E-Tailer's Digest --- Everything for the Retailer
Issue #0987 June 15, 2006
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] Advertising
[3] Small Firms Try Out New Advertising Avenues
[4] Webinar: Meeting High Customer Expectations.
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[1] Greetings.
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Hi All:
All reports indicate that offline advertising is declining and
Internet advertising is the way companies are going - both large and
small companies. So how is it working for you? We have some
interesting information on advertising today. Let's here what you think.
There is an upcoming free webinar from RIS news that may be important
to you. I find that I need to attend various webinars, seminars,
meetings and other types of learning in order to stay on top of our
market. How about you? Do you find these methods of communication
effective? Personally, if I can get 5% out of any event I am happy.
Now, let's get to everything for the retailer.
Sincerely
George Matyjewicz, PhD
Chief Global Strategist, GAP Enterprises, LLC
mailto:georgem at gapent.com
http://www.etailersdigest.com
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[2] Advertising
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Periodically we discuss marketing, advertising and media work and
what works best. There have been a lot of articles about how
advertising has dropped on TV, radio and print in favor of the
Internet. The Tribune Company is in the business news, trying to
decide on their future. Major TV networks are experimenting with
alternatives as ad revenue declines. What's a company to do?
Today we are bombarded with phony press releases about the latest and
greatest stock, which of course, is illegal (it boosts the stock
price, so those promoting can dump it and run). As a result, the
media is becoming gun shy about accepting press releases. We own the
oldest and largest press release service on and off the Internet
(http://automatedpr.com/) and we are very picky about who we will
consider as a client. Yes, we do annoy a lot of people, because we
request too much from them in order to distribute their
releases. And yes, we do turn away a LOT of business. However, our
media contacts know that what we send is good stuff.
Craigslist.com is becoming a popular advertising site. They are in a
lot of cities and countries. Has anybody tried them?
Yahoo and Google local ads seem to work very well for the small
business. How do they work for you?
So, since offline advertising seems to have waned, what are you doing
to promote your business?
George
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[3] Small Firms Try Out New Advertising Avenues
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Some small-business owners are forsaking traditional advertising
venues for online advertising -- including ads in search engines
Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc. and free listings in online classifieds
sites like Craigslist. Others are using Internet firms like Spot
Runner Inc., which help small businesses create affordable
commercials and buy air time for those ads in local television
markets -- something that's usually too costly for smaller firms.
Small companies spend about $30 billion annually on advertising,
according to market-research firm Kelsey Group. And old advertising
standbys -- local newspapers, community bulletins and the yellow
pages -- will likely continue to receive a large chunk of those ad
dollars. The yellow pages "remains the single largest vehicle for
small businesses," says Greg Sterling, a principal at Sterling Market
Intelligence, a research and consulting firm in Oakland, Calif., that
focuses on online consumers.
Still, online companies like Spot Runner and small advertisers
themselves see the potential for real growth for these newer ad
venues -- especially since the Internet allows small companies to
more easily reach a wider swath of consumers. Here's a look at where
some of the small-business ad dollars are starting to shift:
Local TV Advertising
For many small businesses, marketing products on television has long
been a pipe dream. "It's very expensive to do TV," says Bonnie
Manjura, co-founder of Gilbert & Manjura, a small marketing firm in
Longwood, Fla. "You can't just buy one TV ad and reach the market."
And small businesses that do buy air time on a local station usually
can't afford to spend a lot on the production -- ending up with
cheesy ads that run late at night.
But companies like Los Angeles-based Spot Runner are now making TV
advertising more accessible. For less than $500, Spot Runner will
customize one of several thousands of commercials it has created for
specific industry segments. The advertiser can then book time in
local TV markets through the Web site, and Spot Runner will deliver
the commercial electronically to the TV broadcaster or cable company
for insertion into the programming. Spot Runner takes a commission on
the sale of the ad.
Online Search Ads
Both Yahoo and Google have been making a big push to woo local
businesses by offering local search services, which can help surfers
locate businesses in specific cities. The page has a description of
the business, photos of the business, a customer review section, a
link for directions to the store and one to the company's own Web
site. The monthly ad package, which also includes search ad listings
that appear on Yahoo's home page, cost about $250 to $300 a month.
Ad budgets do get cut. One company used to spend $60,000 to $70,000
a year on marketing. Now they only spend $20,000 to $30,000.
Listings on Craigslist
Over the past few years, many small businesses have turned to popular
free online classified-ads sites such as Craigslist, a privately held
company. While these sites are known for their personal and jobs
classifieds, they also offer a listing of services that is
increasingly being used by small businesses.
In February, the services section of Craigslist had 672,404 ads, up
from 132,257 ads in February 2004.
One caveat: Each listing lasts only one week. So businesses have to
repost their ads every seven days.
SUZANNE VRANICA
Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal.
http://www.startupjournal.com/howto/marketingsales/20060511-vranica.html
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[4] Webinar: Meeting High Customer Expectations.
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At the top of this year's retail IT priority list is the need to
"Provide Associates with Better Tools," according to the 2006 Retail
Technology Study, produced by RIS News and Gartner. In a related
finding, the number one retailing challenge over the next three years
is "Meeting High Customer Expectations." And the number one obstacle
in the way of improving organization efficiency? The answer,
according to retail CIOs, is "Insufficient Skills or People
Resources." These and other findings are found in the recently
released 16th Annual Retail Tech Trends Study.
Join RIS News for a deeper dive into the results of this study and
other hot-button retail IT topics during our
corresponding web seminar, 16th Annual Retail Technology Study
Analysis: Committing to the Customer, on June 22, 2006.
Register now and hear from Jeff Roster, Vice President, Global
Industries, Retail, Gartner; and Paul Lanham, Chief Technology
Officer, Jones Apparel, as they present how customer-driven IT
becomes the bridge to growth on a level retail playing field.
Web Event: 16th Annual Retail Technology Study Analysis: Committing
to the Customer
Date: June 22, 2006
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
Cost: Free!
To Register: Click here or go to http://risnews.webex.com to find out
more information on this web seminar and other upcoming web seminars.
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