Worried about the wrong things?

lorenzotint · December 10, 2007

I would like to address the topic of national advertising (I'll leave the back door talk for those who are affected by it)
Venture Tape still does not have an adequate level of coverge across the entire United States. Let's say we place a retail ad in Car & Driver (1/2 page ad is $25,000 per month )

Someone in Nebraska sees the ad and goes to his local tint/clear bra shop. They say, "sure, we can put a clearbra on for you, but it's not VentureShield, it's....another brand." The customer, most likely, will go with the recommendation of the installer and we end up paying for a sale to our competition.

This is the major reason why no one has launched a national, consumer-based, marketing campaign for PPF.

We have determined that many potential users of this product surf the web for information. We have spent a hell of a lot of money with Google and MSN to make sure VentureShield is a prominent display for any internet searches. From here, the customer clicks on our site, then hits the dealer locator page. We tell all of our installers to have their details up on the site, just so they get some of this business.

We do this even though we know our competition constantly poach the lists and call our customers

It seems to be generating a lot of business that is region specific. It is certainly more effective for us, at this stage of the game, than national advertising. It is just way, way too expensive!

I agree that web marketing is the area that targets higher educated $$$ consumers. I look forward to see which company does a Dupont or Robb campiagn. It takes to much sales time to convince the midrange motorist to invest in PPF. .... I have done four newer TL's and 3 Accords in the past three years full frontal installs and closed on them at 40% Less than my Euro clients.....OK I forgot a Prius hybrid..... but he had the precut from E/mot.com and had no idea WTF to do with it...he paid well :lol2

December 10, 2007

There have been a lot of topics about who makes what lately or how it got there. It would be nice to know but we should be worried about more important things. Things like the manufacturers that sell film and patterns direct to the dealers pushing the real specialist out. I am sure most of us have seen a lot of the sub par jobs that come from it. Not only does it take money from your shops but gives the product a bad wrap as well. It amazes me how many shops will support a company that will back door them and sell to a dealer direct or even retail. In my eyes it shows you how much they really appreciate your business and support. Putting up a difficulty rating, videos and install instructions is not helping your customers that order online. It just takes away from your dealers who market and support your business. This is not directed at anyone but you know who you are.

Although Proform does not have a tradition online store for ordering kits direct, it is something we are working on. PPF kits design in and of itself is a tight margin business. It costs a lot to create good designs (imagine installing a kit 4 or 5 times with out charging for it and then include design technology, payroll and various other bills like a $6 million dollar insurance plan to cover working on Enzo’s and Bugatti’s). We choose limit the sale of our designs online to ensure pricing is par with industry standards of retail sales and to help offset design costs. Neither we nor do our clients need someone whoring out our kits on Ebay. Additionally, Proform has yet to sell a kit to any who is not an installer. This is probably because of our limited marketing and the fact that many our clients consider us “their best kept secret,” which kind of slows word-of-mouth marketing. Should someone inquire for a kit who is not an installer we will provide the kit at a price equal to that of a normal retail sale no less regardless of the film brand they request, and provide a recommended installer in their area.

The reality is in my market (Vegas) in the last 4 years we have had maybe 4 or 5 people bring in their own kits. We quote them our price for labor (which remains the same regardless if they supply their own kit) and leave it at that. After explaining the cost most agreed and too the 1 or 2 that left…. good luck finding someone who is worth a darn that will do it for less. If the kits are sold for $800+-, why would anyone not assess an installation charge that is at least comparable up to 75% or more? If the client asked why, I state that I cannot guarantee the quality of the design or the film, which complicates the installation process and consequently affects our fee.

We are affected more by up-start hand cutting companies charging $200 for complete installs, then any business using pre-cut kits bought online.

At the end of the day I and everyone else that I work with at Proform also work at installation companies (Pro-Tect Film Distributing (Avery) and Maryland Performance Works (3M)) at least part-time. Rest assured we will not jeopardize our income or that of our clients (many of whom we consider friends) for a few quick bucks on retail kit sales.

The other would be marketing. The Manufacturers just don't do enough of it. Not everyone looks at auto specific magazines. Everyone is a potential customer though. Think outside the box a little with those ads. A little goes a long ways.

Marketing is all about ROI. Prior to PPF is was in communication graphics and was involved in the development of marketing campaigns. Really good marketing campaigns are rare because most companies that endeavor into such projects fail to recognize the such a project’s full scope, all the potential stakeholders and have no concept of good marketing design; often producing under developed marketing materials geared toward one breed of buyer and leaving other potential buyers uninterested or alienated.

Large scale marking can benefit any business when properly executed; unfortunately spending a few minutes at any car show reveals how many bad marketing campaigns there are and how many businesses do not realize it.

We all know, it takes money to make money, and a marketing campaign that spans the country if not the globe will be quite the investment, but if properly executed the first company to do so will reap the benefits of name recognition and product association.

Although, there is a chance a few sales that may have been initiated by your marketing go else where, but a good campaign and a quality product will ensure those infractions are not the statue quo.

There are a few very large companies in this industry that will eventually have to setup to the plate, their market share hinges on it. :rollin

December 11, 2007

Just a quick update on the manufacturer marketing thing:

3M did do a big campaign (I think last year) in at least popular science (I think someother magazines as well, but popular science for sure) where they introduced ppf and gave a $50 rebate from 3M to any customer that sent a copy of the invoice in between the qualifying dates. Here I didn't get one customer (that mentioned the offer anyways) from that campaign!

December 11, 2007

The simple answer is yes, no and maybe people are concerned about the wrong things. Sure as an installer working for somebody else you are really only concerned with time, ease and end quality of the install. If you are working for yourself or if you are a shop owner then you have that plus a whole other pile of things to be on top of.

Personally it is disappointing to see the desperate acts some manufacturers and distributors have stooped to here. I can only assume what the reasons are...

Speed · December 11, 2007

Just a quick update on the manufacturer marketing thing:
3M did do a big campaign (I think last year) in at least popular science (I think someother magazines as well, but popular science for sure) where they introduced ppf and gave a $50 rebate from 3M to any customer that sent a copy of the invoice in between the qualifying dates. Here I didn't get one customer (that mentioned the offer anyways) from that campaign!

That was for a $50 gas card that 3M welched on.

Check out the January Exotic Buyer's Guide page 58 and Chrismas issue of the Dupont Registry full page ad for Auto Supershield, out of South Florida.