A few years ago some friends of mine bought a Mall that had fallen out of favor with tenants and shoppers. Their solution was to get rid of the retailers and filled the space with medical professionals. Totally repurposed the mall as a medical center ... over the years average rents have gone from 6.00 to the mid 20's PSF. Also didn't hurt that the mall was within a couple miles of a hospital.
Here in the frozen tundra Canadian Tire sets a pretty good example for others to follow, which Home Depot finally did.
At the other end of the spectrum is Lowe's Canada ... I have no idea of products they carry as their website only displays items from weekly flyer (earth to Lowe's ... I have the flyer in hand)
Three basic reasons for going to a retailers site ... do they have what I'm looking for (customer reviews and suggestions are helpful)? How much am I looking at ... (is a thermocoupler 5 bucks or do I need a second mortgage) Lastly ... IS IT IN STOCK? Home Depot finally followed Canadian Tire's lead and now displays product availability by store. (I left a voice mail with HD's Canadian president and asked if he had EVER called one of his own stores looking for availability status of a product ... next day a senior VP responded)
The next innovation for Home Depot is order online and pickup next day (or second day) at local outlet. In fact I have proposed to HD every store should also have a dedicated online associate, physically in the location .. if I order that thermocoupler online and it can be filled from store inventory ... it's done, paid for online ... I can get sent a note it's available for immediate pickup.
Canadian Tire just announced they are getting back into online ordering ... hope they pay attention to some suggestions.
The use of 2D barcodes in ads and on products is getting a lot of attention ... nice to see as we are also getting more interest in the frapple keyword linking system (keywords that can be entered on retailer website that direct connects to same information as 2D code) As I have said in many posts, we figured out how to get 300 recipes, nutritional information and a coupon on a can of tomato soup, without making a really big can ... simply enter keyword CS12 at frapple.com ... Keywords on product packaging or installation manuals can really enhance the customer experience and save manufacturers a ton of money. (Ya' think a Boeing 747 comes with a manual? They actually use procedure codes for fast lookup of the latest solutions)
And why can't other retailers follow Costco's example of Florida sized parking spots ....?
Provide "subscribers" easy access to additional online information, information that can only be accessed with the hard copy in hand ... enter a keyword link that appears in print and the related information is opened instantly. A simple example would be to tag a baseball story with a keyword link to a free Red Sox screen saver ... no online links, you need the printed keyword to get to it. Or, a link to coupon for deal of the day ... additional pictures, video links, backgrounders ... tons of other examples that could give readers a RTB.
Reminds me of what the guy in the patent office said around 1900 ... "we might as well close, everything has been invented." Saturday delivery could be stopped without hardly a whimper ... and anything wrong with pricing a service to cover costs plus a reasonable rate of return ... an efficiency evaluation by the private sector would probably be in order. In Canada any subdivision built in the last 20 years no longer has door to door delivery, only community mail boxes for every 20 - 30 homes ... a short daily walk for people isn't necessarily a bad thing ...and don't gripe about the disabled, the neighbor would be very happy to do the job. I also have a theory that the USPS could be in the check clearing business ... does the model customer prepares check, mails payment, post office picks up, sorts, transports and delivers, vendor deposits ... sound efficient?
I have been speaking with retail marketers trying to convince them that offline keyword links, not just to expanded product information, but content that might be of interest to a prospective purchaser ... it's like talking to a TV set.
Take a camera retailer for example, a direct link to the specs is nice, but why not to information on how to capture a lightning shot, or tips for shooting in the snow? Explain to me online the difference between an "F" stop and a bus stop. I know some sites have the information, but for some reason like to keep it a secret. Ever seen a sporting goods retailer offer up information on how to properly teach your kid to throw a ball, skate or hit a baseball?
My theory is every SKU should have a keyword link to an online page that lists care instructions, accessories, replacement parts and non-product information that would be of interest to an actual purchaser. I guess care instructions aren't in a retailers best interest, they would rather you gray out and shrink the collars of shirts so they can sell you new ones. The retailer that says "we have information links on every product we sell to keep your purchase fitting well looking great for years" is positively connecting with consumers ... reducing the importance of price as the deciding factor.
