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Q: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al ( No Answer,   25 Comments )
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Subject: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
Category: Business and Money > Advertising and Marketing
Asked by: brudenell-ga
List Price: $50.00
Posted: 11 Apr 2004 18:31 PDT
Expires: 11 May 2004 18:31 PDT
Question ID: 328687
Hello bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al

The *branding* questions, comments, answers and threads since 12/12/03
re: lindstrom-ga have made some most interesting & inspiring reading.

Martin Lindstrom is compiling a very interesting piece of work. Too
bad the book is not yet available...

On June 1, 2004 a new, innovative & totally independent pharmacy will
be opening to the general public in Eastern Canada on Prince Edward
Island.

No truly *independent* drugstore has opened (to our knowledge) in
Atlantic Ca nada in over 20 years - all other new pharmacies are
affiliated with chains complete with *banners* and incentive programs.
Currently this dispensary (and much more) is privately serving 
institutional clients and does not have a retail outlet. The new
dr ugstore, accenting on being a very personable (young & keen
pharmacist team) and *friendly pharmacy*, will feature the best in
customer service and the latest in technological innovation. This will
be a challenge as the customer base (1 pharmacy/ 3000 p e rsons in a
60,000 person market) is well provided for. Fortunately all of the
competition is all led by regional or nation chain *banners* and
limited individuality. The new pharmacy will feature internet
shopping, an in house café, wi-fi, internet, dr iv e thru pickup
(prescriptions, drycleaning, film, fresh flowers, homemade chocolates
etc.  + drop-off) & private 'in car' consultations. The doctors (young
docs) in the same new landmark building, located on a terrific major thoroughfare
waterside locat ion (easily found by spotting the special custom made
'heart shaped window'); will have patient records on secure PDAs and
'e'prescription expediency. Patients will have prescriptions ready
before they are even dressed!

My question following is addressed ONLY to all the Researchers that
have previously responded to lindstrom-ga 's numerous branding related
queries:
bobbie7-ga , boquinha-ga, crabcakes-ga , czh-ga , easterangel-ga ,
hummer-ga , jackburton-ga , journalist-ga , juggler-ga,
knowledge_seeker-ga , leli-ga , mother911-ga, pinkfreud-ga ,
ragingacademic-ga , sublime1-ga , & viola-ga .

Based on the *lindstrom-ga compensation formulae* I solicit the
following:

What will it take for a new *friendly pharmacy* to get noticed,
established, become a *brand* and develop new loyalties?

Any (and all) of the above named Researchers are strongly encouraged to
contribute their thoughts , ideas & suggestions resulting from the body
of 'lindstrom-ga'  Research that could  enhance the above *friendly
ph armacy*  development & branding project. Compensation shall be
between $5 - $50 per accepted comment.

The only solicited exception shall be a comment by lindstrom-ga, if
available. Unfortunately the only reward that I can offer is to buy &
promote (http://www.martinlindstrom.com) Martin Lindstrom's
forthcoming book.

Thank you everyone for looking at and for taking this on question.




.....
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: pinkfreud-ga on 11 Apr 2004 18:49 PDT
 
I love the "heart-shaped window."

Here's an idea for an ad. Show a well-dressed, yuppie-type businessman
sitting behind a big desk, with the caption "Every pharmacy
corporation has a head."

Then a picture of the signature heart-shaped window, with the caption
"...Ours has a heart."
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: sublime1-ga on 11 Apr 2004 20:27 PDT
 
The window is certainly a key trademark, and I like Pink's idea.

