Coupons!

After discussing various promotions in class it made me think of a site that I often visit: Brad's Deals! Brad's Deals is the top online coupon site and I'm sure many people have heard of it as it has been featured on various news shows including The Today Show. Here is a clip of Matt Lauer interviewing the founder of Brad's Deals: Brad Wilson.



As Brad says there are coupons out there for about 90 percent of the stores you shop at and his site helps users to find them! Ever since I started using this site, I rarely go shopping without looking for coupons on Brad's Deals first. For instance, last month I was due for a new pair of sneakers and I found a $10 off coupon on Brad's Deals for Dick's Sporting Goods. There was also a $15 coupon, but it was expired. Evidently, just by visiting Brad's Deals consistently you could save a lot of money! The site offers printable coupons, directs users to online deals and online promotional codes. Visit Brad's Deals to save some money!

Fun Blogs!

I have always been one to be very interested in blogs. It is fun to follow various blogs that provide new, innovative ideas for projects, presentations, interviews, etc. While interning in the spring of '08 for a small new media marketing agency in Los Angeles called Fanscape, I was introduced to some interesting blogs by my boss - ones I still follow today. My favorite blog that I was introduced to is called Mashable, "the social media guide." Since I worked with various social media tools during my internship in LA, this blog provided me with many creative ideas. Towards the end of my internship at Fanscape I became involved in a project with the CEO, Larry Weintraub. Our goal was to improve Fanscape's Web presence essentially by connecting and updating various social media Fanscape was involved with. We wanted to create a "Fanscape Universe" and be sure that each social media tool where Fanscape was involved connected users to the next.

Mashable provided us with many interesting ideas for improving Fanscape's YouTube page, MySpace page, Facebook page, blogs, etc. Some recent, interesting articles on Mashable include, "The Ten Essential Social Media Stories This week," "5 Terrific Twitter Research Tools," and "7 Totally Unique Flickr Search Tools." The site discusses social media sites many people are already using, but what is unique about the blog is that it introduces readers to new, interesting and hidden tools that could potentially make the world of difference for a business. I also love reading the blog soley due to my interest in social media tools! It is amazing what they can do and how much they can promote a business and its products/services.

My boss at Fanscape actually went to a party for Mashable - said the head writer was a really interesting guy! During my time at Fanscape what I did was essentially analyze all of Fanscape's channels; what they currently looked like, how they could be improved, and goals for the future. It is very exciting to go to Fanscape's various channels now and see how they have been improved, partially based on my feedback. Here is the Fansacpe logo when I worked there:


Here is the company's new logo:

This logo is much more current and succinct with the new company Web site. Fanscape has also updated its company information on MySpace, YouTube and Facebook so it is more consistent, transparent and has a greater impact.

Larry Weintraub's blog on "smart marketing" is also very interesting. Check it out here: http://www.larrywblog.com/

Holabird Sports...Great Deals!

I am currently thinking about purchasing some new sneakers. I am a runner/athlete and very loyal to Asics, however I do not want to wind up spending over a hundred dollars. My dad is very good at finding good deals and has mastered the art of “shopping around.” He often orders his sneakers from Holabirdsports.com, where he finds excellent deals. The site has been around since 1981 and features the most popular brands in sporting goods. It offers exclusive deals and various promotions. Users can shop by sport, brand, product, accessories or fan gear. There are also product groups displayed which include running shoes, tennis shoes, tennis, sportswear, running gear, for juniors, shoes – men, shoes – women, racquetball, squash, platform tennis, sports equipment and gift cards. Evidently the site offers a wide variety of products as it tries to cater to various athletes, particularly tennis, squash and racquetball players. Products come from the Holabird showroom outlet in Baltimore, MD, which the site invites users to visit.