My take on retail marketers: basically lazy. Fill the store with crap, run pretty little ads and hope it sells or more importantly, win awards for the ads (and never again find a hat that fits). There is a reason the average tenure of a CMO is 18 months. If the buyers are extraordinarily lucky, hit the right price points and trends ... a dog with a note around his neck could be the CMO :)
Hey BBQ retailers ... "can I get a look at an assembly video BEFORE a purchase?" and planked salmon is great ... any info on how to do it right?
Agree with MBraedley ... The consortium coverage is hopefully the model of future games ... NBC should be parceling out events to ESPN or others ... I think live half-pipe events could draw huge on MTV ... Geez, is shaping content to existing audiences a radical idea?
Does anyone know of any newpaper that DIRECT links print classified ads to additional information on craiglist, or any other online ad site? Newspapers can offer a hybrid solution to advertisers that online alone can't match. Just think how mauch time (and gas) has been saved by potential buyers not having to travel across town to view some sellers idea of "great condition." Offline print ads can initiate interest, online content is where rubber meets the road.
Our local daily, Canada's largest, recently launched a discount long distance phone service with regular full page ads touting the product. Does anyone else think there may be a conflict with potential and current advertisers? This same paper is also in the automobile insurance business ... Is there a grand plan, or just madness to think you should own all of your advertisers?
Making content freely available to print subscribers only makes a ton of sense ... the website then becomes an extension to enhance the subscription experience. Most publishers thought they could enjoy the best of all worlds ... they just can't sell enough ads to monetize their digital assets and cover the ad revenue decline caused by lower subscription numbers. I subscribe to 2 daily papers, I just wish they would get the print to internet connection possibilities by utilizing the power of print in new ways. They could create new hybrid (print and online) features that address advertiser and reader needs. Publishers don't seem to realize combined print and online capabilities could form a media product that is superior to Internet-only offerings.
Ask your cable company for a subscription to only HBO or ESPN. First you need the basic package, which is primarily the over the air channels. In Canada our cable companies enjoy service area monopolies as well. If it was possible to only get specialty channels over cable, the rabbit ears would be up awfully quick ... BTW, a broadcast engineer explained an HD picture is better over the air ... something about geting the full bandwidth.
Saturday night is the BGT final. Within 5 minutes of each performance, that act will be up on You Tube. Here is your opportunity to provide Sunday morning readers a direct keyword link FROM YOUR WEBSITE to each act including the winners selection. Will also provide your website a huge spike in unique visits.
We will be providing keyword links to each act and the winners selection. The keyword link functionality can easily be added to your website. The instructions to readers are simple: to view any of the performances go to ournewspaperwebsite.com and type in the associated keyword ... eg. the keyword: Boyle will open the Susan Boyle performance, the keyword: Winner will open the selection video. The complete set of keyword links will be available this Thursday ... simply enter the keyword: BGT at www.frapple.com.
Some newspapers may want to embed the videos on their own websites ... simply tell us the URL's and custom keywords you would like to use ... there is also an opportunity to display a link sponsor message, for up to 5 seconds, while the video is being fetched. Oh, and you can brand the keyword identifier label anything ... POSTLink, SunLink, GoWord ... or whatever.
Promote YOUR website, keep readers away from Google, find a link sponsor or display a self promo or public service message.
For more information my contact info can be accessed with the frapple keyword: baz
There are absolutely no strings attached to this offer ... we will be totally transparent. This is just a great opportunity to again prove keyword links work.
A newspaper publisher should decide which market their website is serving; lurkers or subscribers. In my business I look at a ton of newspaper websites and haven't come across one that provides any paid subscriber advantages. In fact, if the paper I subscribe shut down their website, wouldn't even notice. Only when newspapers realize the powerful advantages of a hybrid print and online presence will they begin to benefit with a unique value proposition, not just for advertisers, readers as well.
I read the Star and National Post print editions daily... Neither of them provide simple convergence from print to online updates or additional coverage. JS ... please assist in advising which newspapers are doing what I am talking about?
Doesn't have to be ... if they adopted a "simple" convergence strategy. When we developed our offline to internet keyword link system, thought was newspapers and magazines would jump all over 1) an easy method for readers to get news updates, and / or expanded coverage 2)More readers to their websites, the real currency of the web is eyeballs. 3) a new revenue stream that can very accurately match advertisers desired demographics.
A keyword is a simple word or phrase used in place of a URL ... when typed into a keyword enabled "search" like box, the associated page opens directly.
