| You know it's Christmas time when two things | | | | this every year. Release only enough of the hot |
| happen...1) People stand in line for 48 hours camped | | | | product to create an insatiable appetite for it. They |
| outside Best Buy for 48 hours waiting for the latest | | | | may have warehouses full of PlayStations, but they |
| PlayStation release, or...2) The Internet giveaway fever | | | | won't release them until the market begs for |
| really heats up - More about this later.The current | | | | more.HOW DID I MISS THIS!AJ knew -- before he |
| Playstation mania is an incredible lesson in marketing. | | | | invested the time to stand in line --that the market was |
| But I missed the importance of what was going on until | | | | clamoring for the product. And he saw an |
| a friend smacked me in the face with it this | | | | opportunity.He had no intention of keeping the |
| morning...DUMB LIKE A FOX...Our friend -- I'll call him AJ | | | | PlayStations himself. His research on eBay confirmed |
| -- reported this morning that he and his wife had just | | | | that PS3 fans were rabid and would pay any |
| come back from Wal-Mart where they'd been | | | | price!Like any good marketer, he remembered the first |
| camping for 48 hours to get one of 4 available | | | | rule: Determine what the market wants and sell it to |
| PlayStations 3 when they went on sale...Unbelievable! I | | | | them. As Mark Hendricks, a master marketer, and |
| thought he was insane when he told us this. Who | | | | creator of the Christmas season giveaways, likes to |
| wants a PlayStation bad enough to stand in line 48 | | | | say, that's the difference between "marketing" and |
| hours?Well...He said with a smile, "We got two!"So! It | | | | "selling" -- it's much easier to make money when you're |
| was still 48 hours in front of a store, right? Do your | | | | providing a much-wanted service.Selling something no |
| kids really need PlayStations THAT badly?"Oh, they're | | | | one wants is hard work, indeed. Marketing is easy.I |
| not for the kids! We listed them on eBay within an | | | | should have seen it too. I've studied with some great |
| hour," he said, still smiling. "And they're averaging 5 to 7 | | | | internet marketers. Most teach the basic principles of |
| thousand dollars. Some have sold for more than | | | | Robert Cialdini's book.CHRISTMAS MADNESS...During |
| $14,000." Search for "PlayStation 3" on eBay. I was | | | | the Christmas season, online marketers flock to the |
| blown away at the prices.I was stunned. Not because | | | | Internet to collect gifts -- usually informational products |
| of the price (people pay extravagant prices for just | | | | and software tools. Always free, hence the name |
| about anything), nor because my "insane" friend | | | | giveaway, the purpose is to drive traffic. All of Cialdini's |
| actually made about $390 per hour if he sells them | | | | six persuaders are used to create the buzz, exchange |
| both for $7000, but because I had totally missed the | | | | the gifts for e-mail addresses and names.The 12 Days |
| entire marketing lesson expertly laid out by Sony and | | | | of Christmas is the granddaddy of the online giveaway |
| Wal-Mart.The six basic marketing persuaders from | | | | extravaganza and Mark Hendricks is the father of the |
| Robert Cialdini's classic book, "Influence: The | | | | concept. For several years now, Mark has brought |
| Psychology of Persuasion", are in full view!** Authority | | | | together more than 75 top marketers to giveaway |
| -- Wal-Mart. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are the big | | | | hundreds of products during the month of |
| kahuna in mega store retailing. If they advertise that | | | | December.Because the concept worked so well and |
| they have 4 PlayStations in stock...they've got 4 and | | | | has become an Internet marketing staple, a gazillion |
| only 4 in stock. But they promise they can get more | | | | giveaways pop up. It's now a standard tool in every |
| because...well, they can.** Liking -- People practically live | | | | marketer's toolkit. Why does it work so well. It's based |
| at Wal-Mart. Convenience and service translate into | | | | on one of Cialdini's persuaders -- reciprocity.I give you |
| customers with an undying loyalty to them, often | | | | something and you'll feel obligated to give me |
| because they've become the only game in town.** | | | | something back. It's a technique used everywhere. |
| Commitment with Consistency -- Let's see. Stand | | | | When you go to the grocery, clerks stand at sample |
| outside in November in the rain for 48 hours to be the | | | | stations offering everything from cubes of cheese to |
| first in line for the release of a new product. That's | | | | portions of spaghetti and meatballs. Why? If you take |
| serious commitment!** Reciprocation -- Wal-Mart | | | | a sample, chances are really good that you'll buy the |
| provides a free (and massive) PS3 buyer's guide on | | | | product.But at Christmas...Whew! It's tough to keep up |
| their site that provides all the information you need to | | | | and maintain enough free disk space on your |
| make a decision between the $500 and $600 basic | | | | computer for all the online giveaway opportunities.The |
| units, and all the accessories required. Giving such | | | | six persuaders (all included above) are real. Until I got |
| complete information not only sets up the authority | | | | involved in the Internet, I had no idea I was being |
| persuader but also makes you value the content and | | | | "persuaded" at every turn. We all react to them, will |
| feel indebted to the retailer. That's called reciprocity.** | | | | forever, and have ever since the first caveman tried |
| Social Proof -- The press has been lapping up Sony's | | | | to sell the first hunk of meat to his neighbor.It took a |
| press releases about the PlayStation launch date and | | | | PlayStation 3 and AJ to point me back to the "real" |
| the lack of product. And the gaming blogs can talk of | | | | world to see it in action there too. |
| nothing else.** Scarcity -- Sony is really smart! They do | | | | |