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20 May 12

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Power Marketing Welcomes New Team Members

Hagerstown, MD, May 20, 2012 –(PR.com)– Power Marketing, LLC, a full-service marketing, Internet and brand strategy consulting company, is pleased to announce two new hires —Andrew Lechowicz, Web Developer; and Matt Matzen, Web Designer. These new employees will be important assets to the team’s growing Internet marketing services and clientele.

“We are thrilled to add Andrew and Matt to our strong team of designers and programmers,” says President Brian Flook. “Their talents and abilities will help us to continue to provide excellent products, services and marketing results to our clients.”

Lechowicz’s job responsibilities as Web Developer include designing and developing database-driven web applications. This includes server-side programming, database creation and management, as well as client-side scripting. Currently a student at Hagerstown Community College, Lechowicz is fluent in PHP, MySQL, jQuery, AJAX, CSS, and HTML. He enjoys that every day is challenging, different and requires creative problem solving.

As Web Designer, Matzen is responsible for designing and coding websites, communicating with clients, and various print design projects including logos and brochures. Matzen has been building and designing websites for more than six years within the industry, most recently at Meridian Web in Martinsburg, West Va., where he gained experience providing customer support, CMS integration for existing sites, website maintenance, design and hosting support.

About Power Marketing:
Power Marketing, LLC of Hagerstown, MD is a full-service marketing firm with more than 20 years of hands-on marketing experience that specializes in marketing strategy, Internet solutions, corporate branding, search engine optimization, marketing social media, and web design. Power Marketing assists companies in maximizing their resources to improve their brand identity and sales success. For more information, please contact Communications Specialist Larissa Newman, 301-416-7861, Larissa@power-marketing.com or visit www.power-marketing.com.

Article source: http://www.pr.com/press-release/414217


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19 May 12

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Canada Goose’s made-in-Canada marketing strategy translates into success

Under the stewardship of chief executive Dani Reiss since 2001, Toronto-based Canada Goose Inc. has grown close to 4,000% and become the country’s premier brand of outerwear. Mr. Reiss, whose grandfather, Sam Tick, founded the company in 1957, talked with the Financial Post‘s Hollie Shaw about how the brand goodwill was built through grassroots marketing and a bit of old-fashioned made-in-Canada style envy.

Q How did you take the Canada Goose brand to where it is today?

A When I started here our factory produced all kinds of stuff [and] we decided to focus on the Canada Goose [outerwear] part of the business and growing it around the world. When I got involved the product was worn by people who lived and worked in the coldest places on Earth, and that is still the case. The 21st century has become the era of the brand and in some cases the era of the fake brand. It makes sense that a down-filled jacket — a quintessentially Canadian product — is made in a factory here.

And ironically where it started to work well first as an urban brand was Europe in the late 1990s. In Canada it was a harder go at first because the people who had heard of it thought of it as this utilitarian brand. The retailers in Europe had a different take on it — to them it was almost a luxury outdoor brand. We used the success in Europe to bring it back to Canada.

People look at retail windows around the world and they would go to Italy and see guys on their scooters in Canada Goose bombers. We made sure that we showed [the Canadian retailers] those images, and whenever we got PR in magazines we demonstrated that to them. We wanted to accelerate the process of them recognizing what was going on.

Q So manufacturing in Canada became an important message in your marketing?

A It is one of the pillars of our foundation. Ten years ago a lot of Canadian brands thought people didn’t care about ‘Made in Canada’ at all and to that extent they left Canada and produced offshore.

We took that opportunity to stay in Canada and by doing that we became successful. The strategy of sticking around [helped] the perception that we are the champions for ‘Made in Canada’ and people appreciate that. You can’t be a luxury brand without the history and the heritage.

I believe a lot of brands have lost an element of their soul by outsourcing to Asia. If you look at some of the world’s greatest brands, like Louis Vuitton — it is all made at 27 factories in France. It was a calculated risk for us, but the truth is, had we decided to go offshore and manufacture like everyone else was doing, I am certain that we would not be where we are today. In Europe, nobody would have been interested because they have their own European brands that are made in China. At the end of the day, what is your point of differentiation? What makes you special?

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Q How do you market the brand? How much traditional advertising do you do?