A story tagged with a keyword link that is typed at the newspaper home page provides an easy path for readers to find the information they want ... How many of the 70 + million Susan Boyle views originated from a newspaper website? I recently told a newspaper publisher that when Susan Boyle next appears I could guarantee the website a spike in visitors equal to their daily circulation ... Is it just me, would it make sense to have a direct keyword link in the movie section of the paper to an online trailer of the movie? Publishers really have the ability to be huge internet portals, just not sure about desire.
An effective solution doesn't need to be complicated, the lightbulb is just electricity running through a thin wire.
We figured out how to include, the Susan Boyle video, Obama's Irish Song, (he is Irish, according to the words) a video on how to make perfect gravy, a news clip on the dangers of flourescent light bulbs and the Opera Mini operating system ... all included with your morning newspaper, without breaking the cariers back. Want to see for yourself ... try the keyword links: boyle, obama,kraft42, global1, or jar22 at frapple.com How difficult is it for a newspaper to include direct keyword links in print ... readers just LOVE hunting! How about a 20 Minute Tony Robbins Seminar, Keyword: Ted1
Do newspapers ever wonder why readers are off in GoogleLand in the first place? First off the printed morning news is 8 hours old at best ... think readers might want an update? The newspapers will tell you a hundred times an issue: for updates, more info or whatever, simply go to ournewspaper.com ... Do these guys ever go to their own websites ... open any newspaper homepage and it's a wall of gray matter ... as in let's see how much we can jamb on the front page. Actually I was first alerted to the Susan Boyle story via my local paper ... I ended up on Google to find the video link as the paper's website was hopeless.
Every newspaper that is serious about staying in business needs to open a new position: Convergence Agent ... whereby enhancing the reader experience by embracing the magic of digital content from action calls initiated in print. SIMPLE!
Flattened
A few years ago some friends of mine bought a Mall that had fallen out of favor with tenants and shoppers. Their solution was to get rid of the retailers and filled the space with medical professionals. Totally repurposed the mall as a medical center ... over the years average rents have gone from 6.00 to the mid 20's PSF. Also didn't hurt that the mall was within a couple miles of a hospital.
retail web
Here in the frozen tundra Canadian Tire sets a pretty good example for others to follow, which Home Depot finally did.
At the other end of the spectrum is Lowe's Canada ... I have no idea of products they carry as their website only displays items from weekly flyer (earth to Lowe's ... I have the flyer in hand)
Three basic reasons for going to a retailers site ... do they have what I'm looking for (customer reviews and suggestions are helpful)? How much am I looking at ... (is a thermocoupler 5 bucks or do I need a second mortgage) Lastly ... IS IT IN STOCK? Home Depot finally followed Canadian Tire's lead and now displays product availability by store. (I left a voice mail with HD's Canadian president and asked if he had EVER called one of his own stores looking for availability status of a product ... next day a senior VP responded)
The next innovation for Home Depot is order online and pickup next day (or second day) at local outlet. In fact I have proposed to HD every store should also have a dedicated online associate, physically in the location .. if I order that thermocoupler online and it can be filled from store inventory ... it's done, paid for online ... I can get sent a note it's available for immediate pickup.
Canadian Tire just announced they are getting back into online ordering ... hope they pay attention to some suggestions.
The use of 2D barcodes in ads and on products is getting a lot of attention ... nice to see as we are also getting more interest in the frapple keyword linking system (keywords that can be entered on retailer website that direct connects to same information as 2D code) As I have said in many posts, we figured out how to get 300 recipes, nutritional information and a coupon on a can of tomato soup, without making a really big can ... simply enter keyword CS12 at frapple.com ... Keywords on product packaging or installation manuals can really enhance the customer experience and save manufacturers a ton of money. (Ya' think a Boeing 747 comes with a manual? They actually use procedure codes for fast lookup of the latest solutions)
And why can't other retailers follow Costco's example of Florida sized parking spots ....?
Best Paywall Is Subscriber Base
Provide "subscribers" easy access to additional online information, information that can only be accessed with the hard copy in hand ... enter a keyword link that appears in print and the related information is opened instantly. A simple example would be to tag a baseball story with a keyword link to a free Red Sox screen saver ... no online links, you need the printed keyword to get to it. Or, a link to coupon for deal of the day ... additional pictures, video links, backgrounders ... tons of other examples that could give readers a RTB.
