Use Coupons to Your Advantage, but Don't Forget the Expiration Date - Dumb Marketing Move

This week’s Dumb Marketing Move goes to Speedy Lube.

It’s really for something simple, but that’s marketing.

“Marketing is all the exhilarating big things and all the troublesome little things that must be done in every nook and cranny of the entire organization.” – Theodore Levitt, The Marketing Mode 1969.

Speedy Lube did a great job; they placed their coupons on windshields of all the cars parked within 5 blocks of their shop. Great idea but after examining their coupon I noticed the expiration date, 12/31/2010. I got this in January of 2010. Coupons are handed out to generate sales quickly, and to also create brand awareness. With an entire year to use these coupons, I’m going to forget about it and never redeem this coupon, or worse, never visit the store or in this case the mechanics.

Lesson Learned: When creating a coupon, don’t overlook the expiration date. For a retail store, use a month for a good expiration date. For a mechanic, use a 3 month expiration date for savings on an oil change, since it is recommended to get one every three months. For the bigger repairs, think about a longer lead but the main thing is, get customers in the door. Also, think about the small items; offer something like $1 off of motor oil. Just don’t forget to create a sense of urgency!

Technology in Business - Dumb Marketing Move

This week’s Dumb Marketing Move goes to CWTV.

CWTV are host to some of the hottest shows on television but I feel they are lacking in certain areas of their technology. Unlike most other cable networks, such as ABC, FOX and NBC, that are up-to-date with technology, CWTV needs to grasp that there is a growing trend for viewing TV programs online!

As a big fan of shows like Gossip Girl and America’s Next Top Model, I expect that I should be able to watch missed episodes online. However, if I miss two weeks of any show on CWTV then I am basically out of luck. Like most people in America I have a busy schedule and the convenience of having my favorite show online is what helps me keep up to date.

I went online to catch up on the 3 episodes I missed of Gossip Girl; I wanted to view the most recent one while it aired on TV. To my amazement, CWTV only had two episodes available. Two episodes! This was Gossip Girl’s third season and the CWTV only had two episodes online. I encountered another problem; I wanted to catch 30 minutes of an episode I missed of America’s Next Top Model. When I went online the next day that's when I realized it was not online. I tried for the next 3 days and it was still unavailable. I literally had to wait four days before the episode was posted online. So from that moment on I decided to view any of CWTV shows on other sites such as Hulu.com or just not watch it. In fact I haven’t watched Gossip Girl in a year because of the CWTV and their ideology of online episodes.

Why is it that CWTV is the only cable network that limits episodes online? When I go on ABC I have the ability to view a show from the beginning of the season or even as far back as the previous season. This is the same with FOX and NBC. They don’t subject the audience, their customers, to only having the option of viewing one or two episodes, or waiting four to five days for either of those episodes.

Lesson Learned: Living in a highly technological world cable networks such as CWTV should be aware of where their audience is viewing their shows. You not only lose viewers but you start to have disgruntled viewers as well, something no network wants, especially when rating are involved to keep shows on the air. Any business needs to be user friendly! Plus, they’re losing out on advertising possibilities for past episodes. Are you overlooking technology in your business that your competition is using? And in turn losing out on customers and money?

Website Critique

Do you have a website? More than likely you do.

When someone clicks on your "contact us" page, do they just just a form to fill out?

I've noticed along the way of reviewing websites, that many do not have their address or phone number on their website. The first thing that comes to mind is, is this company legit? Do I really want to do business with them? As a website owner, you must think about this. You need to be user friendly in all aspects of your business, even if it is just an address or phone number.

Phone numbers are more important than addresses. Customers want that assurance that they can reach a person if the need should come about. This is part of your 24 hour customer service, don't forget it!

Unhappy Employees Can Damage Your Business - Dumb Marketing Move

This week’s Dumb Marketing Move goes to FedEx.

I’m sure FedEx does a lot of good marketing, but they’re forgetting one important thing, their front line. Now that it’s getting hot again, I thought we should share this. Their drivers don’t have air conditioning in their trucks.

So at least ¼ of the year, if not more, their frontline employees are miserably hot, which can quickly translate into snappy people with the public or aggravated driving. They’re forgetting that satisfied employees, even if it is just their comfort level, are a powerful marketing tool that should not be ignored.

Lesson Learned: Your marketing plan should also include satisfaction of employees; they can turn off a customer, a loyal customer, or even a potential customer. Employees are now less loyal and if they aren’t happy your customers will hear about it, and if they are happy it will show and customers will love shopping at your store, or using your services.

Do manners count in this economy?

In a recent discussion with a number of business executives the subject of lack of manners in the business environment came up. In particular among younger (under 30) employees. The topic encompassed many scenarios within the business environment, internally as well as external situations. When one asked what was their pet peeve a number brought up the same subject -- failure to return phone calls. 

This seems to be an increasingly common situation. Surprisingly what we have experienced are people not responding to phone calls when someone from their company (usually senior to them) has asked us to call them. In addition there is a similar situation even when  responding to an initiative they made. It is no only a lack of manners, a sign of amateurism and immaturity it is often a lost opportunity, In our case we are in the marketing business and we are often in the position of selling a proprietary program we think can benefit those we contact. 

What is lost on these (not cold call) situations is that they are in a highly competitive marketplace and if we can't get a response from them we might get it from a competitor, thus giving their competition an "edge" in the marketplace This seems to cover the country as an increasing trend especially among the "under 30" crowd. I know it's a tough economy and staffs have been cut but when a referral has been made or a request solicited and you don't respond it reflects poorly on your firm and on you. And in tough times or anytime you want to be known as being "user friendly" as you never know who the person you ignore knows that can impact your career. In other words it is a dumb move!

