McCurry Associates Marketing Idea Exchange Archives

Volume 34 - February 27, 2003

Bill McCurry McCurry Associates wmccurry@mccurryassoc.com (800) 553-1332

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Idea #1 - "Taking It Up A Notch" - Last Week's Idea from Renee Crist
Michael St Germain - Concord Camera, Concord, NH - www.concordcamera.com

   In the latest Marketing Ideas Exchange among the great ideas is one from Renee Crist.

   I have taken her idea and as Emril Lagasse says 'Kicked It Up A Notch'. Here's what we've done.

   We have asked each of our staff to make their own personalized thank you cards. The staff will take photos, which they love to do anyway, of subject that they like with equipment that we sell; examples would be a specific lens, accessory or flash. The staff member will then choose from several prints done from several pieces of equipment that they have used.

   These prints will then be put into a Cap Cad photo card or similar photo card with an acknowledgement of their photo with a one line statement of the kind of equipment or film that was used for the photo and of course our store LOGO. The staff member can then use the message side of the card to thank their customer for whatever the need.

   This allows our customers to see the quality of photos done with the equipment we sell, that our staff takes great photos, so that their photo advice has credibility and photo cards are a great way of saying 'Thank You'.

   Our store manager will be staying on top of the staff to get their cards done and sending them to our customers. This is a great time to do this with a slow down after the holiday season.

   Thank you Bill for setting up the Marketing Ideas Exchange and teaching me to be smart.

Idea #2 - Making A Statement, Preserving the Memories
Larry Abitol, Bay Photo Lab, Soquel, CA - www.bayphoto.com

Idea #3 - Creative Marketing Tactics
Mitch Goldstone - 30 Minute Photos, Irvine, CA - www.30minphotos.com

   Two marketing strategies to share with you. The best campaigns are those addressing "What's in it for me?"

1. I did a web search for all area professional photographers and invited them to join my "Network of Professional Photographers" link to help promote our industry. It's free and rotates between several web links: sample:http://30minphotos.com/portraits.html#network. It's a great way to introduce new photographers to our services, and use "guilt" to motivate them to return the favor.
2. To launch our new online photo service, I am contributing 50% of gross sales for the entire week of March 9th to a local foundation that represents the entire city of Irvine. They do the promoting and a major pitch to their members and the marketing to the media. It's a very rich offer, but hopefully will yield many new customers just prior to the resumption of the spring picture-taking season.

As a reminder, here are some PMA/DIMA times/places you should mark on your calendar:

Regarding PMA Divisions, we hear a rumor the Northern California Division is having their own "off site" reception at the Star Trek Pavilion in the Hilton, adjacent to the Convention Center. Interested? Try Jessica Sarber (510) 339-8545

We are repeating the division reception times for your convenience:
Sunday, March 2, 2003 2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. British Columbia and Prairie Provinces Divisions Reception
Sunday, March 2, 2003 3:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Central and Eastern Canada Divisions Reception

Monday, March 3, 2003 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Great Lakes, North Central and Rocky Mountain Divisions Reception
Monday, March 3, 2003 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Connecticut/New York, New England, New York/New Jersey Metro Divisions Reception

Tuesday, March 4, 2003 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Dixie, Florida, South Central Divisions Reception
Tuesday, March 4, 2003 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Northern California, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Southern California Divisions Reception

In the Feb 2003 issue of Photo Marketing (next to page 49) there is a $5 off coupon good only at the PMA Business Resources booth . . . You can use it to save $5.00 on any of the money making Business Resources PMA has.

Bill McCurry's public discussions at PMA 2003:

DIMA - Saturday, March 1, 2003 - Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
1:00 - 2:10 - Session #D53, Digital Marketing for Retailers in Tough Times
2:30 - 3:40 - Session #D63 Marketing Idea Exchange This session is now "Sold Out" - contact Bill directly (wmccurry@mccurryassoc.com) if you can't live without attending this session, he's keeping a "stand-by" list.

PMA - Sunday, March 2, 2003 - Las Vegas Convention Center
9:30 - 10:45 - Attend the Official Business Session and hear Guerrilla Marketing Guru, Jay Conrad Levinson
10:45 Unveiling and book signing by Jay Conrad Levinson and Bill McCurry. The book is Digital Guerilla Marketing published by PMA.

PMA - Monday, March 3, 2003 - Las Vegas Convention Center
12:00 - 1:00 Meet Bill at the PMA Business Resources Booth (J217) for book signing of the new Digital Guerrilla Marketing book and just to say "Hi"
7:00pm - 9:50pm Session #N5 Night School, Low Cost and No Cost Marketing, Guerrilla Marketing For the Imaging Industry