A One of the powers of our brand is that we make the best and warmest jackets on Earth, so the product is its own advertising, and the logo is so recognizable. We do a little bit of print media but not a lot. We do a lot of sponsorships and direct-to-consumer stuff. It’s lots of word-ofmouth and we support that by sponsorships and partnerships.

In the early days we did things like put jackets on people in the cold like bouncers or scalpers who were cold because they were standing outside all night. Nowadays we have a partnership with Fairmont Hotels and they are a great Canadian brand — a traditional, authentic Canadian luxury brand. All of their front-facing people — the doormen, bellmen, anybody working outside – wears a Canada Goose jacket. That is a direct interaction with consumers.

Q How important a marketing strategy are digital and social media?

A Social media [are] very important because of the way people communicate about our product.

People have this experience of extreme warmth and then they go talk to somebody else about it. Our Facebook page is very active and engaged and [the growth] was organic. It is not commercial, it is social. We tell our stories a lot more than we push our products. We are not going to take out some ad just to get millions of [Facebook] fans.

Q What has counterfeiting done to the brand from a marketing perspective? Does the controversy help in any way, or does it always hurt? You have also filed suit against International Clothiers for trademark violations over using a similar logo. Is the resulting publicity good for you?

A I don’t want to get into [the case] because it is before the courts right now. If I could choose between having the counterfeit problem and not having the counterfeit problem, I [would choose not having one]. The fact that we are being counterfeited speaks to the presence that our brand has in the global marketplace. I think that it is up to us to turn it into a positive thing however we can. The most important thing we can do is to educate consumers about counterfeiting. A lot of people go online and buy a jacket and think that it is ours and it is not, so we want to make sure to get the message out in any way we can and hopefully that will happen less and less.

Article source: http://business.financialpost.com/2012/05/18/canada-gooses-made-in-canada-marketing-strategy-translates-into-success/


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19 May 12

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LA’s bold marketing strategy isn’t just online

The Los Angeles Kings have made plenty of noise with their new rambunctious social media strategy. They have given the LA Twitter account a distinctive, controversial voice that has brought in waves of new followers and waves of new critics. 

Thanks to a post over at Reddit Hockey, we can see that LA’s controversial marketing strategy has spilt over into the real world. As you can see in the photo above, the Kings are using their edgy voice on a small poster/billboard located at what appears to be a bus stop. 

Unfortunately, our info on this marketing piece is limited. We don’t know where it is located or how long it has been in place. However, the advertisement itself speaks volumes. 

In advertising, sex sells. Humor sells as well. Might as well mix the two and see what happens, right? Credit to the Kings for trying to break through the typical advertising clutter. We are forced to dock points for them using such a tired cliche of using the term “score” for sex. It’s pretty played out. 

Still, the advertisement is doing exactly what was intended. It was supposed to get people talking and here we are talking about it. It was supposed to bring smiles to the faces of fans or non-fans that read it and we’ll admit, it got a small chuckle. 

At this stage the question must be asked – what’s next for the Kings? As each strategy they deploy pays off and egst attention, more and more pressure is placed on the marketing team’s shoulders. Their marketing strategies both online and now in person have created quite a stir. Will they be able to keep things sizzling before the novelty wears off?

—–

David Rogers is a staff writer for Puck Drunk Love runs FrozenNotes.com.

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Article source: http://bloguin.com/puckdrunklove/2012-articles/may/las-bold-marketing-strategy-isnt-just-online.html


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19 May 12

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Marketing Lessons Startups Need to Learn from Google’s Project Glass Concept Video

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Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Neil Patel, co-founder of KISSmetrics and blogger at QuickSprout.com.

You may have seen it by now…Google’s concept video about its new Project Glass. These glasses will do what your smart phone will do only without having to hold anything…you actually see your options at the side of your view.

You can get directions, send and receive texts, make calls, schedule tasks and even share your view with another person.

It’s a really exciting idea…especially if you love technology. But the actual product is easily years out from becoming a reality.

Was Google wise to release an idea so early? And should startups do the same?

Concept videos give you constructive criticism

At this stage Project Glass is nothing but a video…and may not be a reality for a long time. Augmented reality experts point out that there are huge hurdles the Google has to overcome.

