Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Locals Photographer #2 - Before the Snow
The snow is coming down - 12"-24" expected in the Wasatch Front. Just before it came, our Local Photographer #2 was able to snap some last minute pictures of the fall foliage.
I am thinking (hoping) that this storm provides our blanket of snow which all future storms will begin to accumulate upon.
Ski season is upon us and if you aren't already in ski-season shape, it may be too late. Pre-season skinning is only a few weeks away so heavy leg workouts at the Local gym are necessary!
See you on the squat racks!
Be Environmentally Cool
Head Local
Green Local
I am thinking (hoping) that this storm provides our blanket of snow which all future storms will begin to accumulate upon.
Ski season is upon us and if you aren't already in ski-season shape, it may be too late. Pre-season skinning is only a few weeks away so heavy leg workouts at the Local gym are necessary!
See you on the squat racks!
Be Environmentally Cool
Head Local
Green Local
10 Tips To Maximize Holiday Sales
In its countdown to the holidays, SmartReply, a retail marketing firm, offered 10 strategies to implement to maximize sales. The tips are designed to improve retailers' knowledge of their customers' media habits to create integrated marketing campaigns that speak their language.
1. Prep your program and build your database. As you prepare to launch a holiday campaign, start cleansing your data, reactivating inactive customers and soliciting opt-ins. Be sure that your customer data is up to date, error free and complete.
2. Speak your customers' language. Get a handle on how your customers use new media (i.e., email, mobile device, TV, etc.), which channels they interact with daily, how and when they use them. Keep your brand theme consistent across all channels, and customize the message to match the channel's capabilities to ensure relevance and increase customer's convenience. Keep registration or opt-in easy, requiring only one or two clicks to reach the designated page.
3. Create an integrated marketing campaign. Design a marketing campaign that engages customers through the channels of their choice at times when it is most relevant for them. Send emails during what your data shows are peak times when they open their messages. Understand your customers' attitudes, lifestyles and behaviors, and maximize their needs in your message and in the channels you use.
4. Permission granted, don't wait. When a customer opts in to receive communications from you, don't wait. Set up business rules to generate an immediate or near immediate response through the same channel they opted in to. Engage them more readily by using a soft introduction rather than a hard sale. For example, thank them for opting in, remind them what they opted in for, and then summarize in a couple sentences the great merchandise they can buy in your store or on your website.
5. Engage them. Today's customer likes to be engaged and involved. They want to feel that they are an important part of the relationship and the product choices they make.
6. Help them manage their lives. Customers want to interact with brands that help organize their lives. Offer to remind them about your sales. Let them know when you receive a new shipment of their favorite merchandise or brand and give them advance notice before the public is informed. Alert them when a coupon is about to expire and ask if they'd like an extended deadline.
7. Customize, localize, revitalize. To avoid media fragmentation, make your message stand out enough to capture your customers' undivided attention. Use everything at your disposal to create ultimate relevance -- media channel, geography, demographics, behavior, even local, regional or national news headlines. Target your customers' emotional hot buttons; aim to solve a problem they're struggling with; or fulfill a need.
8. Encourage them to share. Encourage and incentivize your customers to share your message and promotion with their friends and family. Coupons, surveys, blogs, games, even photos of the hottest products -- if it's important to them, they'll share it. It costs you nothing and you have everything to gain.
9. Come full circle. Customers active via multiple channels result in longer brand engagement, deeper interaction, higher spending and higher customer lifetime value. For instance, encourage customers to sign up for email alerts on your website. Hang a sign in your storefront window or at the cash/wrap counter displaying an offer message with your web URL and a text opt-in short code. The deeper the relationship, the more likely your customers will be engaged for the long haul.
10. Keep it going. Even when the holidays are over, the valuable relationships you have with your customers needs to be nurtured to keep going. Since your brand is fresh in their mind, continue to keep them engaged. Search your campaign results for nuggets of information you can continue to act on. Once you have a good understanding of your customers' holiday behavior, take the next step and continue to build your relationships all year long.
1. Prep your program and build your database. As you prepare to launch a holiday campaign, start cleansing your data, reactivating inactive customers and soliciting opt-ins. Be sure that your customer data is up to date, error free and complete.
2. Speak your customers' language. Get a handle on how your customers use new media (i.e., email, mobile device, TV, etc.), which channels they interact with daily, how and when they use them. Keep your brand theme consistent across all channels, and customize the message to match the channel's capabilities to ensure relevance and increase customer's convenience. Keep registration or opt-in easy, requiring only one or two clicks to reach the designated page.
3. Create an integrated marketing campaign. Design a marketing campaign that engages customers through the channels of their choice at times when it is most relevant for them. Send emails during what your data shows are peak times when they open their messages. Understand your customers' attitudes, lifestyles and behaviors, and maximize their needs in your message and in the channels you use.
4. Permission granted, don't wait. When a customer opts in to receive communications from you, don't wait. Set up business rules to generate an immediate or near immediate response through the same channel they opted in to. Engage them more readily by using a soft introduction rather than a hard sale. For example, thank them for opting in, remind them what they opted in for, and then summarize in a couple sentences the great merchandise they can buy in your store or on your website.
