GUERRILLA DATA FROM THE FRONT LINES

Monday, July 5, 2004

Jay Conrad Levinson, "Guerrilla Marketing", http://

GUERRILLA INTELLIGENCE FROM THE FRONT LINES

* Franchising is not risk-free according to a study of start-ups. The failure rate for new franchisees was 35% compared with 28% for independent businesses. Worse yet, franchisees had lower earnings than non-franchises due to franchise fees and royalties.

* How many people sit through a computerized telemarketing call? Only 3% do, but 33% sit through a call from a live human being. In total, 4% of people reached by a telemarketing call actually place an order.

* Coca-Cola is now described as a "guerrilla marketer" by industry spokespeople who cite Coke's willingness to shell out $250 million for the rights to be the Super Bowl's official soft drink for five years, but to run zero commercials while the game was telecast. Coke shows guerrilla tactics by its checkout stand placement and six-pack promotions that invite buyers to call a toll-free number. Coke is it! What? A guerrilla marketer.

* Independent workers now comprise over one-half of the U.S. labor force. 80% do it by choice. Most common reasons why: control over work life, tired of commuting, wanting to make more money, wanting more diversity in work life, wanting to spend more time with family. Guerrilla thinking.

* Learn about the surprising pulling power of bench billboards by calling the National Bench Advertising Association at 1-800-999-2964.

* Accepting credit cards can increase your business up to 80%. To get it you need "merchant status." Get it from your bank or learn how online.

* Classic guerrilla marketing was the Burma-Shave signs, a series of six roadside signs. They appeared in 7000 locations in 45 states forming a poem, and this guerrilla is proud to have written two of them.

* How do people get magazines? In l982, 28.7% came from newsstands, 71.3% by subscriptions. In l993, 19.5% come from newsstands, 80.5% from subscriptions. You can see the trend. Why do publishers push subscriptions over news stand sales? Publishers now know much more about readers when they subscribe.

* In what may be the first commercial for a commercial, the Interactive Network launched a radio campaign to get people to tune into its TV infomercial.

* Guerrilla ski resort: a Vermont ski resort keeps a database on every one of their skiers, especially regulars. If the 5-day forecast looks good on a Monday, the resort notifies its database operation which mails postcards to skiers on a Tuesday who get the message on a Thursday or Friday, and are boogieing down the bumps by the weekend -- hopefully.

* Your name or logo should be very subtle on gifts of crystal or silver because it defaces and reduces in value the gift itself. Use restraint there. * Guerrilla sampling factoids: Reebok used kiosks in 200 malls to attract people to try its latest pump technology shoes; 15% who tried, bought. 77% of marketers try sampling. 85% of those expect to maintain or increase it. 73% of companies tried sampling for new products, 66% for existing products. Conversion rates from sampling: estimated at 10%-15%.

* Why do visitors visit trade show displays? 25% for a feeling of obligation to an existing supplier, 23% for habit, 15% because of a personal invitation, 12% because of publicity in a trade magazine, 9% because of other advertising, 9% as a response to a mailed invitation, and 4% as a result of a recommendation from an associate.

* People reveal more of themselves when a computer asks the questions, giving more meaningful and in-depth responses to sensitive issues, according to Psychology Today.

* What do people want in a circular? 86% want price; 74% want the brand name; 69% want a photo of the product; 58% want the store's address; 52% want data on quality and service; 46% want the phone number of the store; 43% want the discount percentage; 42% want rebate information.

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