I also think an ad could be designed around 'appeal to youth and
elderly alike'. The 'youth' portion could focus on the cafe, wi-fi,
internet, chocolate and flowers, while the 'elderly' portion could
focus on the drive-thru (with the heart-shaped window, again), 
in-car consultations, quick fulfillment, and, perhaps, the 
young docs...  : )

sublime1-ga
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: sublime1-ga on 11 Apr 2004 20:33 PDT
 
As I re-read my comment, above, the theme 'romantic'
keeps coming to mind. Something along the lines of:
"Usually a pharmacy isn't thought of as a romantic
 setting. Ours appeals to hearts of every age."
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: bobbie7-ga on 11 Apr 2004 22:10 PDT
 
Hello Brudenell,

A recognized name, term, symbol, smell, taste, sound, marque or design
which identifies the specific product, service or experience
attributes of one seller and differentiates them from those of a
competitor.
Hospitality Review
http://www.wivenhoe.gov.uk/People/McCaskey/McCaskey-Apr02.pdf
 

?Most Rx pharmaceuticals are dispensed in the same bottles that the
pharmacy provides,? he says. ?They all look the same ? no logo, no
packaging ? and generally they have no taste or smell. There?s nothing
to distinguish one from another. Just as important, they are never
displayed, but are ?hidden? from the consumer behind
the pharmacist?s register.
Does Branding Work in Pharmaceutical Marketing
http://www.cpsnet.com/reprints/2000/01/Branding.pdf



Perhaps a distinctive bottle in which the Rx pharmaceuticals are
dispensed could be a way to get this pharmacy noticed.



A recent article published in March of this year:

Company invents talking chips for prescription bottles

?iVoice Inc. of Matawan, is developing a miniature computer
chip-and-speaker system that fits on the bottom of a prescription
bottle. When pressed, the device will say what's in the bottle, how to
take it and whether to watch out for side effects or interactions with
other drugs or alcohol.?

?The information would be loaded into the computer chip using software
at the pharmacy. Instructions typed into the computer for the label
are transmitted to the chip via radio frequency or infrared signals.?

?That would add a few dollars to each prescription's cost, but that
could drop below $1 once the product is mass-marketed and the system
could simultaneously transmit the standard instructions to thousands
of containers of nonprescription medicine, Mahoney said.?

Bradenton.com
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/8175551.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp



The following articles might interest you:

Identifying and rewarding loyal customers through direct mail
initiatives can return true dividends in today?s ever-competitive
pharmacy retail marketplace.
By Jill Daamen
http://www1.auspost.com.au/priority/index.asp?issue_id=19&area=features&article_id=439


Four creative ways to add power to your marketing 
by Michele Pariza 
http://www.stickysauce.com/articles/webdesignarticles/four_creative_ways_to_add_power_to_your_marketing.htm


Case study: Tesco Pharmacy
http://www.hodes.co.uk/05_case_studies/pdfs/tesco%20pharmacy%202003.pdf

I hope this helps!

Best regards,
Bobbie7
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: binkbop-ga on 12 Apr 2004 03:31 PDT
 
Following on from bobbie7's comment - I always dislike the dull,
"discrete" bags that the medicine is popped into (in the UK anyway,
everyone knows what the bags contain!) How about cheerful colours with
little phrases on like "Dispatched with care - hopes to repair"!
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: hummer-ga on 12 Apr 2004 08:10 PDT
 
Hi Brudenell - nice to hear from you again.

Lately, I have been made aware that pharmacies offer health care
screening. Maybe everybody in North America already know about this
service, I don't know, but I think it is a terrific idea (especially
with the aging population). If I were going to open up a pharmacy, I
would be sure to provide a private area where one could relax and have
routine checks taken, such as blood pressure, blood cholesteral, and
sugar. If space permits, perhaps include some natural health care
products and supplements in this area.

I would also make the instructions on presription bottles large and
bold, making it easier for seniors to read. I don't know if it would
be legal, but I think it would be terrific if a senior could bring in
their daily/weekly pill dispensor for refill at the pharmacy. It would
reduce their frustration with pill bottles and would also help to
ensure that they take their medication properly.

I realize I haven't addressed the issue of branding - frankly, I
haven't an advertising gene in my body. I did find the following
online - sounds interesting for the younger crowd.

