Comments on: Launch Events: If You Build It, Will They Come?

By: Dana Pulis

Dana Pulis — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:54:26 +0000

Nice work, Paul!
I am using this as a teaching tool for our team to be more critical analyzers of our methods. Love your delivery on the subject. Thank you.

By: Caroline Kirigo

Caroline Kirigo — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:30:20 +0000

i work as a marketer in a development financiial institution focusing on corporate lending.The company image is negative as the public think it does not exist and recently the company is undertaking new product development and rebranding both running parallel.In Few months time after the completion of the exercise, there will be a re-launch.Someone please advise on how to effectively go about the event.

By: Stewart Roxburgh

Stewart Roxburgh — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:17:13 +0000

Thanks Paul, I’m all for simple, unsophisticated promotional ideas and enjoyed your take on the subject.
I love a bit of cross-polination and wanted to share a thought with you. I recently did a series of master classes with small start-up businesses who have major issues with spending on promotions, so I got a few of them to work with each other to come up with ‘non-obvious’ promotions. Firstly I had to get them to look closely at the attributes of their customers and what elements of lifestyle they shared with the group, then we each came up with a promotion that each business could cope with, and then we switched them around.
Your dry-cleaner, for example, would be able to offer a free car valet as a bonus for using his service three times. Or a clothes retailer could offer a discounted haircut on buying a key brand. The hairdresser offered each customer a free car-wash whilst they were have their hair styled. This cross-polination allows all involved to vary their promotional ideas and keep them fresh and best of all, looked as though they were spending money on marketing promotions.
The idea can be used for openings and beyond, the partners get invited, their customers get invited, and their suppliers get invited too. Some businesses forget to utilise all of their connections for their opening. The bank has customers, the decorators and contractors want to show off their work to new prospects, the sign guy too, the printers you used for stationary, all want to show off to their customers and can help make your launch a great success.
Just bear in mind that there’s no such thing as a free capape! Work the room and take plenty of pictures. Get the message out to the press the same or the next day, don’t sit on the images or the story.
Stewart Roxburgh
Marketing Consultancy
Scotland

By: jim terpstra

jim terpstra — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:31:48 +0000

Hi Jim
I’m not a paddlesports enthusiast thought I’ve been canoing and kayaking in the past and enjoyed the experience.
I could be lured into the sport and to your store and ultimately to you if I am convinced you are interested in me as a person, not just my wallet and your bottom line.
Give me the opportunity to get into the sport, and become very proficient at it, and become enthused about it to the point I invite my friends to come with me to meet you and be in your store, then you will have yourself a life time friend and customer.
Hint: one free lesson will not cut it. Think about me.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:28:05 +0000

Hi, Jim – nice website!
I don’t know if there is time for you to undertake new campaigns, but my spur-of-the-moment idea for you is around “Up the creek without a paddle”; can you target-market?
If so, make something in the shape of a mini-paddle with an invitation to your target, bring it to the store during grand opening to exchange for a free kayak lesson (scheduled at your discretion, fill out short-sold buses or something?); or alternatively, bring it in anytime with a friend and get the same for both. And make it out of something they won’t be able to through away – a keychain? Taped to a postcard made from the gorgeous photo on your home page…
Or come in to receive a disposable underwater camera.
Or, if you have plans to run a loyalty points program and charge for sign up, those who bring in the paddle have their sign up fee waived.
My 0.02. Best of luck next week and for the future! Hope you don’t find yourself “up the creek”.

By: Paul Williams

Paul Williams — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:32:08 +0000

@ Jim – I wish you the best of luck with your new business… that’s *super* exciting!
Just of the top of my head… Because you are a *new* business, I don’t know how much of a draw a free lesson with a boat purchase would be… (who knows at this point if your lessons are any good?)
What can you do that’s remarkable? It may be more expensive than you intended, but what if money was no object… what could you do/offer that no other gear shop has done?
What does REI do when they open? And what could you do even better?
You say you’re doing word-of-mouth… that means you’re telling people… What what’s so exciting that the word will spread beyond those who care about you? How can you up the ante so that the word catches fire because you’re doing something, or offering something that makes coming in a “Do Not Miss” occasion?
What do your fellow outdoor folk care about? What’s most meaningful to them?
Stickers and hats are cool as a reminder (after their visit) to come again… but won’t be what draws them in.
Another approach for you.
I’m certain you’re not counting on the grand opening to make all your sales. So, what can you do that makes those who *do* attend your Grand Opening want to tell others how awesome your store is?
What “evangelist kit” can you give to them that makes it easy to tell others? To drive traffic in the coming months?
What are you baking in your everyday business that’s remarkable? What makes you different than Wal*Mart selling gear? What makes you different than REI? What makes you better than REI?
Being new, what’s going to make me visit you versus the place went to last season for my gear?
Stuff to chew on!
Check out the series I wrote about “How To Be Different” from the perspective of some of our best ‘remarkable’ thinkers. On the Idea Sandbox website at: http://www.idea-sandbox.com/blog/2007/02/how_to_be_different_zag_1.html
Check the bottom of the post for a link to several other great articles.
Best to you! – Paul

By: Jim Dudley

Jim Dudley — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:52:42 +0000

This post came at a good time, because I am the owner of a brand new retail business, and we’re having our grand opening in 2 weeks. We are an outdoor gear shop, with a focus on paddlesports (kayaking & canoeing). We’ve been doing a lot of word-of-mouth, big signs out front, and newspaper advertisements. I am a little fearful that I’m caught in the “if you build it, they will come” mentality. Does anyone have any ideas to bring people into our store on opening day? I was thinking of offering a free rental or lesson to anyone who buys a boat that day… or raffle off some products, give away some stickers, hats, etc…. any other ideas? You can check out our business at http://www.sunapeeoutfitters.com

By: Kevin McElroy

Kevin McElroy — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:35:22 +0000

Talk about peeling back the raw marketing onion. I wholeheartedly agree that far too many launch programs fail because 99% of the energy is focused on the end destination; rather than the full consumer trail.
I think you’re leading into a direct connection as to why online Social Marketing has caught on. Engage and persuade where the customers are already participating. The truly successful programs are those that can offer that value proposition in those spaces, rather than feeling the need to move the customer to their shiny new website.
Great read!