Compete?
Reminds me of what the guy in the patent office said around 1900 ... "we might as well close, everything has been invented." Saturday delivery could be stopped without hardly a whimper ... and anything wrong with pricing a service to cover costs plus a reasonable rate of return ... an efficiency evaluation by the private sector would probably be in order. In Canada any subdivision built in the last 20 years no longer has door to door delivery, only community mail boxes for every 20 - 30 homes ... a short daily walk for people isn't necessarily a bad thing ...and don't gripe about the disabled, the neighbor would be very happy to do the job. I also have a theory that the USPS could be in the check clearing business ... does the model customer prepares check, mails payment, post office picks up, sorts, transports and delivers, vendor deposits ... sound efficient?
Connecting With Consumers
I have been speaking with retail marketers trying to convince them that offline keyword links, not just to expanded product information, but content that might be of interest to a prospective purchaser ... it's like talking to a TV set.
Take a camera retailer for example, a direct link to the specs is nice, but why not to information on how to capture a lightning shot, or tips for shooting in the snow? Explain to me online the difference between an "F" stop and a bus stop. I know some sites have the information, but for some reason like to keep it a secret. Ever seen a sporting goods retailer offer up information on how to properly teach your kid to throw a ball, skate or hit a baseball?
My theory is every SKU should have a keyword link to an online page that lists care instructions, accessories, replacement parts and non-product information that would be of interest to an actual purchaser. I guess care instructions aren't in a retailers best interest, they would rather you gray out and shrink the collars of shirts so they can sell you new ones. The retailer that says "we have information links on every product we sell to keep your purchase fitting well looking great for years" is positively connecting with consumers ... reducing the importance of price as the deciding factor.
My take on retail marketers: basically lazy. Fill the store with crap, run pretty little ads and hope it sells or more importantly, win awards for the ads (and never again find a hat that fits). There is a reason the average tenure of a CMO is 18 months. If the buyers are extraordinarily lucky, hit the right price points and trends ... a dog with a note around his neck could be the CMO :)
Hey BBQ retailers ... "can I get a look at an assembly video BEFORE a purchase?" and planked salmon is great ... any info on how to do it right?
Guess anything can get through the USPTO
OK guys, you heard it here first ... pasta in the shape of guns ... Name: "gangsta"
Canadian Coverage
Agree with MBraedley ... The consortium coverage is hopefully the model of future games ... NBC should be parceling out events to ESPN or others ... I think live half-pipe events could draw huge on MTV ... Geez, is shaping content to existing audiences a radical idea?
Don't Compete - Cooperate
Does anyone know of any newpaper that DIRECT links print classified ads to additional information on craiglist, or any other online ad site? Newspapers can offer a hybrid solution to advertisers that online alone can't match. Just think how mauch time (and gas) has been saved by potential buyers not having to travel across town to view some sellers idea of "great condition." Offline print ads can initiate interest, online content is where rubber meets the road.
So you take your laptop into the john to do the crossword ... grab a coffee, sit on the deck and read your computer ... geez, I'm getting old!
Can't figure this out
Our local daily, Canada's largest, recently launched a discount long distance phone service with regular full page ads touting the product. Does anyone else think there may be a conflict with potential and current advertisers? This same paper is also in the automobile insurance business ... Is there a grand plan, or just madness to think you should own all of your advertisers?
Free to subscribers only
Making content freely available to print subscribers only makes a ton of sense ... the website then becomes an extension to enhance the subscription experience. Most publishers thought they could enjoy the best of all worlds ... they just can't sell enough ads to monetize their digital assets and cover the ad revenue decline caused by lower subscription numbers. I subscribe to 2 daily papers, I just wish they would get the print to internet connection possibilities by utilizing the power of print in new ways. They could create new hybrid (print and online) features that address advertiser and reader needs. Publishers don't seem to realize combined print and online capabilities could form a media product that is superior to Internet-only offerings.
Re: Over The Air
Ask your cable company for a subscription to only HBO or ESPN. First you need the basic package, which is primarily the over the air channels. In Canada our cable companies enjoy service area monopolies as well. If it was possible to only get specialty channels over cable, the rabbit ears would be up awfully quick ... BTW, a broadcast engineer explained an HD picture is better over the air ... something about geting the full bandwidth.