"Favorite restaurant design Pharmacy in London: "Designed by Damien
Hirst, this is a scene straight out of 'Valley of the Dolls.' The
intoxicating color scheme is based on pills. All the models, writers
and actors are buzzed with the atmosphere of its ironic concept."
"A few thoughts on branding: A product is something that is made in a
factory; a brand is something that is bought by a customer. A store
can be copied by a competitor, but a brand is unique. Brand
development is the process of adding value and a distinct personality
to a product or service. What makes a strong brand? A strong brand
consistently delivers product range, imaginative store design, visual
merchandising, customer service, marketing, people, values and
culture."
http://retailtrafficmag.com/ar/retail_uncovering_soul_brand/

I hope you are enjoying spring,
hummer
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: journalist-ga on 12 Apr 2004 16:00 PDT
 
A few slogan ideas:

"We take our customer's needs to heart."

"Our customers heartily recommend us."

"We have your best interests at heart."
Subject: For binkbop-ga
From: brudenell-ga on 12 Apr 2004 16:00 PDT
 
Thanks for your comment and post.

Every comment is very much appreciated!

Brudenell
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: mother911-ga on 12 Apr 2004 18:35 PDT
 
I love all the marketing suggestions, but I noticed you also want to
be noticed. I am a frequent flyer at my local drugstore. I suffer from
gout, and I can tell you small things made me change drugstores
quickly.

First, I drive past two other very reputable pharmacies to my
pharmacy. Why? Because my prescriptions are available in an arthritis
ready bottle. This all sounds minor until you have one hand completely
unusable from pain, and are trying to push in two tabs while rotating
the bottle. This is now a more popular prescription bottling practice
I guess, but it is just a reversible cap. Safety lock on one side,
easy side on the other. It's as easy as flipping the cap over to use
it. (I was only able to find one image of this type of cap, however I
feel this is probably a widely used prescription bottle cover.
http://wata.org/catalog/talking_rx_small.JPG )

Second, I drive to that same pharmacy, and never leave my vehicle.
They have a well thought out drive through window with tall overhang
so rain or shine day or night I drive up to pick up my prescriptions.

Third, although it is a chain pharmacy, they know the gout medication
for relieving an attack disturbs my stomach, not everyone's but
specifically, mine. I always purchase cherry antacid when I purchase
the attack relief prescription. They have it packaged with my
prescription at the drive through whenever it is prescribed. This is a
simple database solution I?m sure. Tracking simple compound purchases
makes that drive through even more efficient.

Based on your description of wanting to be the "Friendly Pharmacy",
what if a valet type service was provided to your clients. An elder
client, or injured client could call ahead, fax ahead, or email in a
request for an order or drop-off (you mentioned dry cleaning) and you
had an outdoor register queue to provide whatever groceries, medicine,
and other services to your drive through window. So a mother of three
picking up some quick groceries, a prescription, and her laundry would
pull up, your "valet" has her order prepared rings her up and loads
her items into the vehicle. Now she didn't have to unload three
children and make her way around your store while trying to hurry
home. Imagine if you will a dairy barn type sliding glass door at the
rear of the building. The client pulls up, receives their items, pays,
and drives off without leaving their vehicle. It reduces some of your
impulse buying and foot traffic, but repeat customers would appreciate
the service.


Thanks for the chance to voice my opinion,
Mother911-ga
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: crabcakes-ga on 12 Apr 2004 18:53 PDT
 
Hello Brudenell,

With so many good ideas already posted, I doubted I could think of
anything original! Most of my ideas came to me from having a husband
who is in and out of hospitals, and pharmacies!

How about giving away travel pill boxes  or weekly pill boxes for
folks with numerous pills, like these, with your brand/logo on them?
http://www.911medalert.com/catalog.asp?action=showcat&id=111


Have ?band-aids? printed with your logo, and hand them out during the
grand opening. Sell boxes of these ?branded? bandages at a cost less
than commercial bandages.


