Name (required):

  E-mail address (optional):

Type your message here:
>Maybe discounted game & system rentals could be a >bonus for renting certain (low demand) movies or a big >transaction size. > >I recently heard how many TVs are in homes on average. >I don’t remember the numbers, but it’s more than one. >Parents & children can play games or watch movies in >separate rooms. Children can play games for a small >price, if parents rent enough movies for themselves or >children. > >Since you have some games & systems, you should get >some revenue for them. I read a store like yours has >to rent a movie about 25 times just to break even on >it. I don’t know if you’re at the break-even point for >any games or systems, but you should get them in >circulation to some extent, unless a discount would >mean you’d have too much labor (to check the systems >back in) for too little (if any) profit. > >I haven’t fully formulated this thought & I don’t >think I have enough information to do it. But you, & >business owners you’ve worked with successfully, may >be able to combine some marketing money to buy a new >game system & games to use as prizes or bonuses. But >since this would seem to benefit you more than them, >you’d have to find a way to make it more to their >advantage. > >If you have contests or drawings, be sure you don’t >violate any laws. Laws vary among jurisdictions but >you shouldn’t require somebody to purchase something >to get a chance to win a prize. Be sure a lawyer >checks each part of your proposed promotion. In the >USA, you can find pertinent laws in books & government >web sites. But there may be other laws you won’t find >easily &/or interpretations & court precedents. > >Depending which categories those other businesses are >in, there may be some games, which fit those >businesses. But be careful, if it were a game about >animals trying to escape, a grocery store or >restaurant wouldn’t be a good match unless they’re >vegetarian-oriented. > >Dating Game >Depending what’s available for people on dates near >your store, people’s best option could be watching >movies at home. It also depends on people’s time & >budgets. > >You may be able to find video & audio tapes, DVDs, >books, magazines or individual articles about >relationships. You may be able to team with a dating >service/single’s club &/or bookstore. By adding >information & services like these, you wouldn’t have >commodity business; you’d have a special, >differentiated business. Eventually you may add >wedding & child care information to attract & keep >customers who are out of the single dating stage. > >You can’t afford to stray far from your video focus, >but apparently you can’t afford to be too narrowly >focused. > >Focused businesses can be centered on a strong Unique >Selling/Strategic Propositions. Positioning doesn’t >work with fuzzy concepts. Positions can’t be defended >(against competitors & consumer apathy) if they’re too >thin & narrow. Al Ries & Jack Trout used a ladder >analogy for positioning. I’ll take it further by >stating, you’ll make marketing harder for yourself if >you try to occupy multiple rungs on 1 or more >positioning ladders. > >I know many big businesses have multiple >product/service lines, but they’re either weak &/or >positioned on something other than products or >services. Example- Wal-Mart is “focused” on “Always >Low Prices!” It used to claim to always have “the low >price.” It was probably an attempt to get people to >think W-M has the lowest prices, without having to >prove it. > >W-M also claims to have “The latest products at the >greatest prices from your local Wal-Mart ad.” It’s >vague & can mean different things to different people. >This may seem ideal since it can appeal to many, but >it’s hard to fit into a referral program. If specific >customers can’t say meaningful, specific things to >specific people, referral programs don’t work well. >Bubba- “Hey, you can save money by shopping at Wally >World.” >Red Neck- “But save money on what?” >Bubba- “On shopping for just about anything.” >Red- “I know ABC Hardware has what I need, I’ll go >there.” > >There should be a definite answer when anybody asks, >“What does XYZ sell?” >If it’s vague, people are less apt to talk about >positively about it or maybe not talk about it at all. >It applies to the business (product/service) name >also. “That place next to ABC Hardware” is in trouble >if people don’t know the name or know how to pronounce >it. It’d be like an old “Fluckers” skit of Saturday >Night Live. Chase, Ackroyd. Belushi, Morris & Curtin >were trying to outdo each other to have the most >disgusting name for a jam. Finally they talked about >the name that’s so disgusting, they weren’t allowed to >say it on TV. Jane Curtin suggested, “Ask it for by >name.” > >If people can’t ask for it by name, they probably >won’t ask for it at all nor try to talk about it. >True, Smuckers is easy to pronounce. But I don’t agree >with “With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good.” >But the implication is for Smuckers to have been >successful so long; it must be good despite its name. > >Even if you’re in a small city & it seems everybody >there knows about your store, it doesn’t mean they >remember it. It doesn’t mean they’re comfortable >checking it out without knowing what to expect. > >Anytime anybody in your market niche thinks, talks or >asks about video products the answer should be >essentially the same. “ABC Video has (the deepest >selection of a specific genre; is open from __ to __; >7-day rentals; the policy ‘If it doesn’t play, you >don’t pay’.” “Go to ABC Video because __.” > >Follow these up with things Netflix & others can’t or >won’t do. Examples: >1) If a tape or DVD (rented from you) doesn’t work, >customers don’t have to mail it back & wait for a >replacement. >2) ABC Video will setup customers’ video equipment or >find solutions, so if somebody rented a tape/disk they >won’t be using up their rental period without using >the tape/disk. >3) ABC Video will provide entertainment & ideas to >make time spent with others special. If there aren’t >significant others to spend time with, ABC Video has >information to help customers find others to spend >time with. >4) Some video businesses edit tapes for customers, but >there may be laws prohibiting it. Example: Some who >bought copies of “Titanic” paid to have Kate Winslet’s >nude scene taken out. >5) If you know your inventory well enough, you may >recommend movies or games for particular >situations—cheer somebody up (after a break up, loss >or other disappointment; to help apologize; inspire >conversations (facts of life for those who are shy >about talking about it), etc. > >There are many things you could do to differentiate >your store from competitors. You should >experiment/test various things to find what most >customers prefer. > >My next post in this thread will help develop >appealing marketing messages. > >Dennis S. Vogel >Help consumers choose you; make your business >different in a special, specific way. Make it special >in a way they feel is important. >To help you do it, I have free marketing advice & >information here - >http://www.thrivingbusiness.lakefield.net/ >http://www.voy.com/31049/

Notice: Copies of your message may remain on this and other systems on internet. Please be respectful.