So why did Google unveil so early?

It all boils down to the fact that they wanted feedback on the product. Google wanted to learn the good and bad things people had to say about the glasses.

The video currently has gotten over 15 million views which suggests that there is a lot of curiosity in the product…

but not necessarily interested buyers.

It’s just like when Drew Houston released his Dropbox video. There was no coding…just a screen cast of how Dropbox would work.

While Dropbox was certainly fishing for feedback on how to improve its product more importantly it was looking for how many people would adopt and use it.

The Digg community responded:

But more importantly, there were thousands of people who signed up to be notified for the release of the actual product on the first day of the video’s release. And then thousands more after that.

Clearly Drew learned that there was a huge need out there that DropBox could fulfill.

Concept videos gauge interest

You’ll more than likely get in-depth comments from the innovators and early adopters.
The early and late majority will typically just vote up or down on it.

While the input from the first group is critical for building a better product…hearing from the second group is critical to knowing if you are creating a product that will have mass adoption.

But don’t get discouraged if you only hear from the first group during the first round of your prototype video. While keeping costs low, make the suggested changes from the first group to the product and then release a second video.

However, if you don’t hear from the second group the second time around…then you may have a product that nobody wants.

Concept videos build your brand

Another reason for doing a concept video is to make your company look like it’s a company that is on the cutting edge and is doing cool things in secret.

The concept video is a powerful marketing strategy for companies that have long production time tables between products…like cars or iPads.

Apple will release concept videos like this one on the iPad 3 that keep people in anticipation of the real product. Otherwise they may fade into the background and no longer seem like the cool technology company it is.

This is also why Google released their concept video.

Remember, however, that this strategy doesn’t always work with small businesses. It’s a lot more risky for a startup to engage in a concept video if the technology is years out from entering the market.

The startup without an established reputation or brand is better off just building a superior product behind closed doors. A concept video that gets a poor reception could easily sink their reputation.

When should a startup use a concept video?

A concept video is a great idea for a startup when two conditions are met:

  • You can keep costs down – Google’s Project Glass video is a high-quality production that probably cost thousands to produce from the sheer man hours alone. Your video doesn’t have to be that slick. Drew Houston achieved his results with something a whole heck of a lot cheaper.
  • You want feedback from focus group – If you are a startup building a killer product behind closed doors you will definitely at some point want to get feedback from real live users and learn from their suggestions. You can do this with a concept video that you only share in private. This will protect you from premature scrutiny from the public. Make sure though you use testers who you trust and can be confident they won’t leak your product early.

So how do you create a successful concept video? Here are some tips.

Involve the viewers

In my opinion the genius of the Google Glasses concept video was in that it shows you exactly what the product could do for you by putting the viewer into the lead role of the video.

From the start of the video the camera moves around like it is you looking out from these glasses.


This is a great example of allowing someone to demo a product without actually having the product!

Highlight the benefits of the features

The basic purpose of a concept video is to show potential users how its features will make the life of the user better. This means you have to give examples of ways your product can make the user smarter, more efficient or happier.

The DropBox video gave tons of examples on stuff people could store.

But then it went on to give scenarios of how DropBox could be used to solve common storage problems people have.

Isolate the new features

If you have an existing product like the iPad…then how can a concept video help you?

In this case most people will be familiar with the general features of the product. What Apple’s concept video needed to do was show off the new features.

This could be done without any narration as the action communicated clearly what a person could do with new features like connecting two iPads together, a holograph display of movies and an augmented reality keyboard.

Tell a story

Another reason the Google video was a success is that it told a story. It was a simple story of a day in someone’s life.

It showed him eating breakfast, trying to catch the subway, meeting a friend for coffee and playing the ukulele for his girlfriend…and how Google Glasses was involved the whole time.

That narrative…and how seamless Google Glasses fit into that narrative…keeps you glued to the screen!

It’s critical to understand that your product must fit seamlessly into the story. If it feels crammed or out of place then this approach won’t work.

Create a mechanism to capture leads

Finally, if you are going to create a concept video then you need to create a way to capture the leads that you generate, which usually involves driving them to a unique landing page…

This is what I think was Google’s biggest failure. They missed…and are missing…an opportunity to capture something like 14 million possible leads of interest.