A handout, with your logo and website address can be printed out by
the patient, or passed out by the pharmacy, showing the correct days
and times to take a medication. I know from experience that many
patients can get confused when the label says three times a day. A
handout that explains three times a day as being every 8 hours, or
something to that effect. Perhaps each customer can have a password to
access their personal drug information online,


E-mail refill reminders can be sent, using HTML format, with your logo
(of course) for patients that sign up for automatic refill reminders.


Set up a web page that features prescription information. Offer
coupons for the café, flowers, chocolates, etc. Have the site be the
home page on the in-house internet computers.

A prescription delivery service, for a small fee, like Pizza Hut! Many
seniors would take advantage of this.


Another idea for prescriptions: My husband has had numerous hospital
stays and surgeries. Each time he is discharged, we ran into the
problem of filling the prescriptions, or picking up medical supplies
such as catheters, TED hose, etc. on the way home from the hospital. 
He was too uncomfortable to wait in the car while I went in and waited
for the prescription to be refilled, and it was difficult to leave him
alone at home while I went out to fill the prescriptions.  Before his
last surgery and since he is a retired veteran, he went through 
military medical insurance. Everything was done beforehand! The doctor
ordered all necessary medications and medical supplies BEFORE the
hospital stay. I was truly impressed. We picked up all the medications
he would need for the two weeks following surgery, a week before the
surgery. It was a lifesaver!  --- Since the doctors will be
transmitting patient prescriptions to the pharmacy via PDA, suggest to
them that they pre-order pos-surgical meds beforehand. To avoid
patient confusion with meds needed after surgery and those they may
currently be taking, have the pharmacy deliver them when the patient
arrives home. (My husband would have confused the meds he needed after
surgery with the ones he took before, if I had not been there to
intervene) I would think many seniors would like this idea. Of course,
the bags and bottles will have your logo, but the personal delivery
service will make the ?branding? impression and build loyalty!

Carry a selection of specialty health care items that are hard to
find, such as arthritis aids, canes, etc. If your pharmacy is the only
one around to carry these items, your store will grab more business. I
don?t know about Canada, but where I live in the US, many of the items
that makes my husband?s life easier are hard to find. I find them
online, but I would like to be able to buy them at the corner
drugstore.

Have a soda counter in the café, with soda ?jerks??..some of my
fondest childhood memories are having a freshly made lime-aide, with a
cherry, while sitting on a stool that twirled, as my grandmother had
her prescriptions filled.
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: bobbie7-ga on 13 Apr 2004 12:59 PDT
 
Hi Brudenell,

Here are two more ideas.


World's First Smart RFID Medication Bottle 
    
Med-ic eCAP, a smart RFID closure for medication bottles and vials. 

Med-ic eCAP(TM) was launched at Interphex 2004 in New York City, March 16-18, 2004.

?Med-ic eCAP(TM) is a programmable RFID reminder and monitoring
solutionthat tracks medication usage without active patient input. It
consists of IMC's Med-ic(TM) RFID "smart" sensor embedded in a RCIL's
bottle closure. Med- ic eCAP(TM) can easily be programmed to remind
the patient when the next dose is due and records the time the patient
opens the bottle to remove the tablet or capsule, thereby logging the
patient's medication compliance. The recorded data are then retrieved
with IMC's CertiScan(TM) reader for review by the physician,
researcher or pharmacist.?


?The Med-ic eCAP(TM) is available immediately. (..) offers a wonderful
co- branding opportunity for pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacy
chains.?

For further information: Sales Contact: James Neilson, (613) 745-8400 
ext. 411, jneilson@informationmediary.com. Media Contact: Michael
Petersen  (613) 880-9131, info@ecap.biz

CNW Telbec Ltée
http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/March2004/10/c8873.html


================================================================


Co-branding with Home Diagnostics, Inc. for diabetes control

?What has propelled Home Diagnostics, Inc. to the forefront of the
diabetes industry is its revolutionary co-branding strategy.
Co-branding offers our retail partners the opportunity to leverage the
strength of their store brand by calling the monitor and test strips
their own. This unique strategy allows retailers to build brand
equity, while promoting repeat purchases and long-term customer
loyalty to their store brand and pharmacy.?
   
