"People are making a lot of money charging nothing" writes Chris Anderson, Editor In Chief of WIRED and Author of "The Future of a Radical Price". "In an increasingly competitive marketplace, much intellectual property is often distributed free and suppliers of internet content have exploded in number", continues Anderson.
Now, if you see a lot of FREE offers on the Internet, it is because the cost of one more customer or the cost of one more pair of eyeballs is next to nothing.
If it costs next to nothing, should not marketers have something else to sell? In what Anderson describes as "freemiums", a strategy that offers a new product for sale when the first product is distributed freely, the products that are sold help to subsidize those products that are given away. But what if, instead of FREE, we gave the customer rewards for buying our product. Those rewards are then only used to buy more of our products. At what point do we take the wonder of FREE to the next level?
At what point do we create a new product for our existing customer and ask him to pay for it? At what point do we start to make money?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Good Marketing and ROI
If marketing is the battle for perception, then good marketing creates a perception that motivates people to buy a product or service. It is the perception (your personal vision of reality) therefore, that prompts action. Your perception can also create a warm and fuzzy feeling about the product, or company, that can also stimulate a purchase.
Your perception isn't formed by one advertisement or one flight of cable spots or a billboard or even the ad that you saw this month (or was it last month?) Your perceptions are cumulative. Your thoughts about a product are amassed over time and include word of mouth, first hand experience and what you believe is true about the product
So how can you measure the ROI of a recent campaign? The answer is - consumers really don't know why they buy a product at a particular time. No doubt it is a combination of all of the marketing elements. That is why all marketers preach multiple medias and multiple frequencies. Marketing effect happens over time.
Because of the difficulty in measuring ROI, some companies will be so conservative that they will virtually cease many of their marketing efforts. This is great news for those that keep marketing. In time those companies that consistently market the differentiation of their products and services will win.
Sometimes measuring marketing ROI is like watching a clock. It moves, but you just can't see it.
Your perception isn't formed by one advertisement or one flight of cable spots or a billboard or even the ad that you saw this month (or was it last month?) Your perceptions are cumulative. Your thoughts about a product are amassed over time and include word of mouth, first hand experience and what you believe is true about the product
So how can you measure the ROI of a recent campaign? The answer is - consumers really don't know why they buy a product at a particular time. No doubt it is a combination of all of the marketing elements. That is why all marketers preach multiple medias and multiple frequencies. Marketing effect happens over time.
Because of the difficulty in measuring ROI, some companies will be so conservative that they will virtually cease many of their marketing efforts. This is great news for those that keep marketing. In time those companies that consistently market the differentiation of their products and services will win.
Sometimes measuring marketing ROI is like watching a clock. It moves, but you just can't see it.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
5 pillars of success
The five pillars of success1. See (really see) what's possible.
2. Know specifically what you want to achieve.
3. Make good decisions.
4. Understand the tactics to get things done and to change minds.
5. Earn the trust and respect of the people around you.
It sure seems like we spend all our time on #4.
What We Think We Know
If you saw your best friend sitting in a police car, what would you assume was the crime he committed?
The judgment we make about this situation, we reason, is based upon our life experiences, what we know about our friend, what we have always thought about our friend (but never told him), what we perceive the circumstances to be and our basic "gut" feel. Our answer is now firmly planted and we take a stand on the new "truth".
Sometimes we act the same way in our business. We see events in our business and rush to judgment based upon what we think we know. We base our judgments on our experience, our knowledge of the business and what we have seen with our own eyes. Right?
Maybe not.
How close are we to young adults; to the key teenagers that populate our center? How much do we know about their tastes? Or for that matter, their motivations. The BPAA produced a good study a year or two ago about various groups of bowlers and what motivates the "social" bowler to bowl. While you need to get a copy of that study, its even more important that you do some research on your own.
Thinking of some new league concepts? Get a bunch of them into flier form and show them to open play bowlers. Oh, they'll criticize the art and the type, everyone is an expert, but get them to focus on the CONCEPT. Now if you speak to enough open play bowlers you will find that there are probably a dozen or so that are interested in one or more new concepts. Not only have you gotten feed back from which to base your decisions, but you have also created a few interested people who just might be willing to bring a few more friends and start a short season league.
If we don't ask what people like we will always assume we know what they want. And like our friend in the police car, who was just asking for directions, we might be wrong.
The judgment we make about this situation, we reason, is based upon our life experiences, what we know about our friend, what we have always thought about our friend (but never told him), what we perceive the circumstances to be and our basic "gut" feel. Our answer is now firmly planted and we take a stand on the new "truth".
Sometimes we act the same way in our business. We see events in our business and rush to judgment based upon what we think we know. We base our judgments on our experience, our knowledge of the business and what we have seen with our own eyes. Right?
Maybe not.
How close are we to young adults; to the key teenagers that populate our center? How much do we know about their tastes? Or for that matter, their motivations. The BPAA produced a good study a year or two ago about various groups of bowlers and what motivates the "social" bowler to bowl. While you need to get a copy of that study, its even more important that you do some research on your own.
Thinking of some new league concepts? Get a bunch of them into flier form and show them to open play bowlers. Oh, they'll criticize the art and the type, everyone is an expert, but get them to focus on the CONCEPT. Now if you speak to enough open play bowlers you will find that there are probably a dozen or so that are interested in one or more new concepts. Not only have you gotten feed back from which to base your decisions, but you have also created a few interested people who just might be willing to bring a few more friends and start a short season league.
If we don't ask what people like we will always assume we know what they want. And like our friend in the police car, who was just asking for directions, we might be wrong.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
July 4th...Are you closed?
Baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet. Signs of a less complicated time. In many towns and cities across the country, fireworks will go off, parades will take place and many a hot dog and hamburger will be eaten. Children will squeal with joy and parents will laugh, drink beer or other beverages and will share a typically American holiday.
