Another Australian retailer who gets it.
“Online and mobile orders contributed 40 per cent of sales, or $152 million in 2010/11, Domino’s said in a slide presentation accompanying the full year results. “
Pizza chain’s profit soars | IR News | Inside Retail
This article basically highlights the difference between Aussie and US retail prices, attributing it to 4 factors:
Labour costs
Rental costs
Higher quality after sales service
Higher profit margins
It does not bode well for the Australian bricks-and-mortar concerns, that have to deal with the high rental rates and labour costs eCommerce doesn’t have to deal with as brutally.
Have Aussie retailers been ripping Us off? | IR News | Inside Retailing
Great article on the use of social media and brand loyalty. Insight for social media marketers.
Infographic: Why People Follow Brands | Digital Buzz Blog
Following up on the previous article, here’s what Gerry did today….
Gerry Harvey retreats from war on online shopper | News.com.au
Background:
Currently in the news, eCommerce is all the go in Australia. Our dollar is 1-to-1 with the American dollar, and Australian’s are reaching out, globalising their purchasing. Add the cost of shipping, quite high to Australia, and the deals are still great.
There is however, no 10% GST on imported purchases under $1000. The local market is calling foul. The fact is, add 10% to the purchase price, and the Aussie market still can’t compete….
Remember, you are also already paying a big shipping premium,$20-$60?
A big part of the problem is retail rental rates. So, you have to feel for the industry - rock, hard place, all that….
Issues to the public:
Retailers in Australia are naturally concerned, seeing their revenues going to overseas online competitors. So, they are pressuring the government to protect their interests. Recap: They send the Aussie jobs overseas to China because they are cheaper, yet scream foul and ‘Un Australianism” when those now otherwise employed people purchase overseas because they are looking for a better deal.
Meyer can buy a pair of Jeans in China (because Aussie labour is too expensive) for $5 and sell them here for $120. Now, a consumer (who used to work in Textiles, but now has a lower paying retail job) can buy those same Jeans from the ‘States for $45, plus $25 Shipping. Ain’t globalisation a bitch…
This fundamental hypocrisy of the local retail complaint is not lost on the public.
Additionally, watching the Aussie dollar go from .60 to 1.0 against the US dollar, and not seeing notable price reductions is an issue. It lets us all know who is getting a sweet bite on the cherry.
Add the fact that most retailers are no longer hiring knowledgeable salespeople, but rather whomever will work for the part-time package they offer. So, don’t even ask where something is, much less how it works. They handle transactions OK though…
Their posturing about “Saving Australian Jobs” isn’t working very well in light of these realities.
Brand:
Harvey Norman has always had a great brand image, capturing the unique sweet spot in Australian culture, “The Battler.” The little guy doing well against the odds. Personable, approachable, just like us. Our mates. Same as St George Bank has carried well.
Problem is, Gerry Harvey has just burned his Brand, and with Web 2.0 you can see it happening before your eyes. Gerry is in the news, and the commentary is blistering. Twitter is going off on him.
In his attempt to garner better revenue, he may have lost the baby with the bathwater. He has just put himself into the same boardroom as David Jones, Meyer and Target, and low and behold, he’s the spokesperson. Bad move Gerry.
Now, St George Bank, that’s an interesting counterpoint. Now owed by NAB, one of the “Big Banks” the St George brand has been kept alive, not merged. While NAB can boost rates above the Reserve Bank rate, and stand equal with the other big banks, sharing the damage. St George never comes up. Sure, St George rates go up, after the news cycle on interest rates passes. St George brand is still “the Battler” even if it has long since ceased being the reality.
Gerry Harvey has always been the strength of his brand. Can do man, sharp and compassionate, and the stores carry his name as the Brand. He is banking his power as an Australian Icon will carry him through this battle. The feedback from web 2.0 is that he is wrong.
It will be interesting to see if he steps back, or continues to push. Its a battle that will be hard to win, in an unwinable war.