5. Engage them. Today's customer likes to be engaged and involved. They want to feel that they are an important part of the relationship and the product choices they make.
6. Help them manage their lives. Customers want to interact with brands that help organize their lives. Offer to remind them about your sales. Let them know when you receive a new shipment of their favorite merchandise or brand and give them advance notice before the public is informed. Alert them when a coupon is about to expire and ask if they'd like an extended deadline.
7. Customize, localize, revitalize. To avoid media fragmentation, make your message stand out enough to capture your customers' undivided attention. Use everything at your disposal to create ultimate relevance -- media channel, geography, demographics, behavior, even local, regional or national news headlines. Target your customers' emotional hot buttons; aim to solve a problem they're struggling with; or fulfill a need.
8. Encourage them to share. Encourage and incentivize your customers to share your message and promotion with their friends and family. Coupons, surveys, blogs, games, even photos of the hottest products -- if it's important to them, they'll share it. It costs you nothing and you have everything to gain.
9. Come full circle. Customers active via multiple channels result in longer brand engagement, deeper interaction, higher spending and higher customer lifetime value. For instance, encourage customers to sign up for email alerts on your website. Hang a sign in your storefront window or at the cash/wrap counter displaying an offer message with your web URL and a text opt-in short code. The deeper the relationship, the more likely your customers will be engaged for the long haul.
10. Keep it going. Even when the holidays are over, the valuable relationships you have with your customers needs to be nurtured to keep going. Since your brand is fresh in their mind, continue to keep them engaged. Search your campaign results for nuggets of information you can continue to act on. Once you have a good understanding of your customers' holiday behavior, take the next step and continue to build your relationships all year long.
Consumers Hunker Down - Latest Forecasts
It's starting to become a broken record: Consumers are feeling pressure from higher food and fuel prices, from the housing market meltdown and the financial industry upheaval, and from credit crunches and approaching holiday stress.
Consumers hunker downBrand Keys says it expects to see sales decline by some 5 percent for the upcoming holiday season. Based on a survey of 16,000 consumers across all nine census regions, the New York-based brand and customer loyalty research consultancy finds that 35 percent say they plan to spend less on this year's shopping -- shelling out an average of about $775.
That estimate is decidedly more downbeat than projections recently released by the National Retail Federation, which is predicting a small increase of 1.9 percent, with shoppers spending an average of $832.36 on holiday-related shopping.
The International Council of Shopping Centers just released its forecast, calling for a gain of 1.7 percent. And last week, NPD Group predicted flat-to-declining sales.In short, cash-strapped consumers are hunkering down for the holidays. They won't totally walk away from spending, but will be more cautious, the experts seem to agree. They'll also be turning away from their credit cards and paying with cash.
A survey conducted last month by Javelin Strategy & Research showed 39 percent of consumers decreased their credit card usage, up from 37 percent in April.What's more, industry watchers point out that a growing preference for cash poses a more direct challenge to brick-and-mortar retailers who are struggling to lift sagging sales, as well as online retailers since computers don't accept cash."With credit cards, consumers spend 30 percent more (on purchases) than with cash," said Howard Dvorkin, a financial expert on consumer credit and the founder of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, in a CNN Money.com article.And, if they're paying cash that means they'll be more selective in what they're buying and probably buy fewer items.
Also this year, consumers are expected to shop sooner, because there are five fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Brand Keys reported that almost two-thirds of the consumers in its survey (60 percent) say they have already started shopping, looking for bargain gifts well before the traditional Thanksgiving kickoff period.
Consumers hunker downBrand Keys says it expects to see sales decline by some 5 percent for the upcoming holiday season. Based on a survey of 16,000 consumers across all nine census regions, the New York-based brand and customer loyalty research consultancy finds that 35 percent say they plan to spend less on this year's shopping -- shelling out an average of about $775.
That estimate is decidedly more downbeat than projections recently released by the National Retail Federation, which is predicting a small increase of 1.9 percent, with shoppers spending an average of $832.36 on holiday-related shopping.
The International Council of Shopping Centers just released its forecast, calling for a gain of 1.7 percent. And last week, NPD Group predicted flat-to-declining sales.In short, cash-strapped consumers are hunkering down for the holidays. They won't totally walk away from spending, but will be more cautious, the experts seem to agree. They'll also be turning away from their credit cards and paying with cash.
A survey conducted last month by Javelin Strategy & Research showed 39 percent of consumers decreased their credit card usage, up from 37 percent in April.What's more, industry watchers point out that a growing preference for cash poses a more direct challenge to brick-and-mortar retailers who are struggling to lift sagging sales, as well as online retailers since computers don't accept cash."With credit cards, consumers spend 30 percent more (on purchases) than with cash," said Howard Dvorkin, a financial expert on consumer credit and the founder of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, in a CNN Money.com article.And, if they're paying cash that means they'll be more selective in what they're buying and probably buy fewer items.