When looking at shoes, the site provides the option of comparing sneaker attributes and price side by side to determine which you prefer. Also, all prices exclusive to the site are displayed in a bright orange color in order to emphasize how much money has been taken off the retail price. Due to the short lived nature of some of Holabird’s promotions and how fast discounted products sell out, a fixed pricing strategy, particularly promotional pricing is being employed here. The home page displays “exclusives” which are deals that can only be found at Holabird. It also features current “promotions,” next to which it says “check back often for new offers” to emphasize that the promotions are short term. These are excellent incentives for consumers to buy, as they are great deals. An example of the "compare" option is pictured below.


In addition to the deals offered on the homepage, as users browse through the products, other deals are highlighted. As mentioned before, discounted prices are in orange. Also next to many of the products it says “close-out” depicting that it is the final sale and a small number of the particular products remains. This reinforces the popularity of the product and just how good the deal is.

Based on the prices depicted on the site, products are significantly cheaper than they would be in a sporting goods retail store. Sneakers that are discounted or on “close-out” are around twenty bucks less than retail. For example, I am interested in the Asics GEL-DS Trainer 13 Lady and they were originally $100, but are now on close-out for only $66.95. Racquets are significantly discounted, often $100 less than retail. For example an E-Force Bedlam Dagger 150 racquetball racquet is listed at $280 and Holabird sells it for $144.95.

Holabird’s pricing strategy is evidently very successful as products on the site sell very fast. Since Tennis Pros founded the site, creators know exactly what consumers want especially when it comes to squash, tennis or racquetball. Consumer reviews of Holabird on pricegrabber.com are excellent. Almost all consumers have found their desired products and experienced easy purchasing and fast shipment. Holabird’s estimated annual sales are $6,000,000. To read more about Holabird’s company profile, visit this site: http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_hn8ft0.

Buy and Sell Tickets on StubHub!

The pure play company I chose is StubHub, which is an online market place where individuals can buy and sell tickets for sporting events, Broadway shows, concerts and other entertainment. What is interesting about StubHub and sets it apart from other similar sites such as eBay and Craigslist, is that StubHub makes a profit off of tickets bought and sold. The site takes 25% commission after a ticket is sold. Ten percent comes from the buyer and fifteen percent comes from the seller. There is a shipping and handling fee if customers opt to have the tickets shipped to them, or they often have the option of picking them up at the event. The concept of StubHub is pretty ingenious because not only is it an online market place solely for people to buy and sell tickets, but the site is making a profit as well. People who utilize the site span from season ticket holders to professional ticket brokers. StubHub also has formal relationships with sports organizations including the NHL, NBA, NFL and NCAA making the site more reputable. Also since the site is owned by eBay, eBay users are often directed to StubHub when exploring ticket options.

StubHub has two main business models. Not only does it follow a brokerage model because it is an auction site like eBay, but it also follows a virtual merchant model due to the commission it makes off of all purchases and sales of tickets. People often do not mind paying the small commission as they are looking for a one of a kind ticket, tickets for events that are sold out, or tickets at a discounted price. When a StubHub user posts tickets to sell, they have the option of selling the tickets at a declining price, fixed price, or as an auction. If they select declining price this means if the tickets are not selling the price will get lower and lower as the event date/sell date approaches allowing the user a greater chance of getting rid of the tickets. A fixed price is just as it sounds – the price does not alter, and the auction option is akin to eBay where users can place bids on the tickets they wish to purchase.

Coupling a brokerage model with a merchant model is what has made StubHub so successful. Not only is the site an online market place – a very popular trend in today’s society, but StubHub also makes a profit when tickets are sold. It knows that if individuals really want tickets to an event that is sold out or has great seats they will pay the extra ten percent to buy the ticket. Also if sellers really want to get rid of their tickets, StubHub is the place to post them and only fifteen percent will be taken from their selling price/profit.

StubHub is a very user-friendly site just like other online marketplaces such as eBay or Craigslist. Once a user creates a personal account their home page will display their current activity: all items they are buying and selling, and their personal account settings. The site itself is divided up into categories consisting of “Sports,” “Concerts,” “Theater,” and “Exclusives.” I know many people who use the site and I personally find much more success finding tickets on it than eBay or Craigslist. Also since StubHub has formal relationships with professional and collegiate sports associations, teams often put tickets up for sale on the site.

