay more for the convenience and perceived personal attention of house calls and consider it money well spent. Visit VetLocator.com to find a vet who makes house calls.
They like the novelty of traveling to different places rather than from exam room to exam room, plus animals are calmer and less frightened on their home turf. These doctors offer routine checkups, shots, and sick visits. More involved procedures, such as surgery or x-rays, require referral to a free-standing facility.
Pet guardians pay more for the convenience and perceived personal attention of house calls and consider it money well spent. Visit VetLocator.com to find a vet who makes house calls.
Shrewd marketing over the past 20 years has made American Girl, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., a household name for its legions of devotees. With direct, retail, and publishing divisions, American Girl is one of the nation's top multi-channel marketers, according to the company Web site.
Girls line up with their parents to visit the three American Girl Place retail stores. The American Girl dolls, targeted to the 3 to 12 age group, celebrate history - the colonial, pioneer and WWII periods - rather than the fashion, makeup, and boys favored by the Barbie and Bratz brands. The dolls themselves aren't cheap; a starter kit runs about $87, which includes a basic doll and introductory book. Plus, the dolls have pricey accessories. One Depression-era doll, for example, has a $58 bed and a $159 trunk. There are sequel storybooks, clothes galore, DVD's and DVD accessories, plus companion dolls and all their stuff.
Also on tap are hair care sets for about $32 and doll-size horses for $62. The retail stores contain doll salons where, for upwards of $20, stylists will do dolls' hair. The wait for hair appointments can be hours long. Girls become so attached to their dolls that they even buy costumes to match their dolls' clothes.
I first heard about American Girl dolls in the early 1990's through a co-worker of mine at the time whose daughters were American Girl aficionados. Those girls are now adults who recently graduated college. But more American Girl fans are born every minute, and parents have no qualms with their wholesome themes.
By the way, am I the only one who thinks the Bratz dolls look like prostitutes? And people buy them for their young daughters! If the other choices are Barbie or Bratz, then I wouldn't mind if my two-year-old gets the American Girl bug in a few years.
Girls line up with their parents to visit the three American Girl Place retail stores. The American Girl dolls, targeted to the 3 to 12 age group, celebrate history - the colonial, pioneer and WWII periods - rather than the fashion, makeup, and boys favored by the Barbie and Bratz brands. The dolls themselves aren't cheap; a starter kit runs about $87, which includes a basic doll and introductory book. Plus, the dolls have pricey accessories. One Depression-era doll, for example, has a $58 bed and a $159 trunk. There are sequel storybooks, clothes galore, DVD's and DVD accessories, plus companion dolls and all their stuff.
Also on tap are hair care sets for about $32 and doll-size horses for $62. The retail stores contain doll salons where, for upwards of $20, stylists will do dolls' hair. The wait for hair appointments can be hours long. Girls become so attached to their dolls that they even buy costumes to match their dolls' clothes.
I first heard about American Girl dolls in the early 1990's through a co-worker of mine at the time whose daughters were American Girl aficionados. Those girls are now adults who recently graduated college. But more American Girl fans are born every minute, and parents have no qualms with their wholesome themes.
By the way, am I the only one who thinks the Bratz dolls look like prostitutes? And people buy them for their young daughters! If the other choices are Barbie or Bratz, then I wouldn't mind if my two-year-old gets the American Girl bug in a few years.
You've no doubt got annoying car salesmen on TV in your area. I don't even watch much television - mostly just the local news, plus Jay Leno's monolog and headlines segments.
When I'm watching Jay, though, it's on the DVR, the morning after the actual broadcast. Boy, do I wish I could fast forward the ads when I flip on the TV in my bedroom in the morning to watch the news. The Raleigh-Durham area has one of the most annoying - and probably one of the most successful - car dealership owners in the country.
He's doing something right, though. I'm not sure when this guy appeared on the scene exactly, but since then, he took a rather obscure dealership in Durham, made himself a household name, and built a brand-spanking-new showroom with loads more space to show off his inventory.
This guy obviously knows the ins and outs of successful marketing. His mug is on TV several times during each local newscast on the two most popular stations. He advertises heavily in the main newspapers, too. He uses testimonials unlike any other dealership in the area, putting satisfied customers on the air in his advertisements and having some of them sing his jingle - yes, he has his own catch phrase and jingle.