If anything by capturing leads with a basic field that allows someone to join a list of updates on Project Glass will help them to see how many potential customers there are, which would give you quantifiable data to determine if it will be a profitable market.

For the startup who doesn’t have the financial resources that a Google has, this is an absolute must. Create a mechanism to capture an email address.

Final thoughts

The concept video is a wonderful marketing tool on some many levels. However, it may not be the best approach for every startup. You need to evaluate your needs, your resources and what you are trying to accomplishing before jumping in with both feet.

However, if and when you do decide, I truly believe that it’s a great way to help you save money and reputation…leading to a killer product in the end!

What other advantages are there to using a concept video?

Article source: http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/19/marketing-lessons-startups-need-to-learn-from-googles-project-glass-concept-video/


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19 May 12

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New Article Marketing Strategy Announced By Content Writing King

Content Writing King has announced the development of a new article marketing strategy. This project is a new strategy update aimed to better accommodate new search engine rules, as well as help customers.

(PRWEB) May 18, 2012

Today, Content Writing King has made an announcement concerning their article marketing strategy for their services. This announcement is that Content Writing King’s team is working on a new strategy for their article marketing services. This new strategy is an update built on new search engine rules, a new understanding of how customers prefer to approach websites, as well as a foundation of search engine optimization knowledge that is not yet outdated.

According to Content Writing King, this new link building strategy has been in development for a while. In fact, they claim that Lehi Drew’s blog post writing series is meant as a supplement to their strategy. They have said they need their customers to understand the basics of article marketing, link building, and white hat search engine optimization. This is because many people don’t understand how to do this white hat, especially after Google’s new rule changes, reports link building giant Content Writing King.

A spokesman from Content Writing King has released a statement concerning these new developments for their link building and article marketing services. This statement says, “We’ve been trying to keep it under wraps, but we feel it’s the appropriate time to announce our new article marketing and link building strategy. Our writer, Lehi Drew, has been helping to get our readers ready for when they are to begin working with us. He’s been doing this by writing a series of blogs to educate customers on basic best practices. We feel as if customers who look for out types of services really don’t get it due to it not being their expertise, necessarily.”

About Content Writing King – Content Writing King is an online company that helps consumers to find and obtain article marketing, link building, and white hat search engine optimization services. For more information about Content Writing King, please visit their website at http://www.contentwritingking.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/5/prweb9522042.htm

Article source: http://www.timesunion.com/business/press-releases/article/New-Article-Marketing-Strategy-Announced-By-3568177.php


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18 May 12

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Tranzbyte’s New Prez Orders a Refining of its Marketing Strategy Regarding its …


PHOENIX, May 18, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Altitude Organic Corporation, a subsidiary of Tranzbyte Corporation (erbb (otc:PK), announced today that its corporate president, David Gwyther, has determined that conflicting federal and state policies continue to cloud Arizona’s (and other state’s) dispensary initiative process. Because of the current conflicting state and federal rules, Altitude Organic has been developing new and more effective strategies aligned with the needs of successful dispensary owner applicants following their certification by the states allowing the distribution of medical marijuana.

Mr. Gwyther states, “Focusing the company’s resources on dispensary owners who have successfully navigated through the licensing process enables us to enter business relationships with a greater number of locations and exploit future opportunities coast to coast. Federal law still unrealistically lists marijuana as a Schedule 1 narcotic – in the same class as heroin. Although various initiatives are underway to change this, the US Department of Justice continues to prosecute dispensary owners in states authorizing its sale.” (
http://www.thedailychronic.net/2012/9464/feds-threaten-50-more-california-dispensaries-given-2-week-deadline-to-close/ ) A strong majority of Americans favor the legalization of medical marijuana. (
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/05/17/americans-support-ending-federal-crackdown-on-medical-marijuana ).

“In addition to the justice department conflicts, the Internal Revenue Service has gotten in the act and declared that dispensaries may not deduct the cost of growing (or the cost of their purchase) of marijuana when calculating their cost of doing business thus exaggerating the dispensary’s profit and increasing its resulting tax liability,” continues Gwyther. (
http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/05/8153459-irs-ruling-strikes-fear-in-medical-marijuana-industry?lite )

In order to leverage the ambiguity in the current unstable dispensary marketplace, the company will endeavor to create supply relationships with hundreds of existing marijuana dispensary owners in all 16 states, rather than focusing on the pre-certification process in just a few.

