McCurry Associates Marketing Idea Exchange Archives
Volume 27 - November 7, 2002
Idea #1, #2, #3 - Amateur Theatre alliances, Clearing dead
inventory, photo business cards -
Bert Weidner - Woodward Camera - Birmingham, MI - r_weidner@hotmail.com
Amateur Theatre Brochures
Advertising in amateur theatre groups' brochures has been fun
and they have given us a display in their lobby, advertising our photo classes.
Creature Features (turning slow/dead inventory to cash,
quick!)
We ask each camera salesperson to pick out a 'one of a kind'
product or a difficult to sell product. We also ask what they think would be a
good cash commission for these products. The spiff that they request is usually
reasonable. If not, we pay that amount anyway. The salesperson usually sells the
item he picked out. This turns dead inventory into cash and the salesperson is
participating and happy. I can apply pressure if an item has not sold after the
special spiff.
Marketing Business Cards
Customers did not buy photo business card as I thought they
would. I was confident they would want business cards with pictures of their
boats, sports cars, horses or whatever.
I would appreciate any suggestions. The selling of business
cards has been my biggest disaster, lots of work with little result. Please post
some creative ideas for this, thanks.
Idea #4, #5 - Fraud Alert, Promoting digital prints
Steve Weiss - Creve Coeur Camera - St Louis, MO - sweiss@cccamera.com
Fraud Alert - hard enough making a buck without crooks
taking it all!
We have been receiving a great deal of email from people
requesting digital cameras and other items to be shipped to Indonesia. BE AWARE
. . . THESE ARE NOT VALID CUSTOMERS. We have spoken with the US Secret Service.
The Credit Cards are stolen or false and they will not "match" the
shipping address with the card address. We have been instructed to forward these
to our local Secret Service office.
We're promoting digital prints
We will be offering a "special "digital deal"
starting December 1st. (I only recommend this if you have a "fast"
digital printer)
We have picked out our most profitable digital camera and are
going to offer...ONE YEARS FREE DIGITAL PRINTS. 20 free prints per month for one
year.
We have done this with our 35mm cameras and it has been a HUGE
success. It brings in the customer 24 times over the next 12 months. Each
customer is given a punch card and if they loose it...we replace it!
We conclude that our cost is about $20 for the entire 240
prints. This is different than roll processing. Our average digital customer
brings in about 40 prints. We then will charge them the regular price for those
additional prints over 20. We're convinced that this is a $$$$$ generator.
Idea #3 - Digital Opportunities - Photo cookie tins, with
photo cookies
Larry Rife - L A Cameras - lacameras@innernet.net
This one I am sending you is HOT. We are
doing a Photo Tin that we make here and inside the tin we are offering you Photo
cookies that are great. Your photo is put on the icing at 4800 dpi better than
some labs print photos now.
I started the tins in July for my operation and sold up to now
9,600 for B to B gifts. We are just starting it for the KICS stores for the
holidays. Other than that with all the other things we are blessed that we are
so diverse that we are able to move along OK as long as my attitude keeps what I
call "falling forwards". Retail is slow but what is not? We go live
with our upload web site in 2 weeks with real time response to the customer.
Editor's note - you can see Larry's photo tin idea along with
his photo ornament idea here
Watch your mail for your PMA 2003 registration - Bill
McCurry will be sharing actionable money making ideas for you at these sessions:
- Saturday, March 1 - 1:00 - 2:10 - #D53 - Digital
Marketing for Retail in Tough Times or Super Effective Digital Marketing
without a lot of cash
- Saturday, March 1 - 2:30 - 3:40 - #D63 - Marketing Idea
Exchange - bring an idea to share and take away a dozen more.
- Monday, March 3 - 7:00pm - 9:50pm - #N5 Guerrilla
Marketing Night School - Each attendee will receive a copy of the NEW
Digital Guerrilla Marketing book
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