?Today, both the TrueTrack Smart System? and Prestige Smart System?
are co-branded by leading national retailers and wholesalers and can
be found in more than 30,000 locations across North America.?
http://www.homediagnosticsinc.com/about.asp

TrueTrack Smart System?
Blood Glucose Monitor
http://www.homediagnosticsinc.com/products-5.asp


I hope this is helpful!

Best regards,
Bobbie7
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: aht-ga on 13 Apr 2004 15:15 PDT
 
brudenell-ga:

With all the excellent ideas already suggested by my colleagues above,
I'm not sure that I can add much more. So, rather than straining my
brain to come up with additional ideas for the dispensary part of your
business, please allow me to ramble on a bit about the rest of the
business.

First, please let me say that my all-too-short opportunity to visit
PEI while on a road trip through the Maritimes a couple of years ago
left me with an everlasting impression of a peaceful, resourceful, and
independent population. So, as the first truly-independent pharmacy to
open in Atlantic Canada for almost a whole generation, I would suggest
trying to find a good balance between emphasizing your
uniqueness/independence, and trumpeting your affinity for the PEI
lifestyle.

Your description of the store evokes images of a state-of-the-art,
multi-purpose facility with a youthful atmosphere. A meeting place,
with healing energy delivered through medication as well as activity.
All of this points towards an image that your business cares about
your customers all the time, not just when they are ill.

You can communicate this caring attitude through action. Given the
Island folk's tradition sense of independence when dealing with folks
from away, you can adopt a position of stewardship, both social and
environmental. Environmental stewardship in your line(s) of business
is easy: have a simple 'deposit' program for plastic medication
containers to ensure that left-over drugs are returned for proper
disposal (the deposit can and should be symbolic, such as a penny
charge with returned containers netting back a penny plus a discount
coupon for the café). It probably goes without saying (ok, maybe not
to the Tim Horton's crowd, but certainly to everyone else!) that the
café should use recycled paper based containers for carry-out
purchases, etc.

Social stewardship is harder, but aided by your prominent location in
a landmark building by the water. If you, along with the doctors in
the building, start up a program with the local council to help
promote the 'health' of the waterfront district, through litter
collections campaigns (seeing as how your café will generate litter
unavoidably, anyway), promotion of Island boutique suppliers, and
eventually sponsorship of Island cultural events (yes, even those Anne
events). The sub-text behind the message is, who understands Islanders
better... a 'national' chain headquartered in T.O., or your friendly,
Island-borne-and-bred, neighbour down at <insert store name here>?

Sigh... now it's time for me to pull up all my digital pictures from
my road trip again, and relive the memories of those glorious few days
I spent exploring PEI...

Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: aht-ga on 13 Apr 2004 15:22 PDT
 
Oops, left out one thing.

Several Researchers have mentioned pill organizers and info sheets
already, to help your elderly clients remember when to take their
medication.

As part of your social stewardship program, I suggest having
medication reminders (electronic devices) available as 'loaners' for
home-alone elderly patients whose families would otherwise be
constantly worried whether grandma/pa has remembered to take their
medicine. A friend of mine who once ran an institutional outsourced
pharmacy business was even telling me that they had experimented with
dispensing pills preloaded into medication reminder devices; something
that you can consider for special cases.

Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: aht-ga on 13 Apr 2004 15:25 PDT
 
Some medication reminder devices:

http://www.epill.com/organizer.html

However, your preferred supplier will undoubtedly carry several to choose from.