Where is bowling on this day?
Many centers will be on "reduced hour" schedules. Others will stay open and run specials. Still others will just close. And that's sad because not only is The 4th of July an opportunity for your business to build community involvement and reinforce your product offerings, but it is just one holiday of many where your presence can make a difference. And it's not just holidays that are important. Its all those street fairs, concerts, music events and markets that your target audience (15 to 34) attends with great frequency.
Be remarkable and reach your key audience in places THEY GO.
Where is bowling on this day?
Many centers will be on "reduced hour" schedules. Others will stay open and run specials. Still others will just close. And that's sad because not only is The 4th of July an opportunity for your business to build community involvement and reinforce your product offerings, but it is just one holiday of many where your presence can make a difference. And it's not just holidays that are important. Its all those street fairs, concerts, music events and markets that your target audience (15 to 34) attends with great frequency.
Be remarkable and reach your key audience in places THEY GO.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The joy of trying
Every now and then I watch and listen in awe as people tell me they will "try" to get their tasks done; they will "try" to meet the deadline; or they will "try" to be at my party or meet me for dinner? What is this "try"? Have you ever tried to call someone? Heck NO! You either call or you don't. There is no such thing as try. What if the pilot said, on the last flight you were on, "well folks, we are about 100 miles from O'Hare and I sure will "TRY" to land this 757 on the runway. Rest assured, I will do my best and try to make it".
How good would you feel then?
It's the same with employees. If you accept the fact that they tried as a valid reason for not getting stuff done, then you have just subscribed to the "Try Club". And from now on, your employees will know that if they can convince you they tried, they will be off the hook.
Well, Coach, it's your job to show them that "scoring, getting in the goal" is what it is all about.
Otherwise, you and your business are just running up and down the field.
How good would you feel then?
It's the same with employees. If you accept the fact that they tried as a valid reason for not getting stuff done, then you have just subscribed to the "Try Club". And from now on, your employees will know that if they can convince you they tried, they will be off the hook.
Well, Coach, it's your job to show them that "scoring, getting in the goal" is what it is all about.
Otherwise, you and your business are just running up and down the field.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
summer bowling for kids
Alice Cooper said it best.... “School's out forever, School's out for summer School's out with fever, School's out completely.”
Remember that feeling? Getting out and all that you have looked forward to, since that deep and dark December, was coming true; getting outside in a full run; your smile in a perpetual state and then breaking thru the gray clouds into SUMMER was a once-a –year-to-be-treasured-feeling. It was “The Great American Road trip or Flight Line”. Or bus trip. Or train ride. Or one or two week vacation at the seashore or in the mountains. Or just stay at home trip. To us, summer was more freedom than we could imagine…until the next summer.
With 4,000 commercial bowling centers in the country, it is estimated that 53 million kids between the ages of 5 and 13 years of age can bowl. In fact that’s 13,250 kids per center. 1% penetration gives is 133 kids per center in the summer.
So what’ the offer we need to sustain? Two companies in the bowling industry have created electro-magnetic offers.
People respond to offers. Honest offers. Offers with value. For two of the best new product offers in bowling that are, I believe “game changers”, check out www.\kidsbowlfree.com and www.bowlingrewards.com. Both of these companies know a thing or two about internet marketing. As an investor in one and a consultant to the other, I really believe in these companies. Hundreds of thousands of adults have been registered in BR. Hundreds of thousands of kids have been registered in KBF.
Use your emails and If you’re not sure your emails are being read (only 15% to 30% are being read if they are not optimized) , then you might want to checkout www. www.Bowlingrewards.com; www.constantcontact.com; www.Icontact.com , www.silverpop.com or www.yesmail.com
All you really want is a template for emails and a way to look cool in front of 53 million.
Wherever they will be, we will have to reach them. Make it the best email campaign of the summer of the summer. And if you want to respond I will blog you back;
fredkaplowitz@gmail.com kaploe marketing group 212.867.2577 office www.kaploegroup.com
Remember that feeling? Getting out and all that you have looked forward to, since that deep and dark December, was coming true; getting outside in a full run; your smile in a perpetual state and then breaking thru the gray clouds into SUMMER was a once-a –year-to-be-treasured-feeling. It was “The Great American Road trip or Flight Line”. Or bus trip. Or train ride. Or one or two week vacation at the seashore or in the mountains. Or just stay at home trip. To us, summer was more freedom than we could imagine…until the next summer.
With 4,000 commercial bowling centers in the country, it is estimated that 53 million kids between the ages of 5 and 13 years of age can bowl. In fact that’s 13,250 kids per center. 1% penetration gives is 133 kids per center in the summer.
So what’ the offer we need to sustain? Two companies in the bowling industry have created electro-magnetic offers.
People respond to offers. Honest offers. Offers with value. For two of the best new product offers in bowling that are, I believe “game changers”, check out www.\kidsbowlfree.com and www.bowlingrewards.com. Both of these companies know a thing or two about internet marketing. As an investor in one and a consultant to the other, I really believe in these companies. Hundreds of thousands of adults have been registered in BR. Hundreds of thousands of kids have been registered in KBF.
Use your emails and If you’re not sure your emails are being read (only 15% to 30% are being read if they are not optimized) , then you might want to checkout www. www.Bowlingrewards.com; www.constantcontact.com; www.Icontact.com , www.silverpop.com or www.yesmail.com
All you really want is a template for emails and a way to look cool in front of 53 million.
Wherever they will be, we will have to reach them. Make it the best email campaign of the summer of the summer. And if you want to respond I will blog you back;
fredkaplowitz@gmail.com kaploe marketing group 212.867.2577 office www.kaploegroup.com
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