Recently, he added two other unique offerings - no-haggle pricing on all his cars, as well as a "limited lifetime warranty." I don't know what's actually covered under this warranty, because there aren't any details on his Web site or in his advertising. However, if it's just a come-on, or a ploy to get folks to buy a more expensive extended warranty, he'll soon lose customers, and he's probably too smart to do something like that.
Most car dealers try to sell you on an extended warranty for the car. It's almost as hard a sell as the car itself! The salesperson just gets done telling you what a great car it is and convinces you to buy it, then switches gears and tells you of all the expensive things that could go wrong to lure you into buying an extremely high profit margin extended warranty. It's the same kind of deal with large appliances, televisions, and other electronics. KMart tried to sell me a $2.99 extended warranty recently in a $24.99 curling brush! If Mr. Annoying Car Salesman has really gotten rid of the silly haggling that goes on in most vehicle sales and also gives away a decent lifetime warranty with no mileage limit, he has my vote for Marketing Genius of the Year.
When I'm watching Jay, though, it's on the DVR, the morning after the actual broadcast. Boy, do I wish I could fast forward the ads when I flip on the TV in my bedroom in the morning to watch the news. The Raleigh-Durham area has one of the most annoying - and probably one of the most successful - car dealership owners in the country.
He's doing something right, though. I'm not sure when this guy appeared on the scene exactly, but since then, he took a rather obscure dealership in Durham, made himself a household name, and built a brand-spanking-new showroom with loads more space to show off his inventory.
This guy obviously knows the ins and outs of successful marketing. His mug is on TV several times during each local newscast on the two most popular stations. He advertises heavily in the main newspapers, too. He uses testimonials unlike any other dealership in the area, putting satisfied customers on the air in his advertisements and having some of them sing his jingle - yes, he has his own catch phrase and jingle.
Recently, he added two other unique offerings - no-haggle pricing on all his cars, as well as a "limited lifetime warranty." I don't know what's actually covered under this warranty, because there aren't any details on his Web site or in his advertising. However, if it's just a come-on, or a ploy to get folks to buy a more expensive extended warranty, he'll soon lose customers, and he's probably too smart to do something like that.
Most car dealers try to sell you on an extended warranty for the car. It's almost as hard a sell as the car itself! The salesperson just gets done telling you what a great car it is and convinces you to buy it, then switches gears and tells you of all the expensive things that could go wrong to lure you into buying an extremely high profit margin extended warranty. It's the same kind of deal with large appliances, televisions, and other electronics. KMart tried to sell me a $2.99 extended warranty recently in a $24.99 curling brush! If Mr. Annoying Car Salesman has really gotten rid of the silly haggling that goes on in most vehicle sales and also gives away a decent lifetime warranty with no mileage limit, he has my vote for Marketing Genius of the Year.
A local Ford dealer sent me a small, clear, plastic tube containing a little piece of paper with yellow "dated material" tape sealing it. It also contained one of those remote keyless entry doo-dads that come with most new cars these days. Slick. According to the insert, some lucky guy or gal could win a brand new Ford vehicle, provided they visit this particular Ford showroom to see if their remote keyless entry fits the winning wheels.
This has got to be an extremely effective way of getting people who may not be looking to buy a car to think, well, what would it hurt to visit the showroom and take a look around the place? Plus, I assume (but I could be incorrect) that if whoever has the matching remote doesn't show up, they don't have to give away a vehicle.
Car dealers can't afford to wait until people decide to buy a car, truck, or SUV. By that time, they might be poking around someone else's lot. They have to put the idea in a person's head - "Hey, I've always wanted a Ford truck, and I could win something just for showing up at their place!"
Dealerships have been offering freebies for years. They used to give out some fantastic stuff, like $50 gift cards to popular restaurants and stores, just for taking a test drive. Unfortunately, they underestimated the ability of the Internet to quickly spread the news of their freebies. Untold millions of freeloaders with plenty of extra time swarmed dealers, scooping up the offerings with absolutely no intention of buying anything.
The mailing with the remote keyless entry was inspired. They used some of the hallmarks of shrewd direct mail marketing. A non-standard container (other than an envelope, like a plastic tube), is more likely to be opened, especially if it has something in there besides paper (such as a tiny remote). You also need a sense of urgency, and the "dated material" yellow tape took care of that. Plus, they realize that someone who patronized their business in the past is much more likely to buy from them again. I did purchase two vehicles from this outfit in the past, although it's been about 8 years since I set foot on one of their lots.
