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McCurry Associates Marketing Idea Exchange Archives
Volume 2
Idea #1 - B2B, Learning Can Be Fun For Your Customers - Linda Borum, Chromatics,
(www.chromatics.com) Nashville, TN (615) 254-0063
Linda reminds us that desserts spelled backward is
stressed! So they hosted "Digital Desserts" where they hung huge
digital images in their gallery. They offered desserts while having informal
questions and answers about digital imaging and color management. This helped
educate their customers while making it fun and reinforcing the personality of
their lab. It formed relationships that led customers to try digital output
with Chromatics.
McCurry's Observations:
- Chromatics' personality shines through their website,
including a very unusual "employment" section that has
testimonials from former employees . . .
- Their site also has a Now at Chromatics Section which
says, "Back by popular demand, our Color Management Seminars for
progressive photographers. . ." This is called getting into the mindset
of your customer, what photographer doesn't want to be considered
progressive?
Idea #2 - All Markets, Tie In Promotions Can Make You Look
Bigger Than You Really Are - Jeff Beauchamp, Bedford Camera & Video, (www.bedfords.com)
5 locations in Arkansas (501) 751-7272
Bedford's had a national motivational speaker coming
into one of their markets. They offered to design the poster and make the
prints at no charge based on placing their logo on the bottom of the poster.
This gave the appearance to customers that Bedford Camera was a key sponsor of
Zig Ziglar. Very impressive.
Bedford's also ran the Kutest Kidz Photo Contest with the local CBS affiliate.
This ran over a 90 day period. In the first 3 segments Bedford's educated and
encouraged the viewers to enter the contest. The last segment showed the top
20 winners and finally the top 3 winners. There was great exposure for the
partnership as the store was seen as an equal partner to CBS. The sponsoring
manufacturer also got visibility and exposure. You can see the winners at
www.bedfords.com by clicking on "fun stuff" or "special
event".
Idea #3 - All Markets, Good for anyone with
"down" time in the lab - Brian Ainsworth, Showprints, (www.showprints.com),
Gainesville, FL (352) 336-4008
Like many labs, Brian has peak times and slower times.
During one of his slower times he went to the National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) web site and downloaded public domain
pictures of Hurricane Floyd. He and his team digitally reworked the images and
sold them to art stores, frame stores and even yacht clubs. One frame shop
purchased 279 prints in one month . . . all new business he would not have
had.
Brian has a Fuji Frontier and runs specials every 90 - 120 days of a 10x15 for
only $5 - "What's a customer going to do with that size print?"
Brian asks. He knows, they'll need a frame. . . which he just happens to have,
with a matte for a reasonable price. He doesn't price it as a package; he just
makes sure the customers know he has the unusual size frames. As Brian says,
"they'll be back."
Brian is launching a new product this month, cutouts - he makes the prints and
mounts them on foam core. With a cutter made by Cutal from Bethel, CT he can
cut the print into any shape and make life size display prints. He charges $50
for anything up to 3 feet in length and $10 each foot thereafter. Brian sees
this as something that will help him win more customers in the display print
business.
Newsletter 3
LEGAL MUMBO JUMBO OUR COUNSEL WANTS YOU TO READ
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