Newspapers: Free Profit Opportunity
Saturday night is the BGT final. Within 5 minutes of each performance, that act will be up on You Tube. Here is your opportunity to provide Sunday morning readers a direct keyword link FROM YOUR WEBSITE to each act including the winners selection. Will also provide your website a huge spike in unique visits.
We will be providing keyword links to each act and the winners selection. The keyword link functionality can easily be added to your website. The instructions to readers are simple: to view any of the performances go to ournewspaperwebsite.com and type in the associated keyword ... eg. the keyword: Boyle will open the Susan Boyle performance, the keyword: Winner will open the selection video. The complete set of keyword links will be available this Thursday ... simply enter the keyword: BGT at www.frapple.com.
Some newspapers may want to embed the videos on their own websites ... simply tell us the URL's and custom keywords you would like to use ... there is also an opportunity to display a link sponsor message, for up to 5 seconds, while the video is being fetched. Oh, and you can brand the keyword identifier label anything ... POSTLink, SunLink, GoWord ... or whatever.
Promote YOUR website, keep readers away from Google, find a link sponsor or display a self promo or public service message.
For more information my contact info can be accessed with the frapple keyword: baz
There are absolutely no strings attached to this offer ... we will be totally transparent. This is just a great opportunity to again prove keyword links work.
A newspaper publisher should decide which market their website is serving; lurkers or subscribers. In my business I look at a ton of newspaper websites and haven't come across one that provides any paid subscriber advantages. In fact, if the paper I subscribe shut down their website, wouldn't even notice. Only when newspapers realize the powerful advantages of a hybrid print and online presence will they begin to benefit with a unique value proposition, not just for advertisers, readers as well.
Read one lately - actually 2 daily
I read the Star and National Post print editions daily... Neither of them provide simple convergence from print to online updates or additional coverage. JS ... please assist in advising which newspapers are doing what I am talking about?
Better than future ex wife!
Better the cops than some sleezy gumshoe working for your future ex wife!
The internet is the real problem for newspapers
Doesn't have to be ... if they adopted a "simple" convergence strategy. When we developed our offline to internet keyword link system, thought was newspapers and magazines would jump all over 1) an easy method for readers to get news updates, and / or expanded coverage 2)More readers to their websites, the real currency of the web is eyeballs. 3) a new revenue stream that can very accurately match advertisers desired demographics.
A keyword is a simple word or phrase used in place of a URL ... when typed into a keyword enabled "search" like box, the associated page opens directly.
A story tagged with a keyword link that is typed at the newspaper home page provides an easy path for readers to find the information they want ... How many of the 70 + million Susan Boyle views originated from a newspaper website? I recently told a newspaper publisher that when Susan Boyle next appears I could guarantee the website a spike in visitors equal to their daily circulation ... Is it just me, would it make sense to have a direct keyword link in the movie section of the paper to an online trailer of the movie? Publishers really have the ability to be huge internet portals, just not sure about desire.
An effective solution doesn't need to be complicated, the lightbulb is just electricity running through a thin wire.
added value
We figured out how to include, the Susan Boyle video, Obama's Irish Song, (he is Irish, according to the words) a video on how to make perfect gravy, a news clip on the dangers of flourescent light bulbs and the Opera Mini operating system ... all included with your morning newspaper, without breaking the cariers back. Want to see for yourself ... try the keyword links: boyle, obama,kraft42, global1, or jar22 at frapple.com How difficult is it for a newspaper to include direct keyword links in print ... readers just LOVE hunting! How about a 20 Minute Tony Robbins Seminar, Keyword: Ted1
Will They Ever Get It?
Do newspapers ever wonder why readers are off in GoogleLand in the first place? First off the printed morning news is 8 hours old at best ... think readers might want an update? The newspapers will tell you a hundred times an issue: for updates, more info or whatever, simply go to ournewspaper.com ... Do these guys ever go to their own websites ... open any newspaper homepage and it's a wall of gray matter ... as in let's see how much we can jamb on the front page. Actually I was first alerted to the Susan Boyle story via my local paper ... I ended up on Google to find the video link as the paper's website was hopeless.
Every newspaper that is serious about staying in business needs to open a new position: Convergence Agent ... whereby enhancing the reader experience by embracing the magic of digital content from action calls initiated in print. SIMPLE!
Lawyers
Just reminds me of the old line: "differnece between a dead skunk and a dead lawyer" ... skid marks!