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McCurry Associates Marketing Idea Exchange ArchivesVolume 54 - August 7, 2003
Idea #1 - Shooting Yourself In The Foot We've received a flood of emails about Kodak's "Photo University CD
Kodak's response - Joe Diliberto
candidly told me, "It was a huge mistake - We're sorry and wish it never
happened. We understand why some dealers have trashed the displays and CD's. Our
intent was to drive business to the specialty channel. We had the right goal in
mind." Shooting Yourself In The Foot - that title doesn't pertain just to Kodak - but to the specialty retailers who invested substantial time filling our email box (and doubtless others) with questions like:
Sorry - these questions aren't relevant - Starting with the last one first, Kodak "always abandons us". How can you abandon something more than once? What it shows is a mind set among a small but vocal group of dealers that won't believe times have changed. Let me break it to you . . . . Ozzie and Harriet don't live here any more . . . Eisenhower isn't in the White House . . . Wake up . . . . It's a different world. Many major manufacturers are today selling on their websites against their dealers. A major camera company is using rebates and their camera school to attract customers to their website so the camera manufacturer can have their on line print business. Why didn't we get a single email about a non paper manufacturer now being in the print business - directly competing with their retailers? Nobody cared that the price was among the lowest of any on line finisher . . . The specialty dealer was virtually silent. Yet this week we're bashing Kodak without mercy. This is hypocrisy at its worst. We are all shooting ourselves in the foot because we're missing the big picture here - Not a single retailer raised the issue of Kodak's statement possibly being inaccurate. The recent at home printing data released by NPD shows great ignorance on the part of the consumer. Kodak's statement should have advised the reader that they can only get good pictures at home if they're using the right ink, paper, printer and software. Nobody raised this issue. We must educate the consumer about the issues of quality and image stability for our industry to flourish. Why did no one notice? We're too busy beating up Kodak for their alleged sins to see the big picture. Kodak disappointed us and they were taken to task for it. Fine, now let's move on. To those who sent multi-page emails outlining sins committed years ago (When was Instamatic? Verifax?) We have one message, "Get over it." To those who are frustrated at Kodak we ask that you look around and measure them with the same yardstick you do all other manufacturers. Then take your frustration out in the marketplace - Take the time you would spend venting in an email and use it to devise a new marketing plan, write a new brochure, call a customer who hasn't been in lately, thank an employee or vendor for a job well done. Use your time constructively to build your business. After all, living well is the best revenge! Idea #2 - Check your web presence Almost every supplier you buy from has a website with a dealer locator feature. Check each manufacturer's web site to be sure each of your store's locations is accurately listed. We found many manufacturers that only listed one location or didn't list us at all. Some manufacturers were easy to persuade to change or add our listing; others were a bit of a struggle. It's worth doing . . . it's a good (and cheap) way to have new customers find you. Idea #3 - Perception Of A Digital Print "Deal" After trying several different promotions for DigiPrints we have been having very good success with "$2.00 off every $10". Several points about this offer - It is easy for the customer to see how much they save, percentage discounts can be less effective sine people don't walk around with percents in their pocket, they carry dollars. We chose $10 because many orders were either for a couple prints at $5-$6 or a handful at $16. This allows our staff to point out how the customer can save by ordering a few more. We don't limit the discount; we have many customers order $80 to $100 and get the $20 off. We are holding firm at 49 cents a print. When you look at competition you can scare yourself into lowering your price, which limits your ability to discount for an incentive to the large number of people who look for "deals". When you are feeling like you need to match a 29 cent price, look back at the digital machine you're still paying off, the higher paid staff you need to keep all the digital stuff working, and the cost of marketing the new services to educate customers. By using this coupon we can quote 39 cents, yet since very few people's orders come to an exact multiple of $10 we don't truly discount the full 20% down to 39 cents. Idea #4- Agfa Success Seminars Resume - Houston Added - Dates changed The very popular and profitable Agfa Success Seminar will resume its national tour near Chicago on Thursday, September 18 and continue on to the central and western US. Houston has been added to the itinerary. Some dates/cities have changed slightly. The current line up is:
The spring sessions benefited those who attended - Every attendee answered "yes" to the question "Would they recommend the seminar to imaging industry colleagues?" We've been asked is this for owners or managers and employees as well. Our answer is that you should only bring those employees you want to be effective members of your team. So far over a dozen firms have registered five or more attendees for the seminars. To register or for more information see www.AgfaSuccessSeminar.com. Idea # 5 - Win $50,000 in PMA Promotion Competition (www.pmai.org/promo_comp/default.htm) (Editor's Note: We know of at least six subscribers who have received thousands of dollars in prize money from this contest. We hesitate to name them for fear of missing others who have won. Please consider entering your best marketing campaigns - There is serious prize money and it has to go to someone, why not you?) If you believe you have an award-winning promotional campaign, make sure to enter the PMA Promotion Competition, held every other year. The competition is intended to recognize outstanding advertising and promotion of photo/digital products and services to amateur consumers, and to the business customers of firms serving professional/commercial markets. The two categories to enter are Consumer Markets and Commercial Markets. In each category, awards will be given to Smaller-Size Firms (less than $500,000 per year in sales), Medium-Size Firms ($500,000 to $2 million per year in sales) and Larger-Size Firms (more than $2 million per year in sales), as well as Suppliers (all sales volumes). The First Prize in each category (except Suppliers) is $10,000; Merit Award winners earn $1,000. (The judges will confer Merit Awards as they see fit. There is no requirement they do so - and no limit on the money they grant.) For Suppliers, First Place is a Crystal Award, and Merit Award winners will earn plaques. (The judges will confer Merit Awards as they see fit. There is no requirement they do so.) All First Prize winners from both the Consumer and Commercial Market categories will compete for "The Best of the Best" - and $50,000 - in a special interview. For complete details and entry forms, visit www.pmai.org/promo_comp/default.htm. Entries deadline is September 30, 2003.
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Basic issue - Kodak wanted to do
something to drive business through specialty retailers - they came up with the
Photo University CD which ties into their National Parks picture contest and
other reasons to "burn film". The writers apparently weren't Photo
Specialty folks and did two things that alienated many specialty retailers.