I think there are a few basic metrics StubHub uses/should employ to evaluate the success of the business. The first thing I remember is that when you register it asks how you heard of the site and the options include: friend, billboard/signage, news story, magazine, other, radio, sports teams, or TV. This allows StubHub to determine what or who is driving traffic to the site and where it should focus its efforts more. The site can also be a way to track the number of tickets purchased and sold and monitor activity including the current number of users on the site. Since the site also follows a merchant model, it can track revenue based on commission it makes. Another tactic StubHub could use to evaluate its success level is to watch its competitors and the presence of ticket sales on other sites such as Craigslist. Also, since StubHub is owned by eBay, eBay should be aware of all ticket sales transpiring on its site and when it is appropriate to direct customers to StubHub.

To create your own account, visit StubHub! It's a great time to get some March Madness tickets!

Beyonce's Performace of "At Last" at Inaugural Ball

Following Beyonce’s performance of the song “At Last” at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, Etta James started a feud with Beyonce for “singing her song.” What seemed like an attack by James on Beyonce for copyright infringement turned out to be nothing of the sort. At a concert in Seattle on January 28th, following the inauguration, James publicity stated, “I tell you, that woman he has singing for him, singing my song, she gonna get her ass whipped…I can’t stand Beyonce, she had no business up there singing my song that I’ve been singing forever.”

What was most surprising about James’ reaction to Beyonce’s performance at the Inaugural Ball was the fact that Beyonce had sung “At Last” many times before. Etta James praised Beyonce for her performance in the movie Cadillac Records in which she portrays James, singing many of her popular songs including “At Last.” It seems that James became very territorial over a song that was not even debuted by her. It also seemed to bother James that Beyonce sang “her song” at such an important event such as the Inaugural Ball. James said, “Like I said, she ain't mine... I can't stand Beyonce. She has no business up there, singing up there on a big ol' president day...” James and Beyonce are pictured together below at an event for Cadillac Records.


Had Etta James owned the copyright to the song, “At Last” there could have been a potential copyright infringement case here if Beyonce had not received permission to sing the song. However, James does not originally sing the song. The writers of “At Last” are Mack Gordon and Henry Warren. Some of their ‘40s hits include, “You’ll Never know” and “The More I See.” The tune “At Last” was first performed by Glenn Miller and his orchestra in 1941 and later by Nat King Cole in 1957. Etta James considers “At Last” to be her “trademark song,” however she initially sang her version in 1961 and was evidently not the first person to perform the song. After the words were said about Beyonce, James later issued a statement to the New York Daily News saying she “didn’t really mean anything” by it – hard to believe!

The Copyright Act of 1976 states that copyright becomes property of the author as soon as the work is finished. Had James written the song and assumed copyright she could potentially have a case against Beyonce. However, it seems that James was just bitter about Beyonce singing a popular song of hers at the Inaugural Ball! Interestingly enough this is not the first situation like this Beyonce has found herself in. At the 2008 Grammy Awards, Beyonce referred to Tina Turner as the “the queen” and Aretha Franklin brought about controversy because she is known as the “queen of soul.” There was also no case here – Franklin does not have a trademark on the title “queen of soul!”

To read more about the controversy sparked by Beyonce’s performance of “At Last” at the Inaugural Ball, here are a couple of articles:

NBC Los Angeles

Vh1

Nike ID vs. Puma Mongolian BBQ

NikeID and Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ have both taken advantage of customization with their websites. Customers are more and more interested in purchasing products, sneakers in this case, that they have designed. It definitely taps into their creative side, makes their shoe unique, and assures them that no one else out there will have a shoe exactly like theirs. This gives customers the opportunity to stand out and really showcase their personality through a pair of sneakers. I remember how excited my peers and I were when NikeID first came out and the first person I knew that purchased a pair of sneakers from the site was sure to flaunt them. The Internet allows the process to be quick and simple – with a few clicks an individual can create a sneaker designed exclusively by them.


