The changing face of marketing

[Jazzy]

Hello

Well I read through everything and then getting to the end about Umhlanga was quite funny. I actually grew up there. Our family moved there around 15 years ago. Back then it was all just sugar cane. One or two big houses were being built the big one on the corner was up already, but it was still a quaint little village. I remember walking around in the sugar cane with my friends. Picking some and chewing the sugar on the way to the beach. Oh my, I have some amazing memories. Getting home from school, picking up my surf board and running down to the beach! Before I knew what happened there were houses every where and it became the holiday place to be?

It's also true what Dave said about values and principles. My parents taught me well, though I went off the rails for quite some time; partying and often drinking way to much. I think it might have been a search for happiness, acceptance or something, but kids becoming adults have to go through it. I managed to come right and the values and principles I was taught were my saving grace. That saying if you love something set it free comes to mind. It’s so true!

Anyway, back to the marketing… I find in today’s world we are bombarded with SO many different adverts that if we didn’t put up some sort of barrier we would go mad! I heard somewhere you actually have three seconds to grab the customers’ attention. In the information age the internet is your most powerful tool. I think that starting an authority site and marketing it using buzz, link building, blog commenting, social site interaction etc. is a GREAT way to start, although it is quite a learning curve. What do you think? Forums are also great

[Alta Murray]

Set them free in stages? Oh Dave it just feel like it is the final stage, but you are spot on again. I firmly believe that I did my job as a mom, but did the other moms do their part? Fortunately I get bored with things quickly, yes even worry, so this will pass.

Yes I will share my marketing idea, but know this -- it is fun and unconventional. But this is my son's input on sharing this too early -- yes, fight in a war and then tell them all about your guns!

[Dave A]

You bring them up as best you can, try to instill the right values and set them free in stages. After that, all you can do is hope you did your part right, keep positive thoughts* and be there if a moment of real need comes up.

But the goal is to set them free. As well equipped as possible, but the day comes when they need to fly for themselves.

At times I think of how my parents must have felt when I was leaving the nest.

*For those who are religious - read pray.

[Alta Murray]

Oh, you are so right -- the locals are fine, it's the other matrics that drink ad infinitum and are there to have a 'good time', and they do act up and out. Also they will be a mixed group of boys and girls from all races, and you know how some people tend to react.

I am very worried, but this too shall pass....or I shall pass out, either or.

[Alta Murray]

Chatmaster, Umhlanga seems to get a lot of good votes, so that is that for her! Her one friend Allan's mom is in the hotel industry, so Umhlanga seems a go-ahead as she has contacts there. I wonder if the contacts will spy for me though?

I find it much easier to have a son.

Durban, oh, I dream of the Durban of my childhood, back in the day when it was thee holiday destination for us vaalpense. I was there in 2000 and I was shocked, guess I just hoped it changed somehow. You say it has not, so we'll give it a skip.

Perhaps I can give my sniper training a dust down? If a boy makes a move on my little girl, I can hit him with a pea-shooter right on the part of his anatomy that is bothering him. Let me go, I am getting paranoid.....

[Alta Murray]

Thanks Ian, yeah my gal is also very responsible and not one to be led by her emotions, but will rather follow her logic at all times. My problem is not her, I raised her well, I am so worried about the crime and the other kids. Oh huge sighs, but I should focus on the positive side -- they are going down as a mixed group, boys and girls, all just friends, so I know the boys will look out for the girls. Play Jaws music -- or is that yet another danger?

But thanks Umhlanga it is!

[Chatmaster]

I slept over at the Durban beach front a couple of times. My recommendation is to steer clear. Umhlanga Rocks is absolutely beautiful, safe and clean.

[Dave A]

Remember I said I just had a feeling there is a new way of markering out there? Yes, oh yes, I have found it! I know so little about marketing that it might have been done before but I doubt it.

I hope when the time is right, you will share it

Is Durban safe? Which areas can one look at?

The main danger for that particular migration might not be the locals.

Ian's right. Umhlanga Rocks is "safe." Probably the highest risk area would be Durban central beach front or isolated beachfront areas.

[staffrepublic]

Ja, I too find that South Africans have short memories and one has to keep plugging services/or products in their faces before they actually take any notice. If you don't visit/call often enough, they simply grab whoever is available at the time, fall on their bekke when things go badly, then call you to complain. But they definitely do need to be reminded often and always. Sefricans for you!

