Red Zebra Business Centre -Management Memos
April, 2008. Making Measurably More For Your Business Since 1985!

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Have you seen the complete range of Red Zebra services?


Management
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Software
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the third step -

merchandise like mad!

Sales Campaign

Offset your risk of a 'hard landing' this year, by taking the third step to beating the economic outlook. Now it's time to Merchandise Like Mad!
(See the whole four step battle plan in January Management Memos).


Macquarie Dictionary defines 'merchandising' as "the promotion and planning of the sales of a product, by using all available techniques of display, advertising and marketing." So, let's look at these aspects.

Promotion: If there's to be a campaign, it has to be promoted. Merchandising and promotion go together like a horse and carriage. Which means of course, that if you want to promote a line or product, you'll need some heavy merchandising to make the promotion worthwhile. What's your plan to promote sales of this line or product? Will you just advertise the item (not recommended), or create a special offer, or create a special price, and then advertise? Whatever you do, make sure it is heavy promotion, so you'll make an impact!


Planning: Many promotions just don't perform, because they're not planned properly - sometimes not at all! Ever heard someone say "We haven't sold many of them lately, we'd better give them a push along"? No planning there! On the other hand, an electrical retailer, knowing that there was to be a festival, bought one hundred foot baths. This special buy, offered at a special price in the festival period, and suitably advertised, led to Saturday trading across the whole product range at a record for one day takings - with full margin. That's planning!


Display: The display of fine porcelain shown this month goes as far as having a life size porcelain doll. Bound to attract attention to the whole range of high value porcelain specialties on show and on sale. Better than a piece of card with a scrawled 'texta' marking, don't you think? Creative display takes time, effort, and imagination. But this is a display that works. Do your displays attract this kind of attention?


Advertising:  You have your annual advertising budget and schedule already in place (You do, don't you?), so it will be easy to allocate the required resources to this merchandising campaign. When it comes to advertising a high profile campaign like this, you'll see real leverage coming from your advertising dollar. Now you're advertising a specific buyer benefit from a specific purchase decision.


Marketing: 'All available techniques' said Macquarie! That includes special staff training, special staff clothing (like special tee-shirts) for the campaign, press releases, TV and radio spot interviews, cook-outs, art or musical features, and if the budget permits, celebrity visits. Wheeling all your armoury into the fray greatly enhances your prospect of success. Because the whole campaign is planned as an integrated whole, and all your resources are focussed on a single goal.



Merchandise like this, and the slowdown that just has to come, will hit others more than it hurts you!



If you'd like to find out more, talk to us, or ask us a question here! Remember, there's no charge or obligation, and you get a whole hour's consultation free. This same offer also applies in New Zealand.