Unfortunately for them, their ingenius ploy won't work with me. I had a bad experience with my last purchase from this company and don't plan to return, even though it was a long time ago. Plus, getting me or my husband to a Ford showroom would take a lot more than a slim chance at a free Ford. I'm a Honda loyalist, and I can't imagine my husband abandoning his preference for GM. Yes, former customers are easier to get back in the door than people who've never shopped with you, but only if they had a good previous experience, and only if you have something that interests them.
This has got to be an extremely effective way of getting people who may not be looking to buy a car to think, well, what would it hurt to visit the showroom and take a look around the place? Plus, I assume (but I could be incorrect) that if whoever has the matching remote doesn't show up, they don't have to give away a vehicle.
Car dealers can't afford to wait until people decide to buy a car, truck, or SUV. By that time, they might be poking around someone else's lot. They have to put the idea in a person's head - "Hey, I've always wanted a Ford truck, and I could win something just for showing up at their place!"
Dealerships have been offering freebies for years. They used to give out some fantastic stuff, like $50 gift cards to popular restaurants and stores, just for taking a test drive. Unfortunately, they underestimated the ability of the Internet to quickly spread the news of their freebies. Untold millions of freeloaders with plenty of extra time swarmed dealers, scooping up the offerings with absolutely no intention of buying anything.
The mailing with the remote keyless entry was inspired. They used some of the hallmarks of shrewd direct mail marketing. A non-standard container (other than an envelope, like a plastic tube), is more likely to be opened, especially if it has something in there besides paper (such as a tiny remote). You also need a sense of urgency, and the "dated material" yellow tape took care of that. Plus, they realize that someone who patronized their business in the past is much more likely to buy from them again. I did purchase two vehicles from this outfit in the past, although it's been about 8 years since I set foot on one of their lots.
Unfortunately for them, their ingenius ploy won't work with me. I had a bad experience with my last purchase from this company and don't plan to return, even though it was a long time ago. Plus, getting me or my husband to a Ford showroom would take a lot more than a slim chance at a free Ford. I'm a Honda loyalist, and I can't imagine my husband abandoning his preference for GM. Yes, former customers are easier to get back in the door than people who've never shopped with you, but only if they had a good previous experience, and only if you have something that interests them.
A recent article in the Raleigh News & Observer newspaper gave me an idea for a pet business that I hadn't previously seen.
Animal lover Dennis Money started Critter Coach with about $18,000 of his own savings to buy and equip a minivan and ambulance for his pet medical transport business.
ZodSquad.com has an entire section devoted to marketing pet-related businesses, and coming up with ideas for pet-related businesses. Companies catering to pet guardians are flourishing, and that goes for pet sitters, dog walkers, pooper scoopers, doggie day care, pet friendly hotels, pet clothiers, and now pet ambulance services.
Money began offering his pet transport service about two years ago as an add-on to his petsitting business, according to the newspaper article. He now offers his service - transportation only, no emergency care - throughout the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metro area of North Carolina. In addition to the 24-hour emergency transport service, he also taxis pets to their regular veterinary visits or to grooming appointments.
The combination of folks' willingness to spend more and more on caring for their furry family members, plus the innovativeness of the pet transport business idea, mean Money should continue to make money with Critter Coach, even after more people take his idea and run with it. The first people to enter a market with a service-oriented business have a distinct advantage. They're the ones who develop the first relationships with complementary businesses - in this case, veterinarians, groomers, and so forth - and they get the media attention due to the originality of what they offer. You still have time to be first in your area, in all liklihood, unless you live in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area or one of the few other places to already have a pet transport service. It won't be long before this catches on, so don't wait to start your own service soon. Make it your New Year's resolution to create a profitable pet enterprise. Get started now!
Animal lover Dennis Money started Critter Coach with about $18,000 of his own savings to buy and equip a minivan and ambulance for his pet medical transport business.
ZodSquad.com has an entire section devoted to marketing pet-related businesses, and coming up with ideas for pet-related businesses. Companies catering to pet guardians are flourishing, and that goes for pet sitters, dog walkers, pooper scoopers, doggie day care, pet friendly hotels, pet clothiers, and now pet ambulance services.
Money began offering his pet transport service about two years ago as an add-on to his petsitting business, according to the newspaper article. He now offers his service - transportation only, no emergency care - throughout the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metro area of North Carolina. In addition to the 24-hour emergency transport service, he also taxis pets to their regular veterinary visits or to grooming appointments.
