Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Eileen,

How about that, Ryze and Alice actually have something in common - "goodie bags." Can to-do-list boards be far behind?

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 707-709-8605

Private Reply to Bobbi Jo Woods

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Private Reply to Bobbi Jo Woods

Bobbi Jo,

I would never recommend someone travel all the way to California just to get a to-do-list board - even if that person happened to be a Ryze member and wanted the now-famous Ryze To-Do-List Board. But, I would recommend branding one's business with a to-do-list board to their best customers as a Christmas gift. I would also recommend using to-do-list boards as an insert in goodie bags.

Now, as has already been mentioned here, goodie bags are being used by both Ryzers and Alice.com. But, I want you to know that Clear Channel Communications, which is one of the largest communication conglomerates in the world, is also big on goodie bags as is the Special Olympics. In fact, I used goodie bags for four straight years as a vendor at the Special Olympics Summer Games at Emory University in Atlanta. Atlanta Radio Station WPCH uses goodie bags every summer to promote local small businesses through its "Listener Lunch" program. And, just what is the "Listener Lunch" program? This is where the radio station goes into an office park and treats everyone in the park to a free lunch. Believe me, the opportunity to get a "free lunch" attracts a large crowd. So, it makes good sense to have table vendors and the passing out of goodie bags.

As I recall, it cost $1,000 to be a table vendor at a WPCH Radio Listener Lunch. It cost $300 to have an item placed in all 300 goodie bags that get distributed. You could choose a flier, a refrigerator magnet, pretty much anything. But, what better to put in one of those 300 bags than a magnetic to-do-list board? With a to-do-list board you can brand your business for an indefinite period of time on a refrigerator door - one of the most popular locations in any household. Keep in mind too that since you can share the cost of that board's design with other advertisers, the board really does represent a cost-effective tool for self-promotion.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 707-709-8605

Private Reply to Bobbi Jo Woods

Bobbi Jo,

The to-do-list boards are not a universal "magic pill." However, if you can get that board cost-effectively in the hands of your target market, I think it would do you a lot of good. There's a lot more to it than just the creation of the boards. There is the delivery of the boards to your target market. The design factor is not simply about the boards. The design is also about the delivery of the boards to your target market.

By the way, these boards are very thin and light. I actually mailed some in 9x12 envelopes to specific individuals. If you got someone like a Chamber of Commerce interested in branding itself for the holidays with those boards and having yourself and other small businesses advertise - 12 advertisers to a board template - you could probably get the job done rather inexpensively when you divide the cost up between all the advertisers. Then, you could take a small number of those boards and actually mail them to specific clients for three stamps or less per 9x 12 envelope.

A to-do-list board is going to help brand you to your best customers better and more cost-effectively than any fruit basket, popcorn canister or Christie's Cookies gift. But, to go solo, is way too expensive. You need to do the to-do-list board as a group collaboration. Making a connection within a large group like a Chamber of Commerce I think is the way to proceed.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 707-709-8605

Private Reply to Bobbi Jo Woods

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

Excellent point. You can have a thicker board. But, if you choose a thicker board of vinyl, you are going to pay more for each board created. But, who cares how thick the board is once it is in place on the refrigerator? Plus, if you have a thicker board it is going to cost more to mail it.

If you want a thicker board, you can have it. You just have to be willing to pay for it.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 707-709-8605

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

I have to echo many of the same positive things about my experiences with Alice.com!

So far I've placed only a few orders with them, but I am very, very happy to have found them.

There are a number of reasons why I like it...

Although I'm not homebound, I do have an issue which hampers doing a lot of shopping easily and fairly quickly, and that is that I do not drive a car. Here in the city, there are many places that I could go to, to shop--in fairly close proximity to where I live--but because I can only carry so much while walking and riding the bus, I have to go more frequently. Since shopping is one of those things that I really don't care to do, going more often would make me a not-so-happy camper.

Having all these household needs, cleaning and laundry supplies, as well as coffee, medicine cabinet goodies and the like delivered right to my door has really saved me a TON of time, hauling stuff around and also waiting for the bus.

The products are not as cheap or cheaper than I would pay for at say, Target or CVS, but they are mostly pretty competitive and/or the same. With free shipping on every order, I'm spending ACTUALLY less than I would if I were to pay a fare to take the bus to go shopping, or to hail a cab for a ride home.

If people have to ask you in PMs why Alice.com is so great, they either have NOT been to the web site, or they have and probably didn't find it valuable enough.

It certainly is appealing. When I first heard of the service, from a post that Lamar started here in ABHP, I went to the site and was immediately interested in it, because it made shopping fun. The way they organize the products in several different ways (i.e., shop by room in your house--kitchen, bathroom, office, etc.) and by category as well as by brand name and by type of product, is really amazing. Usually online store sites, such as Staples.com and Amazon.com make it sometimes hard to find exactly what you are looking for.

The automatic coupons are very handy and in many cases, a good deal. I got a good brand of shampoo for $.97 per bottle, and some women's supplies for $1.00 off which made the price much lower than I'd pay at Walgreen's or CVS. I also purchased popular brand-name deodorant for FIFTY-EIGHT CENTS, because it had a $1.50 coupon attached to it.

The reminder service is helpful, too, because you can easily manage your stock at home through their site. If you know you will buy 8 rolls of paper towels and 100 coffee filters every 8 weeks, it will let you specify that when you add the products to your "shelf". Then you'll get an email reminding you to check in and order the items (usually some time prior to running out).

The Alice.com community feature is great, because you can connect with other shoppers, read their reviews of products and it helps you decide whether something is worth buying.

Shipping is 2 days or so, from the time I order and like Eileen has said in the past, everything comes packed EXTREMELY well, in a tidy box, which is also very clean and free of dirt/dust, unlike many other packages I receive by UPS/U.S. Mail.

If you sign up to use their service, you can refer friends with a link or plug in friends' email addresses via their site, to earn $ off your next order. They get $10 when they sign up and so do you. So there's also that benefit.

I LOVE being able to order large and heavy items, such as big laundry detergent bottles, cat food and cases of paper towels, bathroom tissue, etc., since I don't have to carry it, and because shipping is free, it's all the more delightful.

They will NOT pack a box over 30 lbs., so if you purchase a lot of stuff in one order, you can be confident that they will pack multiple boxes which are easy to lift, and then you can lift each box from your door or stoop without breaking your back.

Check it out: www.alice.com

Private Reply to Bobbi Jo Woods