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: pinkfreud-ga on 13 Apr 2004 15:51 PDT
 
Several years ago, a pharmacy in my area gave a free dose-measuring
spoon with each prescription. The spoon was made of plastic, and the
name of the pharmacy was printed on the side. Each time I used the
spoon, I was reminded of the pharmacy. This seems to me to be a very
effective and inexpensive way of keeping a pharmacy's name in the
customers' minds. I still have a few of those spoons, even though the
pharmacy that gave them out closed nearly a decade ago when its owner
died.
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: easterangel-ga on 13 Apr 2004 16:27 PDT
 
Hi brudenell-ga! Nice to see to hear from you again.

I will try a different approach from marketing this drugstore and will
take examples of approaches from different retail establishments.

Since this is an independently owned drugstore who is going after the
big boys, then a good guerrila marketing strategy will be needed to
offset the resources of the giant competition. Some suggestions will
be:

A. Street or Community Based Marketing (Face to Face or even Door to
Door Selling) Here are some tips on how to do them:

1. ­"Present an Irresistible Offer - "To develop your offer, sit down
and write out a list of all your products and services. Now separate
the basic products and services from the add-ons. Then start bundling
your basic products and services with several add-ons using different
combinations."

2. ­"Maximize Upsells - Structure the offer for maximum upsells. For
example, offering a free rug shampoo and engine cleaning with a paid
car wash forces the customer to pay for a car wash to get their free
rug shampoo and engine cleaning."

3. "Make It a Fundraiser - Consider using your offer as a fundraiser
for a local high school. Local fast food restaurants use this tactic
often. They allow the student to keep a portion of the proceeds, which
shows support for the high school and at the same time giving the fast
food restaurant a great reputation in the community."

4. "Team Selling - Form your sales team into small groups of young
people that attack a small neighborhood."

"Street Marketing for Small Businesses"
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol78/street.htm


5. "Ask for referrals to their neighbors and reward people if
referrals become sales. Gift certificates from a local restaurant are
an excellent reward."

6. "Ask for referrals to their neighbors and reward people if
referrals become sales. Gift certificates from a local restaurant are
an excellent reward."

7. "Send out press releases to announce the promotion, and announce
the winners. When multiple locally owned businesses are involved in a
joint promotion, it becomes more newsworthy."

"Street Marketing: It's a Matter of Smarts"
http://www.contractingbusiness.com/news/article.cfm/newsarticleid/531

8. "Special promotions and events can be made to work in concert with
any one or a combination of the above methods. This can be in the form
of door prizes, Welcome Wagon gifts, free passes, free coffee, or even
honouring a competitor's coupons."

"Ways to Promote Your Product or Service"
http://www.cbsc.org/alberta/search/display.cfm?Code=4044&coll=FE_FEDSBIS_E


----------------------------
B. Personal Touch Service

1. "Offer a personal shopper service, or ?Selection Consultants? ? a personal 
shopper assists customers with a level of individualized attention and
service beyond what retail associates could offer. Differentiate
yourself from the big-box retailers by allowing your customers to call
ahead with specific details ? height, weight, favorite colors, hobbies
and interests, even the amount you are willing to spend ? and when
they arrive at the store, your customers have a custom-specified
selection of merchandise to choose from."

2. "Give your customers the convenience of calling your sales
associates ahead of time, and have it waiting for them at the front of
your store for quick purchase."

3. "E-mail ?holiday idea lists? to your former customers which feature
the hot items of the holiday season, or mine your customer database
for buying trends, and provide specialized lists of items that might
interest them."

4. "Driving and parking in the wintertime can be challenging for
everyone. Provide a shuttle service for seniors or disabled
customers."

5. "Promote special hours to shop for preferred customers ? this
invitation-only event gives these customers the ease of shopping
without the hassle of crowds, and provides personalization that the
big-box retailers can?t
offer."

"How Can Small Retailers Beat the Big Box Stores This Christmas?"
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/12/prweb93644.php

I hope this suggestions will be of help.

