Struggling Business Snips a
Creative Marketing Idea in the Bud

Going from a good, creative marketing idea to the right marketing idea is often a matter of squeezing out the idea's maximum benefits.

This is a perfect example of a good idea whose full potential was cut short because the businessman didn't look past the obvious benefit: immediate sales.

Tropical Plant Grower Gets a Bright Idea

Mr. Bromeliad Grower (BG) does not have a storefront, so he takes his exotic plants on the road, through several states, displaying and selling the tropical beauties at various sites, including arts and crafts fairs, farmer's markets, etc.

He tried many marketing ideas, and hit on one that sounded good to him: He would display his bromeliads at a week-long Home Show in a large city. He reasoned that the attendees would be people interested in beautifying their homes, so they would appreciate his product.

He paid a $500 vendor's entry fee, set up a nice display and sold enough plants to make a decent profit. Sounds like a good move, doesn't it?

So, What's So Bad about Good?

The answer lies in another question: Is “good,” good enough? And another more important question for the busy small-business owner: Why not work smarter so you don't have to work harder?

That's the difference between a good idea and the right marketing idea.

Let's review what makes an idea the right marketing idea:

Fits well with your business or organization
Has the potential for yielding the maximum results and benefits
Will give you a good return on your investment of time, money and resources
Will help you succeed because of other key players or factors

Mr. BG certainly did well on No. 1: He found a good “fit” between his product and the venue — the Home Show.

But Mr. BG gets an emphatic “thumbs down” on the next three because he failed to capitalize on the potential for growing his business faster — and easier!

By Mr. BG's account, he got a good return on his investment because he made a profit, and he introduced new people to the joys of owning one of these beauties.

True. But he's going at this very slowly. The way he's trying to grow his business will require plenty more shows like this, in addition to all the other venues he uses. He is constantly working on introducing new customers to his product. He doesn't need to work this hard.

It's a well-known marketing fact that 80% of a business' income comes from 20% of its customers. That means repeat sales make up the bulk of the revenue.

Getting from Good to Right

Mr. BG stopped short of taking his good marketing idea past the obvious benefit (immediate sales) to the right idea — the one that would get him maximum results. Here's what he could have done:

Involve current customers (those 20% that make up 80% of his business). He should have notified his past customers of his participation in this show, offering them a substantial discount on a new purchase if they attended.
Partner up. He might have been able to work out an admission discount for his customers with the show's promoters (who gauge a show's success by attendance numbers).
Build the database. To do either or both of the previous two things, he would have (and should have) been collecting customers' names for a database from the time he started the business (yet another right marketing idea).
Demonstrations. Mr. BG's product is unique, and he should be telling its story in demonstrations at the Home Show, during which he:
- Displays and describes the different bromeliad varieties
- Demonstrates the ease of maintenance for these air plants
- Shows its versatility by making a quick arrangement in a shallow bowl
Another database-building opportunity. People who stop to listen to demonstrations at Home Shows are obviously interested in the product being shown. He should take advantage of his audiences by giving away the arrangement he just made in a drawing. To enter, audience members would have to fill out an entry form. From these entry slips, he can start building a database or add to it if he already has one.

Are We Done Yet?

Just when you think you've maxed out the benefits of your marketing ideas, look again.

Here are a couple more considerations that Mr. BG overlooked. These activities could also have contributed to turning his good marketing idea into the right one — one that yielded maximum results:

He should have looked past his obvious target market (Home Show attendees) and realized that other vendors at the show are potential customers too. He could have offered them a special discount. They would spruce up their booths with a colorful plant, and he would benefit from the exposure.
He could have formed alliances with other vendors, such as the one who demonstrates decorative wall-painting techniques. At the end of a demonstration, the painter sets up a small table in front of his completed wall panel to simulate a homelike setting. Wouldn't a colorful bromeliad add a dramatic effect on that table? Free publicity for Mr. BG!

Here's the biggest mistake Mr. BG made — and it's one that's common to many businesses: He used his marketing idea to simply sell his product.

What he should have been doing is building relationships by:

staying connected with past customers and offering them a discount
educating new customers about his unique product
forming partnerships with other vendors, show promoters, etc.

And that's the smartest marketing idea of all.

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