One such innovative program in Altitude Organic’s arsenal is its recently announced initiative called Zazzz(TM) – a counter-top display of highly unique products hand-picked specifically for the dispensary clientele. By first building profitable relationships with potentially hundreds of dispensary affiliates, the company will be able to leverage its position into future partnerships with some of the most successful ones. Quality dispensaries interested in learning more about becoming a Zazzz affiliate may contact Altitude Organic by calling its US headquarters at (480) 443-1600.

Tranzbyte continues to make headway in Hong Kong and China regarding its ProximaRF subsidiary and Tranzbyte division and expects to announce several significant trade relationships affecting its core group of companies and products this coming quarter.

ABOUT ALTITUDE ORGANIC CORPORATION

Altitude Organic Corporation
www.altitudeorganix.com provides business product support services to independently-owned retail dispensaries in states that have approved the use of medical cannabis. AOC continues to drive innovation in the industry through its dispensary various services, point of sale and inventory management technologies, Zazzz(TM) unique retail product lines, and an growing family of brands designed to meet the demand of the burgeoning medical cannabis industry. Visit
http://www.altitudeorganix.com today.

ABOUT PROXIMARF AND APPLIED RFID

Founded in 2006, Applied RFID and its operating subsidiaries, have a versatile and leading-edge portfolio of RFID reader, sensor tag and data logging products based on the ISO 15693 standard of high frequency (13.56Mhz) RFID.

The company has plans to increase its network of global distributors and value-added resellers. With its “Proxima RF” line of RFID readers, sensor tags, sensor probes and data logging products, the Company seeks out opportunities with partners who have a unique software offering within market verticals where the implementation of secure data collection and temperature sensing bring real and immediate ROI to users. These key markets include: food safety, cold chain logistics and healthcare/pharmaceutical as well as factory and field maintenance applications.

ABOUT TRANZBYTE

The Tranzbyte Corporation now becomes a driving force behind Altitude Organic Corporation. The company expects to continue its plan to acquire, hold, or spin out successful divisions in what has been described in previous news releases as “dividend farming,” Companies that qualify and decide to become public on their own will agree to carve out shares for Tranzbyte and their ERBB shareholders.

In February 2012, Tranzbyte acquired ProximaRF – a leading-edge company that produces a line of products supporting leading-edge RFID technology.

Tranzbyte also houses the company’s 8-year-old technology division which is actively engaged in the sale of its optical media enhancement products to potential customers in the US and Asia. Products in the Tranzbyte division include FLASHAlbum(TM) and FlixStix(TM) — technologies that enable distributors of optical media (CDs, DVDs, etc.) to consolidate the best features of each medium onto a single content-protected USB flash drive.

NOTES ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Except for any historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission reports and filings. Certain statements contained in this release that are not historical facts constitute forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created by that Act. Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because they involve unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as estimates, anticipates, projects, plans, expects, intends, believes, should and similar expressions and by the context in which they are used. Such statements are based upon current expectations of the Company and speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which they are made.

Company and Contact:

David G. Gwyther , PresidentTranzbyte Corporation14220 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 139Scottsdale, Arizona 85260480-443-1600 info@tranzbyte.com
www.altitudeorganix.com

Altitude Organic Corporation14220 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 139Scottsdale, AZ 85260info@altitudeorganix.com
www.altitudeorganix.com

Victor J. Elias, PresidentProximaRF Technology Holding Company
www.proximarf.comPro ximaRF Corporate Office:14220 N. Northsight Blvd.Scottsdale, AZ 85260480-443-1600

SOURCE Altitude Organic Corporation

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tranzbytes-new-prez-orders-a-refining-of-its-marketing-strategy-regarding-its-business-with-medical-cannabis-dispensaries-2012-05-18


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18 May 12

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Community Improvement Corp. to revisit marketing strategy – The Steubenville Herald

RAYLAND – The Community Improvement Corp. is going to revisit its marketing strategy for the Jefferson County Industrial Park, looking to see what, if anything, they need to adjust as interest in the property builds.