Consumerism in Australia is not ‘fundamental’ like other Western capitalist democracies. Australian’s are more resistant to brand marketing, and conspicuous consumption - outside housing. This resistance has relaxed with the booming economy over the last 10 years, and the influx of migrants with more comsumerist attitudes, but with the GFC, Aussies started saving and paying down debt, and lo and behold, looking for better deals. Those values are not far beneath the surface, and rising.
Now is the time for innovation, not recrimination… eCommerce is here to stay.
I always like practical articles, real world, stuff that works. This is too good not to share.
Using the “Landing Page” to get your way.
As interactive marketing develops, we are increasingly going beyond the home page and the rest of the corporate website. Topical microsites, optimised for SEO or SEM, or simply for special purposes ( temporary or permanent) get added to the portfolio regularly. The object is to drive specially targeted traffic to these “Landing pages” towards a “conversion” be that a purchase, registration, download, whatever. These are often key to generating the metrics to review the success of a campaign.
So, knock one up for me! No, wait, not like that!
Landing pages often bring a clash between Interactive user interface designers and marketing departments.
Some marketers don’t realise the complexity of the full functionality;
-technical for monitor, platform and font variations, optimisation and
-strategically, for structure, including identification, hierarchy of message and navigation.
Likewise, some interactive designers get so close to their technical and strategic direction, that they miss the big picture;
- The ’step back’ perspective of fresh eyes
- The proper reinforcement brand values and image.
- The complete marketing plan and objectives.
This is a great resource for both, hopefully to broaden your horizons, or crystallise your thinking, from Visual Website Optimizer Blog:
Great article with all sorts of time savers and neat tools for doing online design.
50 Powerful Time-Savers For Web Designers - Smashing Magazine
eMail Click-Through Rates 2/10 - Courtesy of Constant Contact
Accountant 14.5%
Art Gallery 10.6%
Association 11.0%
Communications 8.9%
Consultant 12.0%
Crafts 22.1%
Education and Services 15.1%
Entertainment 10.8%
Event Planning 12.2%
Franchise 12.5%
Government Agency 14.7%
Hotel, Inn, B&B 13.9%
Legal Services 13.0%
Manufacturing & Distribution13.1%
Marketing/PR 13.5%
Medical Services 13.3%
Non-profit 12.3%
Office Supplies 9.4%
Personal Services 12.6%
Products & Services 12.2%
Professional Services 13.0%
Publishing 27.6%
Real Estate 10.4%
Religious Organization 9.8%
Restaurant/Bar/Catering 6.6%
Retail 15.7%
Salon/Spa 7.0%
Sports & Recreation 12.3%
Technology 10.9%
Transportation 13.8%
Travel & Tourism 11.6%
Web Developer 16.4%
Other* 17.8%
Wishing you the best of success.
Cheers,
Robert
Robert Fleming
President/CEO
eMarketing Association
www.eMarketingAssociation.com
Available on newsstands, not on the web
Basically, you download software, use a camera to scan the codes strategically placed throughout the magazine and it initiates an online experience.
Newspapers and magazines are struggling. Murdoch is in the news with his intent to sell news content and maybe even remove his listings from Google. Neither tactic is new, neither has yet proven successful.
Online advertising is not as profitable as the newsstand sales lost is the issue, more or less. The old established industry has too much capital and intellectual property invested in the old ways. The innovators are capitalising on the opportunities. Change is the order of the day.
So, instead of trying to raise revenue (i.e. value) from its online content, Esquire is leveraging the technology and adding online value to its newsstand publication, with the hope of increasing sales.
How is this an improvement on the CD stuck to the cover with industrial snot?
The promo will pass or fail based upon the quality of the content, user experience and marketing sensitivity. There are a few mechanical hurdles to overcome to participate, and that is the greatest weakness.
It also makes me think of different models where you might be able to sell “tickets”, or pass out secret “pass keys” as part of a promotion…
Jump to the Esquire video demo of the magazine:
An interesting perspective, separating viral marketing from Social Media. To my mind, the two are symbiotically bound.
Organized Chaos: Viral Marketing, Meet Social Media | Epicenter | Wired.com