Thanks!
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: journalist-ga on 13 Apr 2004 19:59 PDT
 
I hope you'll offer high quality sight aids like high-end magnifying
glasses and such.  My father suffers from macular degeneration and I
had a devil of a time finding him ANY dencent magnifying glasses
locally.

After searching and searching on the Internet, I located the Aladdin
Rainbow line of super-magnifiers online and he called the rep, tried
it out and then he purchased one.  You might consider becoming an
authorized dealer for Aladdin Rainbow readers in eastern Canada.  They
are EXCELLENT machines for low-sighted individuals and, if no one
nearby is a dealer, you could have the market.  It's a really
wonderful option for low-sighted customers.  Just having one there in
the store for ease of customer service -- they would sell themselves. 
They are costly but worth every penny to the low-sighted.

Here's the main site
http://www.telesensory.com/products2-1.html
and here's one of the readers
http://www.telesensory.com/products2-1-2.html

Also, there is a great computer screen magnifying software for
low-sighted individuals called ZoomText.  My father uses it and it
helps him SO much on the computer.  He wouldn't be able to use a
computer without it.

ZoomText
http://www.aisquared.com/index.htm

I believe they have authorized dealers because many web sites catering
to low-sighted individuals carry the software.

No compensation is necessary for this - if you could just offer
quality things like this for sight-challenged people, that would be
wonderful!

Best regards,
journalist-ga


SEARCH STRATEGY:

Aladdin Rainbow reader
ZoomText
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: journalist-ga on 13 Apr 2004 20:01 PDT
 
P.S. If the dealership is already taken in your area, you could still
offer the rep a chance to come and tell customers about it.  Sort of a
Saturday Seminar feature.  Heck, you could do Saturday Seminars with
lots of different things, kind of like Lowe's does with do-it-yourself
home repair and decorating!
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: easterangel-ga on 13 Apr 2004 23:04 PDT
 
Hi once more!

I was able to find more guerrilla community based marketing tactics
you can probably use.

a. "Make customers a birthday card!" 

"Guerrilla Ray Fisher of Keylock Mini Storage in Pinellas Park,
Florida celebrates his tenants' birthdays with a card he creates
himself. He prints a poem on the card and gets four cards out of each
piece of 8 1/2 x 11 card stock. He goes to Kinkos to have the cards
printed and cut."

b. "Guerrilla Mike Cohen informs us that no one ignores coupons from
Captain Tony's Pizza in Cleveland, Ohio. That's because they are
printed on Post-it notes and placed each month on every door in their
delivery area. The typical response rate is 30%."

c. "Marketing Consultant and Coach Bob Janet e-mailed us after reading
about a real estate agent who sent prospects home with a quart of ice
cream on hot days. Janet's company used a variation on the old ice
cream ploy. His sales staff would find out where customers lived and
give them just enough time to get home with the melting ice cream. The
representative would call them with an added incentive to buy from
them (extra discount, special price on add on items, special
financing, etc.)"

You can find more here:

"Guerrila Tactics"
http://www.gmarketing.com/tactics/tales_arch.html
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: easterangel-ga on 14 Apr 2004 03:00 PDT
 
If you have some advertising budget, it will be more cost effective to
target people while they are in their cars.

"A recent study by Arbitron, the New York City-based marketing
research firm, found that nearly 30% of consumers said a billboard or
other roadside ad led them to visit a retail store within a week of
seeing the pitch; 56% reported the same for a drive-time radio spot.
And about half said they take notice of ads on the sides of buses, on
bus-stop benches or kiosks, or atop taxicabs."

"Dude, Where's My Ad?"
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20040401/marketing.html
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: mother911-ga on 14 Apr 2004 13:03 PDT
 
I was wondering if I could find some followup information on your
endeavour, so I did a little quick search.

a search for "heart shaped window" pharmacy on google lead me to a
personal blog site with an image of the window (i'm assuming its the
right one)
http://img44.photobucket.com/albums/v134/mamadunce/heart_window.jpg

At that same site was some comments from others who have already
noticed the building and it's distinctive window.
http://mamadunce.blogspot.com/
Monday April 5th's entry specifically.

