Check out Seth Front’s interview on Jewish Life TV!
You can also check out his website: www.jewzo.com for a closer look at the merchandise and to find out your sign on the Jewish Zodiac!
Archive for the ‘Sales’ Category
Hey baby, what’s your sign?
Friday, January 23rd, 2009
Recession? What Recession?
Saturday, December 27th, 2008
What’s missing from this photo? About seventy-five squabbling siblings, several (though not enough) overwhelmed staffers, a couple dozen frazzled parents (including me), and the line leading out the door past Starbucks. Because, when it comes to the economic “downturn,” the only thing down at GameStop stores I have visited recently is their inventory.
Halfway between the Christmas Eve peas and mashed potatoes, I recalled “THE GAME”. It’s capitalized to express its utter necessity to my pre-teen son. Although the mall lot allowed a bevy of prime spaces, GameStop was packed like a can of sardines even as Santa made his way through the eastern seaboard (updates courtesy of NORAD). I waited patiently for 30 minutes to pay while being thrashed by anxious customers in my same predicament. I can’t imagine there was anything left to buy by the time I straggled out, bruised but not broken. I had THE GAME in hand.
Alas, the relatives dished out GameStop gift cards galore–and we found out on Friday morning that apparently, the rest of the world’s kin did the same. And that ALL of them planned to use the cards now. At the same location. At the same time. On the same games. Or so it seemed. After failing to find everything at the nearest store–which was so busy we had to wait 20 minutes in line just to be let inside–it was off to another mall. Me, the three kids, two neighbors and somebody’s cousin from Oklahama. And ALL of them were loaded with GameStop gift cards.
I dutifully took my place in line while my charges jostled with the 50 or so other card-carrying kids. I was impressed by the “Buy Two Used Games, Get One Free” sale. One mom about to drive to Texas with triplets waited to purchase a stack bigger than a ten-gallon hat. Trade-ins took twice as long, but they offered good money plus a discount for used games. They even suggested we buy a used game over new, which saved us $10 and gained us rights to return. My youngest scored several ”Buy One, Get One” deals, and huge “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” boxes flew out the door. I know because I was hit by them.
GameStop seems to be playing this recession right. Deep After-Christmas discounts? Check. BOGO offers to move excess inventory? Check. Agressive marketing, value branding? Check. Even the annoyingly long lines create a certain buzz. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that even when money is tight, many parents are willing to sacrifice to keep the kids happy. While I doubt that GameStop’s fourth quarter will be its best ever, I guarantee their December numbers will be better than most. And while I don’t own any stock in the company, maybe it’s time to buy some. As long as I don’t have to wait in line!
Reporter turns buttons into bobble heads
Tuesday, November 25th, 2008Not quite magic BUT… before elections, KCal9 and CBS 2 did a local story on one man’s political memorabilia button collection. Watch until the end– Due to Lisa’s publicity, Elect-a-head‘s presidential bobble heads soon appear in the hands of the reporter!
Flat is the new up
Thursday, November 20th, 2008When it comes to revenue, “Flat is the new up.” That’s what I heard tonight at UCLA’s Anderson School of Business from Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham, co-authors of the terrific new business book “The Knack.” Where did they hear it? From people at the recent Inc. 500 conference. That matches what we’re hearing from many of our clients as well. It’s hard to grow against the sort of economic headwind we’re all running into right now. But if you can’t grow, it’s a good goal not to recede during the recession. In particular, invest your resources wisely (especially your most precious resource, the one that can never be recovered: your time), and stay focused on your core business. Better to be flat than flat out of business.
Elect-a-head on Ellen DeGeneres
Friday, November 14th, 2008One of the joys going around here at Counterintuity has been seeing our client’s presidential bobbleheads appear on the Ellen DeGeneres show. The spotlighted products are by one of our clients, Elect-a-head.com. A big thanks and congratulations goes out to Lisa, our publicist, who by connecting with the major producers on various TV networks and shows, made it possible to see the skit Ellen put together on her show based on Elect-a-head’s presidential bobbleheads.
Here’s the video:
It is what it is — and it’s worth a lot
Thursday, July 10th, 2008
There’s no good synonym for the word “artistic.” Try finding one yourself: “tasteful” isn’t even close, and neither is “aesthetically pleasing,” as suggested by Webster’s. Most often, “artistic” is defined by itself: as being of or related to art.
One indicator of uniqueness is when a thing is defined best by itself. Without some way to define it except by referring to itself, being “artistic” is a unique concept. As Justice Potter Stewart said when struggling to define pornography, “I know it when I see it.”
If what you do is best defined by its own nature, you’ve got something unique. Commodities become low-priced, but unique items are immune to price sensitivity. They’re unique — and if people want them, they’ll have to pay whatever it takes.
What are some unique offerings?
- space tourism. That’s why billionaires are willing to pay millions for it.
- dinner with Bono.
- seemingly all the movies ever made, delivered to you within three days. (This was the Netflix model. But that was always an interim for digital streaming or download — which is where they’re heading.) With this unique model, why did Netflix market such a low price? To spur vast early adoption, and to undermine the price position of Blockbuster and of going out to the movies.
- the early iPhone and iPods. As these Apple products spawned imitators, Apple pursued greater innovation, but also dropped the price. Once the items weren’t strictly unique, their perceived value dropped.
What do you offer that’s unique?
And are you pricing it accordingly?
Yes, but what do they DO?
Saturday, August 4th, 2007
Whenever I do a live presentation I include a bunch of shots of businesses that through their signage display a disconnect between their identity and their messaging. In other words, they aren’t saying who they really are. (And that, as we know, hurts business. If you’re not sure what it is, you aren’t buying it.)
I’m sure I’ll be adding these shots, taken in Cleveland.
Oh, “The Geek Shop.” Cool. What do they sell? Comic books? (I’m there.) Other strange collectibles? Outre films? What?
No, they sell auto parts. Oh.
More than 20 years ago I helped start an auto-parts business. Want to know what we called it? “Parts for Imports.” Guess what we sold.
It’s still around today, in multiple locations, with two warehouses, and doing direct importing. Maybe because people understand what it sells.
How to shrink your prospect list
Friday, June 22nd, 2007Last week I saw a former colleague I hadn’t seen in a couple years. She’s now with a new company. The next day I emailed her to follow up. Since then, she’s gotten our Counterintelligence newsletter. So that’s one personal contact, and one (monthly) semi-automated contact from us.
From her end, I got a robot contact (an email) the first day.
Then another the second day.
Then another the third day.
Then another the fourth day.
Then another the fifth day.
Then another the sixth day.
Then I said to our marketing whiz Amy, “Wow, I hate getting all these.”
Then the next day I got two.
Then I unsubscribed.
We all know what SPAM is. I think we need another term, for Colleagues who spam you like this. I’m calling it “CRAM.”
True friends and colleagues don’t CRAM each other.