Nike and Puma’s sites take the same general approach but their themes are very different and brand specific. Nike’s site is very classic and typical of the sneaker company. The site is divided into men’s, women’s, collections and studios. Each tab contains various options to select. The site caters to many different tastes, ages, sports, and need for different types of sneakers. Nike has far more sneaker designs on its site than Puma does. The site allows customers to either begin creating a shoe from a base design or start from scratch. This allows people who like to start with an idea or some direction to build off of what is already there. The opportunity to design a shoe from scratch allows customers to let their imagination run wild and make the shoe completely their own. A feature that I wasn’t aware of on the site is the NikeID clothing/accessories. The design options for the clothing are more limited but it is still fun to order a shirt that is “made by you.”


Although I do like some Puma sneakers, I had never visited the Puma Mongolian Shoe site before, but thought it was very creative and characteristic of the brand. In a way I did find it a little too out of the box because it is not blatantly clear when you visit the site that it is a place to customize sneakers. However, I do think the concept of a “Mongolian BBQ” is interesting. The site sticks to the theme and goes so far as to make the “What is Mongolian BBQ?” tab an actual description of Mongolian BBQs in the Far East. At the end of the description the three styles of sneakers featured on the site are mentioned, followed by the phrase “Preheat your oven and start cooking.” The site is very user friendly and allows visitors to select from the three different sneakers designs. It offers the same option as Nike where customers can begin creating their shoe from a base design or from scratch. The options for colors and textures are very characteristic of the Puma brand. The Puma site does have a unique feature, which NikeID does not have. It allows you to select a specific Puma store and build your sneaker at that specific location.

I went onto both the Nike and Puma sites and created my own sneaker. I really enjoyed my experience on the Nike site. There were a variety of sneakers for me to choose from and I opted to start from scratch. I have always wanted a pair of Nike Air Max sneakers. I then created a very colorful sneaker; something I have always wanted. I was never sure that I could “pull off” a bright sneaker but Nike ID has definitely made me think about actually purchasing the shoe I designed. Designing the shoe was very easy. After clicking on a certain part of the sneaker, color options and styles appeared that I could select. I found the Nike site to be very straight forward and easy to use. I like how you can instantly see the changes you make on the shoe. The site also provides the option of saving your shoe to your “locker” or making it your wallpaper. By putting the shoe in my locker I am able to save it and make changes later. I also liked how there is an icon that says, “design progress” and displays a number out of ten to represent the stage of completion. This allowed me to always know what stage of design I was at. Below is the colorful Nike Air Max sneaker I created and the link!


My Nike Design

My experience on the Puma site was not as good as on the Nike site. I think this was because I preferred the styles, colors, etc. that Nike had to offer. Despite my favoritism towards the Nike site, I did have a decent experience on the Puma site. Designing a sneaker was simple as the site is user friendly. First, I had to choose from the three styles of sneakers offered and then I decided to start from scratch. I did notice that there were fewer parts to the Puma sneaker thank the Nike sneaker that I could alter. This was another reason I enjoyed making the Nike sneaker better. In the future I think Puma would benefit from offering more styles of sneakers to choose from and more basic, clean colors and designs. I had a difficult time finding a design that I liked as many of them are very funky and bold – not necessarily my style. Therefore, I decided to create a sneaker that has a clean look to it. My Puma sneaker and link is pictured below.

My Puma Design

I found the technology on both of the sites to be very impressive. After I changed a color or style on a sneaker the updated design would almost instantly appear. The technology allowed me to be aware of what the sneaker looked like at each phase and it was very easy to go back and make changes if need be. As I said I did enjoy how the Nike site clearly illustrated the phase of design via a number scale out of ten.