Please do keep us up to date, I would like to think someday there will
be one in my hometown with all my suggested features! :o)

mother911-ga
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: bobbie7-ga on 14 Apr 2004 22:11 PDT
 
Hello again Brudenell!

Since the pharmacy is going to have an online presence you should put
your URL everywhere in order to promote the website,

?Keep your web address in the header on stationary, faxes, and
invoices. If you can afford it, billboards are a good option as well.
Television, magazines, and newspapers are also good places to
advertise. If you choose to have contests on your site, give out
prizes with your logo and URL on them. This keeps customers feeling
positive about your business and provides advertising.?

Searchengines.com
http://www.searchengines.com/marketing_branding.html


You can provide contests on your website.

?Put something into your site that will make it fun, even if your site
is of serious nature. It creates a positive feeling among site
visitors and rewards the people who choose to visit your site.?

?Contests do not have to be complicated; simple works best. Make the
contest or game related to your product or company.?

Examples:

Trivia - questions about the pharmacy or product information. 

Guessing games - guess the number of heart shaped objects in the site, etc. 

Find the hidden (name of any product sold in a pharmacy) 


?Offering contests is beneficial for your company. Prizes can be
bought in bulk to cut costs, and they should be simple and cheap. To
you, it may be something small, but customers who won something will
feel good about themselves and your business. Don't forget to put your
company logo and slogan on each prize. This will remind winners of
your business and serves as a form of low-cost advertising for you.
The less-serious side of your site shows that your business is
personable.?

Searchengines.com
http://www.searchengines.com/marketing_free_contests.html


Have you see Martin Lindstrom's new question?
The story about the pizza place is an excelent idea to create attention.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=330402


I hope this helps!

Best regards,
Bobbie7
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: bobbie7-ga on 14 Apr 2004 22:14 PDT
 
Offer FAQ sections at the website

"Provide your customers with immediate answers to their questions.
Posting frequently asked questions on a section of your website would
not only make information more accessible but will also lighten the
load of email you receive."
http://www.searchengines.com/marketing_free_faq.html
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: bobbie7-ga on 14 Apr 2004 22:36 PDT
 
Brudenell,


Promoting your company differently than the competition:

"Promoting your company differently than the competition and carving
out a distinct identity in the marketplace is one of the key
ingredients to creating a successful marketing formula."

"Think outside the box". 

Example:

"I recently had a pizza delivered to me in a blue box that consisted
of an ad for Nivea® for Men skin products. The message on the top of
the box says: "The good news? Your face isn't a pizza. The bad news?
Your face isn't a pizza. (That means you can't order another one. So
take care of it.)"  On five different surfaces of the box, there
appeared the Nivea for Men logo and the slogan "More evolved
skincare". The product's website address was also printed on top of
the box."


" ... but the bottom line is: It sure caught my attention and made
this marketing message stand out and get noticed.If the same message
was featured in a display ad, a newspaper insert, or a website popup
ad, it wouldn't have had as much impact."

(..)

"Thinking outside of the box" can help position your business as a
frontrunner in the marketing race."

Source:
Strategies for Winning the Marketing Race
by Joel Sussman, president Optimal Marketing Communications
http://www.marketingsurvivalkit.com/mktg-race.htm

Regards,
Bobbie7
Subject: Re: Branding '+' for bobbie7-ga, lindstrom-ga et al
From: hummer-ga on 15 Apr 2004 05:23 PDT
 
Good morning, Brudenell,

Interesting - I particularly like the idea of The Wellness Place, The
Diabetes Place, The Asmtha Place, The Home Healthcare Place, and
finding user-friendly names like that would work well at your pharmacy
too.
http://www.cardinal.com/content/pharmacies/community/phcodsconsprodman.asp

hummer

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