A For Honesty, F for Marketing

“WE WILL NOW BE CLOSED ON SUNDAYS DUE TO LACK OF CUSTOMERS”


That is what the sign said in the window of a new barber shop around the corner from my house when I walked by with my dog last week. It’s a sign that has stuck with me since seeing it, even though it was gone by the time I came back the next morning.

The message is clear – they feel like they aren’t making any money on Sundays because they have no one coming in, which may be true. I have no problem with the concept, but as a marketer it pains me when I see a better solution to a situation than this. Here is the situation…

  • The barber shop opened less than three months ago

  • There was no banner or otherwise attention grabbing sign outside to announce its opening (just one door down from a hair salon I might add).

  • They were open 7 days a week.

  • I never received an announcement about their opening or why I should go there and only knew about it because it is on my morning walk.

Nothing stated above is that out of the ordinary, so maybe it is unfair to pick on this new local business. But at the same time, there is no magic to getting customers to try your business or understanding whether it is good or bad for you to be open on a Sunday. In fact, it seems that being open on a Sunday would be a competitive advantage.

Three simple tips for local businesses:

  1. Take the time to put flyers in the mailboxes of the neighborhoods you expect to draw from. They should announce your opening, your location, and the products/services you provide.

  2. If you have a competitive advantage, make sure people know. In this case, make a big deal about being open on Sundays or specializing in child haircuts. Perhaps offer a discount for the second child.

  3. Before you act rashly, give it time. Once people know you exist they may need to wait for the opportunity to use your services.

Or even simpler, model yourself after the new pizza delivery place that just opened near us. The shop offered a free large pizza promotion (pick up only), has a good product, and is now on the short list of places we’ll considering ordering from. It really is that simple some times.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2009 Market Research Predictions, Forrester Style

Forrester's 2009 Market Research Predictions are out and if you're not a subscriber, you can at least read the executive summary here... One prediction of note: "Traditional qualitative research will see erosion as market research online communities (MROCs) and fusions of quantitative and qualitative research from firms such as Invoke Solutions gain steam. In short, everyone will be looking for ways to gain insights to succeed in a troubling market in as cost-effective a manner as possible. This means that newer research modes will gain traction and grab more share of stable or declining market research budgets — even among research buyers who have been more traditional in the past."
Keep reading

How Geo-Targeting is Affecting Customer Loyalty Programs

Image
Originally posted at the CMB Research Blog Recently I have been playing around with Foursquare , the geo-targeting based social media application that allows me to "check in" at certain locations, share my "check in" with friends via Twitter and Facebook, and earn "badges" based on how much I use it. I'll be honest, as a consumer I don't fully get it (yet). But as a marketer in 2010 I want to understand where things are going and be able to speak to them as they relate to our clients. And with this week's eMarketer report that 53% of mobile app users are willing to share their locations, there is no question that there is a huge opportunity for brands to utilize this technology. Certainly geo-targeting is not for everyone, but some major brands are going beyond mobile ads and jumping in to help increase the impact of their loyalty programs and reward their best customers in real-time. And as many companies seek to evolve their loyalty progr...
Keep reading

Is market research recession proof?

Bob Skolnick , North American CEO of Synovate seems to think so in this month's Marketing News... This heightened need to understand competitors and consumers may well prove a boon to the market research industry, despite the struggles of the economy at large. Bob Skolnick , North American CEO of Chicago-based market research firm Synovate , predicts "was abobe average growth" in the overall demand for data. Because of the demand for data, Skolnick notes, Synovate has been under greater pressure to yield applicable results. "Client companies need to see smart research done to make sure they are satisfying their best customers and developing new business where they can," he says. "The market research business, while not recession-proof, is much less susceptible to budgets being cut."
Keep reading