ETD: 827 Positioning; Taglines; Signs Point to So-So Holiday
for Tech Sales This Year
E-Tailer's Digest
etd_post at gapent.com
Tue Oct 19 11:13:59 GMT 2004
E-Tailer's Digest --- Everything for the Retailer
Issue #0827 October 19, 2004
George Matyjewicz, Moderator mailto:georgem at gapent.com
Published by: GAP Enterprises, Ltd. http://www.etailersdigest.com
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CONTENTS
[1] Greetings
[2] Positioning
[3] Taglines
[4] Signs Point to So-So Holiday for Tech Sales This Year
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[1] Greetings.
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Hi All:
We have some input on positioning from some of our list members. What do
you think? Have you positioned your company? Do you know what you do for a
living?
Along the same line, let's look at taglines. What are some effective
ones? Do they need to include your product/company name? Do you have one?
What about the statement from the CEO, e.g., Purdue, Men's Wearhouse,
etc. Are they effective? Would you use that tactic?
Looks like this holiday season will be weak for tech sales this year,
according to E-Commerce. Let's hope they are wrong.
67 days until Christmas. What are you doing this year to increase business?
Tell us about your business which will remain for posterity at
our "Members: Who Are You?"
site. http://etailersdigest.com/resources/members/index.htm And we have a
form there for you to tell us about you. As I said when I first proposed
this idea, we have "known" each other for a long time, yet we often don't
know anything about each other. So, tell us who you are and what you do.
Now, let's get to everything for the retailer.
Sincerely
George Matyjewicz, PhD
Chief Global Strategist, GAP Enterprises, Ltd.
mailto:georgem at gapent.com
http://www.etailersdigest.com
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[2] Positioning
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I just spent a few days researching and brainstorming how to position my
marketing for a new product in the greetings area. I realized that I could
go in so many directions but it was only confusing me to think of that. So
I thought, "Which group would be the most receptive, would have the most to
gain, was probably too busy to even organize a gift-giving campaign."
After carefully studying the list of categories I landed on Real Estate
Agents. I would offer to send the item, to home buyers on the anniversary
of their closing. The item would be only $7.50 per mailed piece including
shipping and my service. They'd need only give me their lists with dates
then sit back and accept the "thanks." Say an agent agreed to send 100 per
year...$750. It is hard to imagine them not getting one referral out of
the deal.
I won't stray away from this group (well, of course if someone begs me)
until I build up a large list of "subscribers" to the service. This way I
can become an expert on Real Estate Agents ways and means--maybe I will
find other gifts for them. I know some of the large agencies have gift
catalogs for their agents.
I think this positioning will be very successful. The bonus is that I get
paid to send a gift, that promotes my company and website sales.
Hope this has helped to illustrate your point. It really helped me to zero
in on just the one group.
Patty Sachs
AlwaysThinking.com (got to have an umbrella for all these brainstorms.)
P.S. Clicked over to Kay Berry's site and am making a purchase of a perfect
item, for which I had been searching for two weeks. Love this networking.
+++ [Next Post] +++
Moderator's note: I sent Jacques a note asking for comments...
If you are asking to share our positioning experience, that is lengthy and
I am pressed for time. Your e-mail frames the definition and merits of
positioning very well. You may find additional information on the JP Group
website.
How The JP Group develops new products that consumers want to buy and
positions products to give them a clear reason-for-being and a competitive
edge. http://jpgroupusa.com/jp_npd.htm
Jacques Chevron, Partner
JP Group
New Product Development - Positioning - Brand Strategy
voice: 708.784.0730 or 718.343.6535
e-mail: Jacques at JPGroupUSA.com
URL: http://JPGroupUSA.com
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[3] Taglines
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Our timing for positioning seemed to be quite good, as list member
Phil Glowatz posted a query for taglines on the Market-L list, which I
thought would be apropos here:
Some of the most effective taglines, in my opinion, incorporate the brand
name. A few come to mind:
"You'll look better in a sweater washed in Woolite."
"You're in good hands with Allstate."
"Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there."
"Winston tastes good like a cigarette should."
I'm taking up a collection. Do you have some to donate?
Phil
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phil Glowatz, Partner
JP Group
New Product Development - Positioning - Brand Strategy
voice: 718.343.6535 - fax: 718.962.1027
e-mail: Phil at JPGroupUSA.com
web: http://www.JPGroupUSA.com
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To which Dick Weltz replied...
"Things go better with Coke."
"There's a Ford in your future."
"Pepsi-Cola hits the spot."
" See the USA in your Chevrolet."
"Bounty is the quicker picker-upper."
"See a sheen where you clean with Mr. Clean."
"You'll love it at Levitz."
"Campbell's Soup is mmm--mmm good."
"Goya, Oh Boya!"
"Oh, oh, Spaghetti-O's."
"I'd like a Manwich, please."
DickWeltz
+++ [Moderator's Comments] +++
So what do you think? Do you have any you would like to share with
Phil? And, they don't necessarily have to include the product name, i.e.,
"Fly the Friendly Skies."
George
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[4] Signs Point to So-So Holiday for Tech Sales This Year
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As holiday decorations go up, there are signs the season will be only
moderately merry for the tech industry.
Last week, No. 1 chipmaker Intel said the U.S. retail market for PCs was
soft. Rival Advanced Micro Devices noted a drop in some cellphone
components sales. Electronics makers LG Philips and Samsung reported
tumbling flat-panel LCD screen prices.
Consumer sentiment fell in early October to its lowest in 18 months, the
University of Michigan reported Friday. The negative reports point to a
so-so holiday for tech, with year-over-year growth of 3 percent to 5
percent, says analyst Stephen Baker of researcher NPD Group.
Consumers Cautious
That's disappointing. In 2003, sales of many products jumped 10 percent or
more. Audiovisual equipment rose an impressive 14 percent from 2002, says
the Consumer Electronics Association. This year, the industry will have to
rely more on the slowly growing business market, analysts say. "Everybody
wants to beat [the holiday spending growth] we did last year, and that's
something that's not going to happen," Baker says.
Still, the holidays will hardly be a bust. Growth of 5 percent would be
considered great for other industries, says economist Jim Paulsen of Wells
Capital Management. The Commerce Department Friday said that September
electronics sales increased 0.5 percent from August -- better than analysts
expected. Apple Computer last week reported a 95 percent jump in its
retail store business.
"The consumer keeps on coming through," despite high oil prices and
political uncertainty, Paulsen says.
Hot Products Should Help
But tech analysts weren't impressed with back-to-school sales, the
second-biggest season for consumers. Final numbers are pending, but
single-digit growth is likely, Baker says. Based on that, "We're optimistic
about the holidays, but at the same time we're cautious about everything,"
says Bill Cimino, spokesman for Circuit City .
Sales might have been even less impressive were it not for several hot
products also expected to sell well during the holidays. Among them:
Laptop computers. Laptop sales have soared along with the growing
availability of wireless Internet, or Wi-Fi . At Circuit City, laptop
sales grew in the double digits during the back-to-school period; desktop
PC sales were down. Overall retail laptop sales grew more than 20 percent
during that time, NPD says.
Digital music players. Apple's popular iPod line of music players has
stimulated the entire industry. Digital music player sales doubled during
the back-to-school period from the year before, online retailer Amazon says.
Flat-panel monitors and TVs. Demand is not as high as many expected, but
U.S. sales should still rise more than 60 percent this year, says
researcher IDC.
Article at...
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/37384.html
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