McCurry Associates Marketing Idea Exchange Archives

Volume 40 - April 10, 2003

Bill McCurry McCurry Associates wmccurry@mccurryassoc.com 609 688-1169

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Idea #1 - Billboards can be mobile, and creative
Bob Mohon, MOTOPHOTO, Denver, Colorado, bobmohon@earthlink.net

   We just purchased an established business and are currently located on a very busy street, but we are set back from the road with marginal visibility. We have purchased a PT Cruiser and wrapped the vehicle with our logo, phone number, etc. The car is parked near the road each day and we have seen a marked increase in new customers saying "I didn't know you were here", even though the store has been here for 20 years. The phone number is separate from the store number so we can track the phone calls based on visibility.

Idea #2 - Tony Miresse, Art's Camera Plus, West Allis, WI - www.artscameras.com

   An additional comment to piggyback with Jack King's close-out table idea from Issue 31. We also don't include the filters or front lens caps when we sell used equipment because it doesn't allow you to sell the lens for any more money. We used to throw them into bins with a sign - "Miscellaneous filters $2" and "All caps $1". Then we found that spending an extra minute cleaning the filters, putting them into a small plastic Ziploc bag with a price sticker allows us to sell just as many used filters at a great price - half of what they sell for new! What used to be junk filters for $2 now bring us $5 - $25! Just because we didn't pay anything for them doesn't mean we have to give them away. I truly believe we should always sell items based on what they are worth to the customer, regardless of what we pay for them! The customer who we were going to sell a $15 UV filter to will be just as happy if we say "hey, I've got one in my 1/2 price bin for only $7.50" as if we sold it to him for $2.

Idea #3 - Would You Like Fries With That?
John Perchulyn, Riviera Imaging, Redondo Beach, CA - www.rivieraimaging.com

   Several months ago, I realized I had an over abundance of single use cameras which were about to expire. Brand name not important. I also noticed our single use camera recycle bin was always full and we were shipping out cameras for recycling almost weekly. Kris Delano, my marketing guru, came up with a "Value Pack" idea. Well, I guess McDonald's really came up with it. We bought some white bags and stuffed them with a single use camera and a FREE developing coupon. We put the bags in a bin at the counter and sell them as a "Super Value Combo Pack". Pack includes one single use camera with flash, a coupon for developing and one set of prints all for ONLY $12.99. Now everyone that comes in with a single use camera gets a stuffer that informs them, "Did you know we offer a Super Value Combo-Pack that includes...etc."

Needless to say, we sold out of the cameras and are having a hard time keeping the Value Pack bin full.

Thanks Bill for your marketing emails...John