Copyright 2009 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
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I added my comments to Ask Inc. The URL is http://www.inc.com/magazine/20081201/revamp-your-annual-meeting.html
The part I responded to isn't about annual meetings. What I responded to is in the "Hiring" section below the question & answer about meetings. It's about hiring consultants, but I expanded on the issues marketing consultants should work on.
Too many marketers don't think enough about their expectations. It's a good thing the Inc writer recommends the services of marketing or PR consultants.
Somebody should study the situation. Somebody should advocate what consumers feel & think. I have a few considerations below.
I agree with what Carol Gamel wrote about testing.
I harp on a similar issue - too often people claim something doesn't work because they tried it. They tried it once without testing variations.
Trying something once doesn't prove ineffectiveness. There are many variables marketers can't control. People in the desired niche may've been distracted by bad news about the economy, scandals, tragedies, disasters, etc. After hearing & reading about grossly negative events, it can be hard to think, "That's a great offer, I'll buy some."
There are many things marketers can control, but neglect - the list is long & space here is short.
Air-purifying light bulbs? The product doesn't seem to be the kind people would naturally think about. I wonder how O ZoneLite could've created enough credibility in 30 minutes.
How expensive are they? How much did the shipping & handling cost? To cover all the costs of manufacturing & the infomercial, the mark-up would have to be relatively high. In O ZoneLite's web site, I found this:
Total Home Solution Get a 23W 4-Pack plus a Free NITELite for $149.95! All Shipping and Handling (S/H) charges are $9.95 per order.
I'll assume the price, plus shipping & handling, quoted in the infomercial was the same. Note- The shopping cart in the web site wouldn't inform how much the shipping & handling cost. Eventually, I found a Shipping & Handling link on the BOTTOM of the web page.
According to the web site the price Was: $184.75
Gulp! $184.75?!
Recommendation from the web site: The most effective use of the O ZONELite is to leave it on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; however, intermittent usage of the O ZONELite is also effective.
People end up leaving the lights on to get their air purified?
In 30 minutes (possibly less for those tuned in late), people were expected to go mentally from knowing nothing about the company or its new product concept to pulling out their debit/credit cards & spending almost $160 or more. (The web site ADMITS the concept is new.)
Why wouldn't everybody buy these under those conditions? Be realistic!
Also from the web site: The O ZONELite is the first of its kind and when illuminated produces what is called a photocatalytic action. This photocatalytic action actually breaks down indoor airborne microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and mold into nothing more than carbon dioxide and water, which are completely safe for humans and animals. The O ZONELite also eliminates smoke and household odors.
The name doesn't exactly breed confidence since ozone causes problems for those who have breathing trouble. Ozone is what viewers would hear every time the product is mentioned.
For the sake of discussion, assume its claims are true. Just because something is true, it does not mean people will automatically believe it.
A money-back guarantee is good, but it does not make a difference if people do not trust or at least know the company well enough. If they have not heard or seen anything about the company before, how could they be sure 1- the product really exists; 2- the product really works; 3-their money would really be returned?
Sending the product back would be a hassle. Would people end up waiting for a UPS or FedEx driver to pick up the box? Would they end waiting in a Post Office line?
This is expanding on what I learned from Jay Abraham:
$320,000 in sales would indicate about 2,000 customers.
Their 1st purchase would be a trial purchase. If they were satisfied, they may buy more bulbs for their homes. It could raise the sales to $640,000 in less than 6 months.
If the product is great enough, referrals from the infomercial viewers could bring in another $640,000.
The bulbs last 6,000 hours. A standard year is 8,760 hours. Since the bulbs will be used more than regular bulbs, people may replace some of them after about 1-2 years of use. These reorders would may bring in another $320,000.
Sales, in the course of 2 years after the infomercial is shown once, could be $1,600,000. Considering what David W. deMartino & William C. Stone - O ZONELite owners - expect of consumers, $1,600,000 is a good start.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2009 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
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