The combination of folks' willingness to spend more and more on caring for their furry family members, plus the innovativeness of the pet transport business idea, mean Money should continue to make money with Critter Coach, even after more people take his idea and run with it. The first people to enter a market with a service-oriented business have a distinct advantage. They're the ones who develop the first relationships with complementary businesses - in this case, veterinarians, groomers, and so forth - and they get the media attention due to the originality of what they offer. You still have time to be first in your area, in all liklihood, unless you live in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area or one of the few other places to already have a pet transport service. It won't be long before this catches on, so don't wait to start your own service soon. Make it your New Year's resolution to create a profitable pet enterprise. Get started now!
Just as the release of the movie Blood Diamond caused the press to briefly write about where some of the world's diamonds come from, an article in my local newspaper about a company headquartered nearby in Morrisville, NC, Charles & Colvard (Nasdaq, CTHR).
Charles & Colvard, purveyors of the revolutionary moissanite stones, garners a fair amount of media attention in the Raleigh, NC, area. Moissanite is a man-made diamond that some say looks as good as or better than the real thing.
While Blood Diamond temporarily brought attention to the fact that some diamonds are mined by forced childlabor to fund violence in wartorn countries, Charles & Colvard apparently have overlooked one of their biggest marketing advantages.
Jewelry stores can claim they know exactly where their diamonds come from and that they are not blood diamonds, but how can they really know? Charles & Colvard, however, know for absolute certain that their product isn't mined by child labor, or any other labor, in a wartorn country, or any country. Moissanite isn't mined - it's manufactured. You can buy it at Kohls, JCPenney, Zales, and the Home Shopping Network, among other retailers. It's much less expensive than a real diamond, of course. I have seen Charles & Colvard market their moissanite as a less expensive yet equally beautiful alternative to diamonds, but I've yet to see them talk about its origins compared to real diamonds.
Charles & Colvard, purveyors of the revolutionary moissanite stones, garners a fair amount of media attention in the Raleigh, NC, area. Moissanite is a man-made diamond that some say looks as good as or better than the real thing.
While Blood Diamond temporarily brought attention to the fact that some diamonds are mined by forced childlabor to fund violence in wartorn countries, Charles & Colvard apparently have overlooked one of their biggest marketing advantages.
Jewelry stores can claim they know exactly where their diamonds come from and that they are not blood diamonds, but how can they really know? Charles & Colvard, however, know for absolute certain that their product isn't mined by child labor, or any other labor, in a wartorn country, or any country. Moissanite isn't mined - it's manufactured. You can buy it at Kohls, JCPenney, Zales, and the Home Shopping Network, among other retailers. It's much less expensive than a real diamond, of course. I have seen Charles & Colvard market their moissanite as a less expensive yet equally beautiful alternative to diamonds, but I've yet to see them talk about its origins compared to real diamonds.
12/20: Tasty Corporate Gift Ideas
Give the following tasty gifts to your clients, customers and prospects, and take advantage of the great relationship-building power of holiday presents!
David's Cookies
3 lb. Tub "Bake it Yourself" Cookie Dough, Seven Popular Flavor Varieties, Free Shipping!
Grende Gift Baskets
8 Pc. Brownie Assortment Free Shipping!
32 oz. Florentine Lace - Free Shipping!
GiftBaskets.com
There's nothing sweeter than sending this festive basket. With its festive flowers and candy canes, it will add delicious decor to any room. $39.99 as shown.
Deliver a Chocolate Egg Bouquet of Flowers
A Chocoholic's dream comes true! This chocolate gift basket is filled with an irresistible selection of melt in your mouth chocolates from some GiftBaskets.com's finest chocolatiers. It might include raspberry stick cremes with rich dark chocolate, a chocolate truffle bar, peanut butter meltaways, and more!
Check back again for more great gift ideas.
David's Cookies
GiftBaskets.com
Check back again for more great gift ideas.
In a previous blog post, I mentioned cause-related marketing. Retailers and product makers are jumping all over the idea of hitching their chariots to charitable causes.
A recent local newspaper article describes campaigns by Kohls, Dillards, Target, Kay Jewelers, and Hudson Belk. Problem is, as I mentioned, very little may actually make it to the coffers of the advertised charity. The store gets the extra revenue and the buyer gets a feel-good purchase, but the charity doesn't get much benefit.
