Suck it and see 
An American grape juice company has launched a new magazine advertising campaign. The advertisements for Welch include a tab that readers can peel off and try the grape juice by licking. This works in a similar way to the tabs for perfumes in magazines. The process was developed for Welch’s by another US company First Flavour who have developed tabs for companies promoting soya milk, pepperoni pizza and children’s medicine. You only get one chance to try the flavour, once you undo the tab it can’t be resealed. Source the Marketer Cartoon courtesy of shorelines art Back to the top Looking for a way to boost your sales? If the answer is yes then consider segmenting markets for your products and services. What is segmentation? Simply it is a means to find new markets for your products and services and of developing new products and services. By segmenting your markets you can: - Identify new products and services
- Find new more profitable markets for your products and services
- Spread the word about your business to wider markets which potentially gives you the opportunity to sell other products and services to new markets
- Find niche markets
- Target your marketing more effectively and more efficiently
Any business that concentrates its products and services at one market is vulnerable to both market changes and new competitors. So how do you go about segmenting your markets? - Survey your customers to discover if there are other products and services they would buy from you
- Research your competitors to find the markets they are selling to
- Research similar products and services to the ones you sell now
In addition you should look at different geographical areas and population groups. Could you develop a product or service for a different group of buyers. Before you start there are however potential facts that you will need to consider: - The time needed to research new markets
- The time needed to develop new products and services
- The cost involved in promoting your new products and services
Looking for inspiration? James Dyson began in business by developing a ball propelled wheelbarrow, then a vacuum cleaner followed by a washing machine. These new products were developed after his company spent time and money researching both new markets and finding new products for existing markets. It was this investment in research and development that led to the multi million pound business he has today. Back to the Top Living Salads Andrew Johnson was living with his wife and family in Portugal until the multinational company he worked for made him redundant. The family relocated to Hull and using inspiration from their life in Portugal he started Living Salads, which sells small trays of baby salad plants to supermarkets and restaurants. “In Portugal we ate rocket straight out of the fields, but it wasn't until we returned to England that I truly realised the difference in quality between just-picked leaves and bagged salads - the bagged leaves simply didn't taste very fresh,” he says. His timing was excellent with the start of the new business coinciding with adverse publicity about the use of chlorine, packaging and the food miles clocked up in the production of bagged salads. He said “The idea was that the salad would be growing in its tray until the moment the customer cut it and put it on to the plate, but I must admit there were some dark days wondering if it would amount to a business,” Johnson says. The supermarkets loved his idea with Sainsbury's being the first to sell his new salads. Initially he had problems meeting the large orders from the supermarkets but an increase in staff numbers from 6 to 16 had solved this problem. Sales for his living salads have doubled turnover for his business year on year and he now plans to introduce new varieties and explore exporting his salads. Source The Times online How easy is it for you to buy fine quality wines from family run vineyards? You will not find the wines Andrassy's sell on supermarket shelves. Andrassy fine Wines are a family run business and they buy from family run wineries in France, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Portugal and New Zealand. www.andrassy.co.uk |
Web site News Stay in the countryside Looking for somewhere quiet and relaxing and guaranteed to be in the countryside for a short break or holiday? Take a look at a brand new web site Stayinthecountryside.co.uk doing just that. All the bed and breakfasts and self catering accommodation on the site are guaranteed to be in rural locations including villages and hamlets around the UK. Back to the top Looking for a way to bring your team together? Looking to reward your staff? Opt for one of our unforgettable Ready Steady cook style team building days where you and your team will work together to learn new skills and discover how working together can produce surprising results. Harmony house Cookery School Ring 01904 720933 or 07889 808749 |
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| Payments in Cash The results of a British Retail consortium (BRC) survey are surprising. 17,000 shops including large and small multiples and independents with a combined sales turnover of £131bn a year took part in the 'Cost of Collection survey'. The results show that 60% of all transactions were cash as opposed to 54% last year. British Retail Consortium Director General Stephen Robertson said: "Reports of the death of cash are premature. Cash is not only alive, it's thriving. Hard up customers are increasingly reluctant to spend money they haven't actually got in their hands. While total retail spending continues to grow, there is a widening gap between the amount spent in cash and the amount spent using cards, suggesting customers want to keep tight control of their finances." The survey also revealed how much the participants paid for credit and debit card transactions. On average retailers pay 2 pence for cash transactions, eight pence for debit cards and 34pence for credit cards. The total charges for 2007 for those retailers in the survey was £515m including £424 m for credit card payments. The BRC believes these charges are simply too great for retailers to absorb and so they are passed on to customers. The BRC is accusing card The BRC is accusing card companies of pushing cashless payment methods as a way of further boosting their own revenue. A spokesman said Banks should not be exploiting new payment systems as a way of taking extra money from shoppers. There should be a lower fixed fee per transaction which actually reflects the cost of processing, so new technology brings balanced benefits to retailers, consumers and banks." Source the British Retail Consortium |
Back to the top source The 50+ market by Dick Stroud Are you looking to create more space in your home, school or office?How much easier would it be for you to have a new space designed from a feasibility survey through design to completion? That’s where Linley Associates come in. They plan, design and project manage building works from your first instructions to finish. Their designs are unique for each of their clients and they aim to provide new spaces that really work for their clients. www.linleyassociates.co.uk |
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And finally........... Domino Pizza has launched an online tool which allows customers to track the progress of the pizza they have ordered. Track the progress of your pizza from the time it when into the oven, when it is put into a box and finally the time it’s handed over for delivery. Source The Marketer and....... A crematorium in Southampton has launched a pay per view service. For a fee of £75 friends and family who miss a funeral can watch online. Using a hidden video camera in the chapel to film the service they also offer DVD's at £55. Source The Week | 