Commissioner Dave Maple broached the subject, suggesting the CIC should think about what’s been done at the park so far as well as what’s still to be done, “how we keep it growing.”

“I think we need to start from Step 1, really look at it and say, ‘What do we need there,’” Maple said.

Progress Alliance Director Ed Looman said there was a time in the not-too-distant past where they had to “work really hard to get people to look at it.”

“Now we’re getting lots of looks,” he told the board. “We’re working with a prospect now that actually wants to buy land there.”

That’s in addition to the recent announcement that Riley Petroleum would be relocating to the industrial park. The county commissioners recently transferred 5 acres at the park to the CIC for Riley’s warehouse and headquarters, retaining 20 jobs and allowing for the company’s future expansion.

Maple said that just hours before the CIC meeting, the county commissioners also were able to announce the Ohio Department of Transportation had committed $750,000 to the Jefferson County Airpark’s runway extension project. The county’s application for another $750,000 in funding through JobsOhio also has been filed.

The county commissioners have guaranteed the remaining $500,000 needed to leverage the state funding and complete the $2 million project, which will add another 600 feet in length to the 4,400 foot runway as well as widen it.

Commissioner Tom Graham said they’re hoping the airport authority will be able to repay the loan, “but, regardless, we’re backing it to make sure we get the $1.5 million from the state.”

At their recent meeting, airport authority members had said they were more than willing to assume the obligation, since the payment would be roughly what they had been paying on three debts that have already or soon will be retired.

A longer, wider runway will allow bigger planes to land regardless of weather conditions without jeopardizing their insurance coverage. Up to this point, larger planes landing or taking off at the airpark have done so at their own risk.

“That’s $1.5 million in free money coming to Jefferson County,” Looman told the CIC board, noting that commissioners, the airport authority and other local leaders had been working for some time to secure the funding. “It’s huge.”

Maple pointed out that airport numbers have been on the upswing and with the oil and gas drilling industry moving into high gear locally, the runway extension will allow the county to capitalize on its full growth potential.

Board members, meanwhile, said they are trying to get the word out to their Progress Alliance investors that their continued involvement is needed as they transition to a countywide port authority, pointing out it could be years before the port authority is positioned to pick up the economic development mantle.

“We still need contributions from the private sector,” CIC President Bob Chapman said. “We still all need to work together.”

Article source: http://www.heraldstaronline.com/page/content.detail/id/573848/Community-Improvement-Corp--to-revisit-marketing-strategy.html?nav=5010


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18 May 12

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New Article Marketing Strategy Announced By Content Writing King



  • Orlin Wagner, Associated Press

    Houston Chronicle

    Copyright 2012 Houston Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Updated 11:41 p.m., Thursday, May 17, 2012

    Solomon: Baylor savors unparalleled year in all sports

    • Article source: http://www.chron.com/business/press-releases/article/New-Article-Marketing-Strategy-Announced-By-3568161.php


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    18 May 12

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    New Article Marketing Strategy Announced By Content Writing King

    • Email a friend

    (PRWEB) May 18, 2012

    Today, Content Writing King has made an announcement concerning their article marketing strategy for their services. This announcement is that Content Writing King’s team is working on a new strategy for their article marketing services. This new strategy is an update built on new search engine rules, a new understanding of how customers prefer to approach websites, as well as a foundation of search engine optimization knowledge that is not yet outdated.

    According to Content Writing King, this new link building strategy has been in development for a while. In fact, they claim that Lehi Drew’s blog post writing series is meant as a supplement to their strategy. They have said they need their customers to understand the basics of article marketing, link building, and white hat search engine optimization. This is because many people don’t understand how to do this white hat, especially after Google’s new rule changes, reports link building giant Content Writing King.

    A spokesman from Content Writing King has released a statement concerning these new developments for their link building and article marketing services. This statement says, “We’ve been trying to keep it under wraps, but we feel it’s the appropriate time to announce our new article marketing and link building strategy. Our writer, Lehi Drew, has been helping to get our readers ready for when they are to begin working with us. He’s been doing this by writing a series of blogs to educate customers on basic best practices. We feel as if customers who look for out types of services really don’t get it due to it not being their expertise, necessarily.”

