Idea #1 – Be excited about promotions . . . Be excited about making money

Ann Markley, Ann Chase Photographic Services, Woodinville, WA – www.annchase.com 

     Oh Oh I am so excited!!! TOPIC - INTEGRATED MARKETING - Letting someone else do the work for you...

     Okay - I took some of the ideas from VEGAS - & twisted them into a FAN-TAB-U-LOUS marketing scheme (it’s called the C.A.S.E. method of marketing - COPY AND STEAL EVERYTHING - and yes Bill, you can copy & steal that too).

     My local community has an annual BASSET Brigade - yes over 200 Bassett hounds parade down the street (MY STREET) decked out in all their glory, prizes are given for the best dressed, funniest etc... It’s quite a community event...

     So it’s not a real stretch to think - I MUST capitalize on this...???? Hmm.... HOW???... I will go from the most obvious ways... to the less obvious - building on layers... 

1. Sponsor the event with the chamber - get your logo on everything, all newspaper ads, banners& get a free entry into the parade - Cost: $250.00  

2. Purchase special backdrop & Props - For "Bassets at the Beach photo portraits"... run it just like Santa photos. . . create portrait packages... etc. Cost: $250 - but I have the new backdrop for long term use.

3. Get the King & the Queen (bassets) from last years parade to pose for a free photo portrait with the NEW beach backdrop. In return for the free portrait - ask for the opportunity to use it in all your marketing materials.... make up tons of 4x6 glossy promos for the King & Queen's owners to hand out before & during the event! Oh did I tell you, they are also in charge of signing up the 200 plus basset entries... so they may just hand out the photos to over 200 basset owners... because they are so proud of their hound’s portraits!!! NO COST for this distribution. 

4. JUST TO INCREASE the motivation of all involved... DONATE $5.00 of every Bassett portrait to the local animal shelter... who by the way, has a booth at the event - & would love to hand out even MORE brochures - because the more I make, the MORE they make!!! YEE HA!!!! NO COST (tax deductible) 

5. Just to make sure you have enough exposure - put the brochures in every vet office, kennel, dog groomer & pet store in the area - with the animal shelter logo on your brochure - people are really likely to promote the event!!! DOUBLE YEE HA!  

Cost: maybe $25 for photocopies? 

6. Write a press release... include the photos. . . the animal shelter donations. Maybe get some local press before & after the event! NO COST 

Okay - who's to say it’s because my logo & info got into the hands of hundreds of people April 1st at the basset bash & parade........ BUT - ever since April 15th - business has been like CHRISTMAS!!!! (I hope its not just tax returns) 

It’s hard to track - we have so much stuff going on - persistence is the KEY!!!!

BUT - our sales haven't been this good since Christmas WEEK! And it isn't going away....every week is better than the last!!!! 

Thanks bill for all your help - I'll let you know if it continues. . . .  

Ann 

Editor’s Note: Ann is a relative new comer to our industry and has translated her excitement for the business to her customers. Here you see some of her “customers” in their parade best…

Idea #2 –Editor’s Note: We’re calling this idea “Profound thoughts from our Landlord” (Chris Lydle kindly hosts the archives of the McCurry Marketing Idea Exchange and frequently comes up with very insightful comments – we asked Chris if we could share this one with you. More of his sage advice is available at www.photoimagenews.com)

Chris Lydle, Chris’ Photo Center, Aiken, SC - www.chriscamera.com 

Here's an interesting excerpt from an article in Business Week: 

     The "soccer mom" is history: Only 9% of Generation X mothers describe themselves that way. Today's young moms are more difficult to classify, given the variety of factors that shape their existence: They have high levels of education, and they married and had children later than their boomer counterparts. As a consequence, they generated higher percentages of household income before confronting decisions about whether to return to work after having children.  

Lesson: Ad and marketing campaigns that target young mothers with one-dimensional portrayals are likely to be met with a resoundingly cold shoulder.  

What does that mean to those of us in the photo industry that are targeting the soccer mom in our promotional efforts? Possibly not much. Despite the fact that they don't characterize themselves as soccer moms, in many cases the Gen Xers really are! However, we have to be even more careful not to be condescending to "the little woman," who in many cases is as technologically savvy as we are, smarter and better educated, and more accustomed to making all kinds of decisions than her predecessors.

Not too soon to mark your calendar for the Fall PMA – Chicago –

The Marketing Idea Exchange will be Sunday morning (breakfast included!) October 24 – Be sure you plan to stay for this session to get the real scoop on what’s actually working in the real world . . . Bring an open mind and an idea to share.

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