Overall, I had a better experience on the Nike site. This could partly be because I like the Nike styles, colors, and types of sneakers available better. However, Nike does offer many more sneaker options and the NikeID site is very easy to use. I think Puma could improve their site by offering more sneaker styles and being a little more transparent about what the site has to offer and its functions. The Mongolian BBQ theme is very creative; however I do not feel that the actual products Puma is trying to sell (sneakers) are featured enough on the site.

In Summary...

After blogging for an entire semester about coupons, promotions and sweepstakes, I noticed a great deal of trends and patterns. Initially when I selected this topic I was nervous about finding articles to blog about. I knew that there were a tremendous amount of coupons, promotions and sweepstakes out there but I wasn’t sure how much they were discussed on the Internet. Initially I just searched google for articles to write about, but eventually I came across promomagazine.com, which was an excellent source for me. I also found many other blogs besides mine, which write about the same topic; duct tape marketing blog for example. After finding sources, I was able to easily blog about the subject twice a week. After writing about so many different promotions, some obvious trends became apparent to me. The first thing I noticed was that many promotions include a grand prize involving meeting a famous person or winning a vacation relating to whatever is being promoted. Also, the way that people can enter contests was similar on many occasions. It is becoming more and more common for people to enter sweepstakes via the Internet. Lastly, when the holiday season began to approach it was near impossible for me to find a promotion that did not have a holiday theme. Evidently, promotions take great advantage of the time of year in which they are taking place.

The most common grand prize for the promotions I wrote about was a vacation or opportunity to meet a celebrity or professional athlete. Promotions do an excellent job attracting their target market. For example, the Gillette Video Contest I wrote about had a grand prize of meeting a professional football player. This directly targeted the appropriate market as men who use Gillette razors and men who are interested in football are most likely one in the same. I did notice that since not all people would want to meet a professional football player, Gillette is limiting its response level to men, but I think this is necessary as they are the main consumers of the product. Essentially, product promoters realize that it is not necessary to target secondary markets with their promotions, as secondary markets are solely consumers, not people who would be likely to participate in a promotion related to the product. In the case of Gillette, and secondary market may be wives purchasing razors for their husbands. It is unnecessary for Gillette to gear their promotion towards this secondary market as woman are most likely not as interested in meeting a professional football player as men.

I noticed the same trend with promotions that included a grand prize of a trip – they were very focused on their target market. For example, the Home Depot promotion included a grand prize of a trip to the Super Bowl and Modell’s contest had a grand prize of a trip to baseball spring training. People who typically shop in Home Depot are older men; the same people who would love a trip to the Super Bowl. Those who shop at Modell’s (a sporting goods store) would definitely welcome a trip to baseball spring training. Once again these promotions do not target any secondary markets but the promoters have realized it is unnecessary and not worth the money to do so.

Another trend that came to my attention when blogging about contests was the method consumers use to enter into the contests. Almost every contest I wrote about can be entered via the Internet. McDonald’s monopoly, the Dairy Queen Promotion and the NBAstore.com promotion (just to name a few) all have a specific Web site to enter their promotions. It is the age of the Internet and this was made clear by the promotions I read about. Even coupons are now electronic. This is why it was not difficult at all for me to find promotions being discussed on the Internet and I was not surprised when I came across a number of blogs out there that discuss promotions, coupons or sweepstakes.

The last thing that was impossible not to notice was the plethora of holiday themed promotions. I was definitely expecting this but I was not expecting it to be a struggle to find a non-holiday themed promotion during this time. I think it is a great tactic for promotions to incorporate the holiday theme, as people will be more inclined to participate because the promotions will play off their mood – being in the holiday spirit. Some of the holiday promotions were very fun, such as the KFC one where people compete for the best photo or video of holiday decorations.

I really enjoyed blogging about coupons, promotions and sweepstakes this semester, as it was a very interesting topic. I think that as the semester went on I became more comfortable with adding personality to my blog and getting away from just summarizing the articles. I would definitely like to continue this blog in the future or create another one, working on establishing my voice.