    About Content Writing King – Content Writing King is an online company that helps consumers to find and obtain article marketing, link building, and white hat search engine optimization services. For more information about Content Writing King, please visit their website at http://www.contentwritingking.com.

    Email a friend


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    Print

    Article source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9522042.htm


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    17 May 12

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    Why Everyday Low Pricing Might Not Fit JC Penney

    J.C. Penney’s (JCP) move away from frequent promotional discounts to everyday low pricing caught many Wall Street analysts, retailers, and consumers by surprise. Virtually overnight, the retailer, which offered about 590 sales promotions last year, abandoned a strategy it had followed for decades to join the ranks of retailers that offer low everyday prices. The sudden change—followed by a first-quarter loss—isn’t necessarily the right strategy for J.C. Penney.

    The retailer’s decision calls for a transition from the “high-low” pricing popular among apparel retailers such as Macy’s (M), Nordstrom (JWN), and Kohl’s (KSS)—which involves frequent deep discounts from relatively high base prices—to the “everyday low pricing” popular among mass retailers such as Wal-Mart (WMT)(WMT), Home Depot (HD), and Target (TGT). J.C. Penney justifies the move by pointing out that less than 1 percent of its revenue comes from items bought at full price, whereas nearly three-quarters of the merchandise it sells is discounted by 50 percent or more. Its managers reason that the base prices are meaningless and it’s a more sensible strategy to lower prices to the point at which the highest levels of sales and profit are likely to occur.

    Although intuitively appealing, the everyday-low-price strategy could backfire.

    First, lowering the base price is likely to devalue image-based items such as apparel. Consumers often look at price to determine the quality of an item: The higher the base price, the higher the perceived quality and exclusivity, and vice-versa. Customers of traditional fashion retailers that use the “high-low” strategy tend to attribute sales promotions to the retailer rather than to the manufacturer and are less likely to associate price discounts with lower quality. In J.C. Penney’s case, however, consistently low price will trickle directly to the brand—for example, MANGO, Ralph Lauren, and Nautica—potentially diluting its equity. While it is true that some companies have succeeded at pursuing a low-price strategy, many operate in a very different product and consumer space.

    For such mass retailers as Wal-Mart—which sell commodity, utilitarian products—the issue of price-quality inferences is less relevant than for apparel retailers like J.C. Penney, at which image is a key aspect of a products’ perceived value. In the apparel sector, Gap (GPS) has been able to pull off an everyday low price model by promoting its own tiered private labels (Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic) in stores that cater to different target markets.

    What’s more, J.C. Penney’s strategy could put it at a competitive disadvantage when competitors run sales promotions; chances are that the retailer’s everyday prices will end up higher than rivals’ deeply discounted prices. The discrepancy is likely to be greatest when all retailers are running massive sales promotions such as Black Friday. By committing itself to fixed prices, J.C. Penney inadvertently curbs its ability to respond dynamically to changes in the competitive environment. This might not be a big problem if J.C. Penney were to carry unique, high-demand items, but that’s a strategy few retailers have been able to implement successfully.

    At the crux is this question: Will the retailer derive profits almost exclusively from private labels (as the Gap does) or will a large share be driven by national brands (per Macy’s). Each approach is associated with different customer behavior. J.C. Penney’s pricing strategy is more congenial to private labels because eliminating frequent sales promotions lets a company focus on brand-building—simplifying the consumer’s decision-making process by effectively taking price out of the equation. This not the case with national brands that build image and leave it to retailers to please consumers with price, availability, and service.

    J.C. Penney’s problem is that at present it does not have the differentiated merchandise to drive consumers to its stores in the absence of promotions; its current customer base is promotion-driven and might not be receptive to the elimination of sales promotions. Moreover, J.C. Penney does not have the cost structure to compete on price with the likes of Target and Wal-Mart. This might change in three years—which is when J.C. Penney plans to complete its store redesign and streamline its inventory. Even then, the merchandise and the shopping experience will drive consumers to J.C. Penney stores, rather than the mere promise of an everyday low price.

    Article source: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-17/why-everyday-low-pricing-might-not-be-right-for-j-dot-c-dot-penney


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