Kill the Messenger

Good management wants feedback from customers, and vendors but especially from their employees and not just with good news. When something isn’t working, especially in marketing activities, you want to know it ASAP. 

When the reaction is known to be retribution instead of appreciation how often do you think you will be told of a small problem before it blows up into a big mess? Get smart and create the right environment …. or get out and let someone with brains and character step in.

Survey Your Customers - Dumb Marketing Move

This week's Dumb Marketing Move goes to Deep Spring, a product of Coca-Cola.

Sometime what one considers a "dumb" marketing move is really a result of a management that doesn't pay attention to its business or worse has a lack of a communication channels that consumers, trade customers or their own employees can't make them aware of an ongoing problem with their product or service.

These thoughts went through my mind when recently on a business trip to Australia the following scenario took place.

I was staying at Jupiter's Casino Hotel in the Gold Coast, an upscale establishment and I was fortunate to be staying on their "Executive" floor which had certain benefits such as continental breakfast, the availability of snacks during most of the day and non-alcoholic beverages all day long. It was the latter where the tale began. I went to the refrigerator in the late afternoon and took out what looked like a refreshing fruit based drink named Deep Spring - Orange and Passion Fruit. I took it back to a table with some snacks and sat down to relax and enjoy the great view. I tried to twist the cap off but after 5 minutes of trying gave up. Now I am 5'11", 200+ lbs, exercise on a regular basis, consider myself relatively strong, so it was a little embarrassing to ask the petite hostess for help. She then told me, as she got out a tool to open it that everyone has the same problem. She said it is literally impossible to open without a handy tool.

What surprised me is this is a product of Coca-Cola, one of the more astute marketers of beverages. But for whatever reason they don't seem to know about this situation or if they do they are ignoring it. Thus they get ore "Dumb Marketing (or Management) Award".

Lesson Learned: You want your company to be user friendly! Don't forget to survey your customers on customer satisfaction. You might be surprised what you find out about your product or service. You might want to keep it anonymous to get the true feelings of your customers.

Don't Overlook the Obvious

This is what I call Wolff's Rule of Business Opportunity, but it is no more than recognizing the obvious. 

Think about this. "Every business in every industry tends to operate like everyone else in that industry until someone examines with a magnifying glass the common denominators and sameness factors and they will always find an overlooked opportunity." 

Try it!

Customer Service Can Sink Your Business - Dumb Marketing Move

This week’s Dumb Marketing Move goes to Holland America (cruises).

Most PR executives, and their marketing department, would be excited to get a full article in AARP's magazine considering it has one of the largest circulations of any publication. But I don't think there is joy being felt on the executive deck of the Holland American Cruise line. A recent article highlighted (link above) the travails of a couple that had a terrible experience. One that even the most inexperienced management team would have realized was wrong to have allowed it to happen.

They forgot the unwritten rule of customer service. When a problem arises go out of your way to provide great service to your customer they will tell dozens of people. Handle it atrociously and they will tell hundreds. In this case the amateur marketers at Holland America Cruises manage to have it exposed to millions, through AARP's publication of this incident. Millions learned of their less than caring attitude towards the customer. The cost to them would have been far less if they had been empathetic, courteous, fair … and smart. So with ship horns blasting, we award them this month's "Dumb Marketing Move" award. They went out of their way to earn it.

Lesson Learned: Never underestimate the reach, impact and overall effect of the quality of your customer service, be it positive or negative.

Keep Your Emotions out of Company Reviews - Dumb Marketing Move

This week’s Dumb Marketing Move goes to Ocean Avenue Books!

In today’s world of social networking anything that is said about your business is forever on the web, good or bad. Unfortunately, Diane Goodman of Ocean Avenue Books found out the hard way by making a Dumb Marketing Move.

She took a criticism on Yelp.com to heart. [From Wikipedia - Yelp. is a Web 2.0 company that operates a social networking, user review, and local search web site. Over 25 million people access Yelp's website each month, putting it in the top 100 of U.S. Internet web sites] Especially as a small business owner your business is your heart and soul, and you only want people to say glowing things but that’s not the real world.

Goodman, sole owner and employee, read a harsh review of her store "This place is a TOTAL MESS," wrote somebody who went by the handle Sean C. "I think this place needs to close down for a few days and do a thorough cleaning and organization and get rid of all the crap!" and she decided to reply to the reviewer. Here is their Yelp Page. This is where it turns bad, she told the reviewer to say it to her face and many other words that a business owner should never say to a customer. It just escalated from there all the way to her getting booked for battery! This might be an extreme case, but this proves it happens. Read the full story at Inc.com: You’ve been Yelped! http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100201/youve-been-yelped.html

Lesson Learned: Social Media puts your company in front of potential customers, and it’s a great tool when used correctly. If you feel the need to reply to a bad review, remove your emotions and reply as if they are in your store. Take it even further, apologize and address the problem. When someone complains, that means there might be a deeper problem and it SHOULD be addressed. It also shows your customers and potential customers that you are worthy of their business. But also remember, people are more likely to complain than to compliment!

Mimic Marketing, Are You Guilty?

Whenever you notice when someone comes up with a fresh and new idea, you soon see others trying to imitate it. It's all over, even in the fashion industry.

Being first in the marketplace with a new idea or approach will give you a competitive edge, mimicking it won't boost your sales very much. Unless you are a complete dummy (and maybe you are). Try the exercise of originating rather than replicating, you may find you like it.