new idea

[greenoak]

i kind of have a marketing idea and not sure if its dumb or smart....
it would be a brochure for our local area...100 mile circle, of antique , junk, and trendy rehabb shops....with a map and little ads for everyone in it....i know 5 or 6 who would be interested.and probably lots more......the idea is to make the brochure and have it out in everyones store to be picked up for free by the customers.... great for road trips and girls day outs..... if you like this store you might like that one......
we could self publish it easily... we have all the printing machines, even a folder machine....and could make the time to do it in january ...
BUT.... why would i try and send my customers somewhere else? they mostly have a limited shopping amount of money to spend....we are definitley the biggest store in the area...so the others would probably like the idea of advertizing to our customers....
i would like to get their customers to come give us a try....im pretty sure travelling buyers would like it... and day trippers..it could be a facebook page too...
its very hard to adveretize to the new crop of customers, i think this might work..
im not thinking of making much money on selling the ads, rather on getting the new customers...
..any ideas? anything good or bad im missing? would you do it?

[Spider]

I think it's a great idea. The cost of the ads wouldn't need to be much - just to cover printing costs. But consider this - if you are the biggest such store in the area, why not provide this brochure free to the other stores? It won't cost you much because as a pecentage of your sales the cost will be minimal, but even a small ad for a smaller store would likely represent a larger percentage of their sales.

You want their customers collectively, they all want your customers. None of you can stock everything, so what you cannot supply to a customer someone else can. Pass the customer on. Give everyone a free ad, make all the ads the same size (including your own) and build a network of stores.

Sounds great to me!

[huggytree]

since your only asking to recover printing costs and spread the costs to anyone interested in being on the brochure i dont know how you could lose...the cost would be almost nothing, but you'd be networking with your competition....is that a good idea?

its not like you sell the exact same product like a dept. store, but you will be telling YOUR customers about other Antique stores THEY CAN GO TO.....what if you lose as much as you gain???? if they spend their $500 at your competitors thats $500 out of your pocket....what if you introduce them to new Antique stores they dont know about....

the smart way to do it is to let your competitors hand out your flier, but you NOT hand it out....that way it would all be gains w/o losses

[Patrysha]

I love cooperative marketing ideas.

I don't think that it will reduce sales to send shoppers to other places as these brochures it seems would be something to pop in the bag or have displayed at the till...when they're done shopping...it's not as if you'll have them at the doorway so that they're turned away or that you're mailing them out and highlighting all the choices.

I am in the process of re-hauling the living room. The sofa set came from one place, the office chair from another and the ottoman we plan to get is from another and I'm still searching for the desk armoire and the right thing to put the television and electronics on...they didn't have what I wanted at the places I've been so far - there are very few people who are going to furnish and decorate from ONE place. I think a joint brochure honors that fact and shows care for the customer.

[Spider]

...the smart way to do it is to let your competitors hand out your flier, but you NOT hand it out....that way it would all be gains w/o lossesThat would not be a smart way - it would be a dishonest way. I know you wouldn't even consider that, Ann.

[Patrysha]

Another thought in terms of appearing in the same place as your competition...this happens in advertising all the time. This would just be a more intentional and targeted promotional avenue than the standard routes. In terms of output, it's really no different than joining a promotion developed by a Chamber or Tourism board.

[greenoak]

huggy that is so wrong...i thought of it too..lol

[huggytree]

huggy that is so wrong...i thought of it too..lol

i was only kidding on that one....of course your competitors would find out.....look out for your competition doing it to you though!

are you friendly with your competitors????

i have a few competitors as friends...ive never done a competitive bid against any of them....there's just too many of us out there to ever run into each other much....i call them for advice and they call me for advice....i even send them work when its something i dont want to do or know how to do

[jdhopkins]

I love, love, love this idea! Keep us posted on your progress and experience if you do go forward with the idea!

[AllCeasonsDesign]

I love cooperative marketing ideas.

I don't think that it will reduce sales to send shoppers to other places as these brochures it seems would be something to pop in the bag or have displayed at the till...when they're done shopping...it's not as if you'll have them at the doorway so that they're turned away or that you're mailing them out and highlighting all the choices.

I am in the process of re-hauling the living room. The sofa set came from one place, the office chair from another and the ottoman we plan to get is from another and I'm still searching for the desk armoire and the right thing to put the television and electronics on...they didn't have what I wanted at the places I've been so far - there are very few people who are going to furnish and decorate from ONE place. I think a joint brochure honors that fact and shows care for the customer.

I love this idea as well. I think it shows your customers that you are looking out for them. I also dont think its dishonest to keep them by the register. That is exactly what I would expect all the stores to do. I also think if you are the largest store in the area that mailing them out is not a bad idea either. This way you can get the day trippers. Those who want to make a whole day or trip of antiqueing are not going to skip the largest store in the area but maybe dont want to plan this if they think there is only ONE store around. I think its a win, win idea.
I would; however, keep it off your facebook page. I have liked your facebook page myself, not because I am near to you or looking for antiques but because I think you do a wonderful job of keeping it interesting and posting things that your fans will actually appreciate. I dont think a map or advertising for your competition needs to be done there.

[greenoak]

thanks on the facebook...i agree with what you said about not putting it on there...
..... we are really thinking about this idea...my workers didnt like it...thinking it would send our customers elswhere....
some facebook abuses im getting is i friend a person, as a person......then they send their business ads to my page....i dont think thats cool at all....also a competing store has been posting quick compliments on my store wall then nice fat commercials for their mall...also not cool...imho...
huggy im friendly with my competitors...as far as i know,,,lol.... they hate me at auction of course...