A ?head? of the Game

METREON is Sony?s massive entertainment complex of 15 theatres, 9 restaurants, children?s interactive entertainment and more. As a long-time San Francisco resident, I suppose I should know my street corners, but since I too, succumbed to this creative ?hat trick?, I was curious. ?How many of your fares ask about Fourth and Market??  I asked. ?Everyone who gets in the cab? he replied. Wow. What a nifty way to reach tourists the minute they hit town, not to mention remaining in their sight line throughout their stay. Well done Sony. 

The clever caps reminded me of another cab ride I had in Las Vegas. In town for a convention, I hopped in a cab and asked the typical tourist question ?What?s a good show to see?? The driver named a few, we continued conversing, and I inquired ?What?s the best show you?ve ever seen?? ?That?s easy?, he replied, ?The midnight show Jay Leno did for all the cab drivers and their families the first night he came to town.? Ah-ha. Again I thought to myself - pure genius. Jay was the first entertainer to do free shows for the working man ? hotel employees, cabbies, etc. Naturally, when asked about great entertainment, whose name is on their lips? 

Leno?s midnight show happened many years ago, and at the time, broke new ground. Today hotels and restaurants routinely give free tickets to cab drivers hoping they?ll recommend their venue. My driver said  ?I get so many free tickets, I just give them away, or sell them for half price.? H-m-m-m. Sounds like the bloom is off the rose. Reminds me of the time when American Airlines ingeniously proposed Frequent Flyer miles to reward loyal customers. Like dominos, other airlines fell in line, and were soon trying to outdo one another with offers. Now we expect double miles, bonuses and freebie extras.

Lesson#1 
Create ways to capture your customer before the competition. What venues will reach them first? Cab drivers? Cereal boxes? Cola companies now vie for the right to offer free computers to schools in exchange for exclusivity in the lunchroom. They understand that habits and tastes formed early can last a lifetime. Once a Pepsi drinker, always a Pepsi drinker. First to market in the customer?s mind still holds true. 

Stopping traffic
A savvy realtor from Australia once relayed his strategy for being first in the mind of home buyers.  Whenever Paul sold a house, guess what he gave the new owners as a gift?  A brand new garbage can.  (After all, who takes their old can when they move?)  You might be thinking - what about a nice fruit basket or bottle of wine?  But Paul was thinking "first to market".  Every new can had a poster silk screened on the side with his name, number, and reminder "another great home sold by Paul Williams."

"When people decide to move" he told me, "they first cruise neighborhoods, evaluating where they want to live".  Just think, dozens of clients put my ad right at the curb, week after week, year after year.  Does it bring me business?  You bet.  Callers even ask 'Do you have anything else like the gray cape cod on Chestnut Street?'"

Lesson #2 
?Extras? offered consistently, soon become expected, and lose their value or - you gotta zig where the others zag.

What?s new, special or different about what you have to offer? How can you package it differently? If your competition is offering red, do you offer double red, or green, or do you offer music instead of color? 

While other airlines played follow-the-frequent-flyer-leader, Southwest changed the rules. Every airline offers a free round trip ticket for every 25,000 miles earned. Everyone, that is, but Southwest. They give you a free ticket after you?ve logged only eight round trips, regardless of length - even if it?s Oakland to LA. Why? 

Southwest patrons take short commuters flights. It would take forever to rack up 25,000 miles, so CEO Herb Kelleher had to zig where the big guys zagged. He tailored his rewards to his audience, regardless of what the competition was doing.  As a result, Southwest owns the California ?commuter corridor? as well as many ?short hops? in the west.

Red Hot Marketing - "Put Yourself in Our Hands"
With hundreds of new arrivals swelling the ranks of realtors every year, how do agents separate themselves from the pack?  Many use the age-old method of customized calendars to remain in their client's mind 24/7.  But like the flood of free ticket offers in Vegas, I now receive calendars from my bank, travel agent, dentist, realtor, dry cleaner, church, and the car dealer who holds my lease.  Which calendar gets posted?  The one I like the best, regardless of whose it is.  Instead of competing with the other calendar, clocks and coffee mugs, San Diego realtors Kate & Cher went right to the heart of the home - the kitchen.  Clients receive home made cookies along with two large, fun pot holders printed with their names and number.  Not only do they last for years, but clients think of them when they're happy, home and enjoying dinner.  New clients have told them, "I got your number when I was at a friend's house for dinner.  You know how parties always wind up in the kitchen."  H-m-m-m...Sony, Paul, Herb, Kate and Cher - all use their thinking caps to put themselves "ahead" of the game in marketing.

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About Ann Mahony
Speaker and author Ann Mahony addresses audiences nationwide on how to Lead From Your Strengths and Stay Connected in today's downsized, fast forward world.  Featured on ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN, she is the author of Handwriting & Personality...

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