Also this year, consumers are expected to shop sooner, because there are five fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Brand Keys reported that almost two-thirds of the consumers in its survey (60 percent) say they have already started shopping, looking for bargain gifts well before the traditional Thanksgiving kickoff period.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Arts, Kids, Troubled Youth, Bus Shelters, and THE Locals Artist
Click the link below to read about art, vandalism, troubled kids, and your Local Artist, Bob Commander
Arts-Kids Create Newest Bus Shelter in Park City
Arts-Kids Create Newest Bus Shelter in Park City
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Gimme Shelter, Not Vandalism
10/30/2008 THE NEWEST PARK CITY BUS SHELTER IS COMPLETE
LOCATION: NORTH SIDE OF KEARNS BOULEVARD BETWEEN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL
Local artist Bob Commander, well known for his community projects in the Park City area has completed a summer long project, known to close friends and business associates as "THE Shelter".
Mr. Commander, also known as the "Local Artist" is a partner in the Park City based, eco-friendly clothing company: Locals Have More Fun. He stepped away from creating new art for the young company to work with a local non-profit, Arts Kids. Mr. Commander worked with Arts Kids in creating a bus shelter by the community for the community.
His work culminated in the installation of the "shell". Mr. Commander called on close friends and business associates to help with the heavy lifting of the metal pieces. Mr. Commander oversaw the installation so as not to damage the art, the coating that protected the art, and to make sure that the proper steps were taken to install the sheet metal to the existing bus shelter.
Mr. Commander on the completion and famous last words: "I just hope the older kids appreciate this "cute" bus shelter that the younger area kids worked so hard on."
I say famous last words, because the bus shelter didn't last a week before it had graffiti art on top of the existing art and also some of the pieces were mangled and pulled apart.
So much for pride in Park City.
and corporate projects in the Park City area, but better known as the "Local Artist" for the local eco-friendly clothing company, Locals Have More Fun
Electric Bike
Mrs. Webb taking in the early morning sun on her new electric bike.
Looks like another beautiful day in Southwest Denver. Thank goodness gas prices are coming down or Mr. Webb, a.k.a. "Local Rep" would have to "peddle" his Locals Have More Fun samples from buyer to buyer.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
American's Delusional Regarding Their Health
Most Americans believe they are in better-than-average health for their age.
More than 1/2 of surveyed men and women believe they are in "good" or "excellent" shape.
After 18, lots of people drop out of sports, especially team sports.
45% of people surveyed didn't participate in any sports activities in 2007.
The 3 largest reasons for not participating:
**don't enjoy sports or fitness
**injury or health problem
**not enough time
Other reasons: too expensive and lack of opportunities to play
What would motivate them to participate:
**less expensive equipment/fees
**doctor's recommendation
**less intimidating atmosphere
**tax deduction for the cost
40% of male and 24% of female said NOTHING would motivate me!
Of the 55% who did participate, most popular activities:
35% fitness
23% outdoor sports
21% individual sports
11% team
11% water
8% racquet
6% winter
What would drive them to participate more:
50% more time
40% more disposable income
30% spouse/family member participation
30% better access to facilities
20% more organized activities
What would drive them to spend more money on sports:
55% more disposable income
26% tax decuction
18% test prior to purchase
17% innovative, new equipment
29% nothing
What is needed is more innovation and smarter marketing. Messages to the baby boomers, messages about the positive impact (and yes, congress is going to receive a bill about tax deductions for certain types of exercicse equipment/use fees).
Washington needs to provide backing (75.7 million in PEP grants will be awarded to schools and community based organizations). Washington needs to prevent sickness, not just provide after the fact.
Be Environmentally Cool
Head Local
Green Local
More than 1/2 of surveyed men and women believe they are in "good" or "excellent" shape.
After 18, lots of people drop out of sports, especially team sports.
45% of people surveyed didn't participate in any sports activities in 2007.
The 3 largest reasons for not participating:
**don't enjoy sports or fitness
**injury or health problem
**not enough time
Other reasons: too expensive and lack of opportunities to play
What would motivate them to participate:
**less expensive equipment/fees
**doctor's recommendation
**less intimidating atmosphere
**tax deduction for the cost
40% of male and 24% of female said NOTHING would motivate me!
Of the 55% who did participate, most popular activities:
35% fitness
23% outdoor sports
21% individual sports
11% team
11% water
8% racquet
6% winter
What would drive them to participate more:
50% more time
40% more disposable income
30% spouse/family member participation
30% better access to facilities
20% more organized activities
What would drive them to spend more money on sports:
55% more disposable income
26% tax decuction
18% test prior to purchase
17% innovative, new equipment
29% nothing
What is needed is more innovation and smarter marketing. Messages to the baby boomers, messages about the positive impact (and yes, congress is going to receive a bill about tax deductions for certain types of exercicse equipment/use fees).
Washington needs to provide backing (75.7 million in PEP grants will be awarded to schools and community based organizations). Washington needs to prevent sickness, not just provide after the fact.
Be Environmentally Cool
Head Local
Green Local
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