[IanF]

I have a daughter in Matric and you know what the Boerewors Gordyn kids do after matric, they flock down your way. Is Durban safe? Which areas can one look at?

Alta
My youngest daughter is also in matric and going down with friends to Umhlanga for her holiday. She is going with 5 other girls in her school, they are flying down and then will get a taxi. I know she has a good head on her and shouldn't get into trouble, but she is responsible and has had to save for the spending money.

[Alta Murray]

Remember I said I just had a feeling there is a new way of markering out there? Yes, oh yes, I have found it! I know so little about marketing that it might have been done before but I doubt it.

Also Dave, off topic, I have a daughter in Matric and you know what the Boerewors Gordyn kids do after matric, they flock down your way. Is Durban safe? Which areas can one look at?

[woody22]

Great thread,

Thanks for those useful tips... Hope these will be very helpful. I will surely implement these in my marketing strategies... Will come back for more....

[Seagyn Davis]

The answer - Social Marketing.

Duncan touched on it - what if your product touches a person so much that they just speak about it?

Case in point - I am a car fanatic, to be precise a race car fanatic. I had a stand at the Gauteng Motor Show and took time off to go see the other stands and chat to a few people I know. At the time I was with a good friend and a car enthusiast (built the fastest Cobra in South Africa) and we went to one of the most renound car tuners in the country, bear with me now. He had a BMW M3 on display and promptly came up to us to chat about the car (it was not standard at all). He then went through what he had done, what he can do, what he is planning to do etc. knowing that as much as he tells us and 'sells' his product to us, my friend and I would most probably do it ourselves anyway.

BUT (a big but)

By the end of the day, and without realising it, I had told about 20 people and each of those people maybe told 5 people reaching an audience of 100 people just from 1 guy.

Great marketing strategy.

This guy is the owner of the store with enough money to pay 10 marketers/sales reps to sit at the stand and sell his company but knowing that if he as the owner sits there and markets his passion, then it will strike a greater nerve than anyone else.

Online applications - create applications that people can interact on, both potential and exisiting clients, which in turn promotes the product and actually gets people to get more info on it. One of the best marketing strategy I have experienced was for the Toyota Auris. You could actually play a game online, compete against 1000's of other people whilst racing an Auris around. Then after you raced around, you can go into the garage (on the game), change the colours of the Auris, check the stats of the range and head straight back into the game where it would hit you with more Auris subliminal messages.

The bottom line is that its not about putting your name on 20 meter build boards, having R10 000 Google AdWords budgets, its about allowing the customer to interact with the brand and feel as if they are getting something in return - I have read that bit from Seth Godin.

In terms of promoting software, Dave A, hit a very valuable point there. Millers, (SAB), give certain clubs/bars a fridge full of Millers for free if they only have that fridge full of Millers. In your face advertising and great incentive for the owners of the clubs.

Also a good way to promote software is online demos/downloadable demos or like was said a free demo in a jewel case. I for one really want to see what the product is capable of before I actually use it and to be brutally honest without knowing to much about your product, is that it should be self explanatory. A demo and full version should show you exactly what to do and the demo should clearly define that you can access this feature when you buy the full version.

Hopes this sets you in the right direction?

[Alta Murray]

Hi Dave,
That made me laugh out loud! Talking about jewel cases, Mothers Day is coming up, so I don;t think the masses will frown on that type o box on that day of the year! Make it count boys!

Yes, they do always want something for free, but if you think about it, it is usually a demo version on offer and I have no problem with it per sae, but these demo versions can ruin your rep as you have an untrained end-user trying to eval. your system.

I have been thinking about giving mass presentations of the software as well, but you know people have so little time that you need to create a hype beforehand. So you have to host a golf day ( which incidentally stand for gentleman only ladies forbidden) and then have a presentation afterwards. I think marketing and entertainment should go hand in hand these days as people like us don;t have time to socialize just for the sake of relaxing.

I would of course prefer having a tennis day with strawb and cream, as I broke my foot playing friggin put-put, so I don;t handle a club very well.

Sorry for my scant participation but my dad is fighting for his life in hospital, so time is more of a problem than usual.

[Dave A]

Yeah - In the minds of the masses, only cheap and nasty software comes in a jewel case. And online there is this "there must be a free source" mentality if you dare to charge.