I'm torn between thinking this is shrewd marketing and feeling that the public is being deceived on a large scale.
A recent local newspaper article describes campaigns by Kohls, Dillards, Target, Kay Jewelers, and Hudson Belk. Problem is, as I mentioned, very little may actually make it to the coffers of the advertised charity. The store gets the extra revenue and the buyer gets a feel-good purchase, but the charity doesn't get much benefit.
I'm torn between thinking this is shrewd marketing and feeling that the public is being deceived on a large scale.
Insurance companies found out awhile ago that while low-income people think they can't afford "life insurance," they'll gladly buy "burial insurance" to ensure a dignified funeral service without burdening their loved ones with expenses. The difference? Semantics.
A recent New York Times article describes the idea of "burial insurance," purely a marketing creation, which sound cheap at a couple of bucks a month. They're apparently an easy sell to people making $10 to $15 an hour, or even less. They buy them for spouses and even children. The article's author talked to a woman who bought a policy for her baby granddaughter and had to cash it in when the little girl died just shy of her second birthday in an auto accident which severely injured the toddler's mother.
Life insurance for children must be very profitable for the insurance companies, since children in the U.S. usually live to see adulthood these days. But for many, that $8 or $10 a month is money well spent for the peace of mind in knowing that if the worst should happen, they'd be able to give their family member a nice burial. Plus, marketed in small increments of $2 to $3 per week, it sounds like a lot less than $8 or $10 a month.
The insurance companies can't say exactly how many policies of this type that they sell each year. For their financial accounting, it's all lumped together as "life insurance."
A recent New York Times article describes the idea of "burial insurance," purely a marketing creation, which sound cheap at a couple of bucks a month. They're apparently an easy sell to people making $10 to $15 an hour, or even less. They buy them for spouses and even children. The article's author talked to a woman who bought a policy for her baby granddaughter and had to cash it in when the little girl died just shy of her second birthday in an auto accident which severely injured the toddler's mother.
Life insurance for children must be very profitable for the insurance companies, since children in the U.S. usually live to see adulthood these days. But for many, that $8 or $10 a month is money well spent for the peace of mind in knowing that if the worst should happen, they'd be able to give their family member a nice burial. Plus, marketed in small increments of $2 to $3 per week, it sounds like a lot less than $8 or $10 a month.
The insurance companies can't say exactly how many policies of this type that they sell each year. For their financial accounting, it's all lumped together as "life insurance."
11/25: Fore From Space!
Nobody can accuse the Russians of not finding creative ways of financing their space program.
While the U.S. space agency, the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), is prohibited by law from soliciting private funding, the Russians have allowed Pizza Hut to put their logo on a rocket ship, and space tourists have paid millions to fly aboard Russian spacecraft.
Now, Canadian golf club maker Element 21 Golf has paid an undisclosed sum for cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin to hit a light-weight ball using one of their gold-plated six-iron clubs from outside the International Space Station.
While NASA is said to have frowned upon the entire incident and tend to look down their noses at the stunts their Russian counterparts come up with to pay for their program, that hasn't prevented NASA from posting the video of the golf swing on their Web site.
I'll bet most people had never heard of Element 21 Golf prior to this unique and shrewd marketing endeavor. Their stock is trading at less than a quarter a share, and they appear to be losing money hand over fist. However, the Russian golf swing in space with their club is now the centerpiece of their marketing campaign, and the news it has generated makes it truly the shot heard 'round the world.
While the U.S. space agency, the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), is prohibited by law from soliciting private funding, the Russians have allowed Pizza Hut to put their logo on a rocket ship, and space tourists have paid millions to fly aboard Russian spacecraft.
Now, Canadian golf club maker Element 21 Golf has paid an undisclosed sum for cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin to hit a light-weight ball using one of their gold-plated six-iron clubs from outside the International Space Station.
While NASA is said to have frowned upon the entire incident and tend to look down their noses at the stunts their Russian counterparts come up with to pay for their program, that hasn't prevented NASA from posting the video of the golf swing on their Web site.
I'll bet most people had never heard of Element 21 Golf prior to this unique and shrewd marketing endeavor. Their stock is trading at less than a quarter a share, and they appear to be losing money hand over fist. However, the Russian golf swing in space with their club is now the centerpiece of their marketing campaign, and the news it has generated makes it truly the shot heard 'round the world.
