When one has a good idea, suddenly they all have the same good idea
I blogged a few weeks ago about the idea that has put Hyundai on the map. The car manufacturer started their Hyundai Assurance program and shortly after GM began their Total Confidence guarntee. Well, it seems that the idea has become quite popular and recently Ford has jumped on board with the Ford Advantage Program. Way to be part of the “in-crowd” Ford.
The Interview
Interviewing for that potential job is one of the things I think most people have a hard time with. Some just can’t stand the pressure and others go overboard with their entire presentation and come off a little arrogant. I’ve only interviewed a few times for different positions, but I have heard horror stories and I even get little butterflies before speaking.
I was forwarded and interesting article about newest interviewing tips from Yahoo.com’s Finance section. The Interview That’ll Bag a Job takes peoples’ blunders and shows you what they should have been doing. I found the article useful and I suggest you take the time to look it over for your own benefit.
Becoming Willy Wonka with DOVE
Ever dreamed of being Willy Wonka? Thanks to Mars Snackfoods and the DOVE Chocolate Discoveries (DCD) Program, your dreams might just come true.
The idea is much likes those of the Mary Kay and AVON companies. Chocolatiers, those who participate in the program, invite friends and family (and whoever else they can con into coming) to a tasting party. These parties are intended to show the usefulness of chocolate and encourage others to become chocolatiers as well.
The idea seemed a bit odd at first; however, after some consideration I think this is an interesting move that could actually pan out in the end.
- First, chocolate is a commodity that, despite the current economic status, people still crave. Think about the amount of chocolate distributed at holidays alone and you can see that the dollars add up quickly. I’m sure sales have gone down over the past few months, but there still is chocolate everywhere, I am a starving college student and I still fork out $5 for a bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs.
- Second, most women love chocolate and most women love parties with other girls. So I might be over-generalizing, but I believe that the statement is pretty true. Girls night out seems to be a common event among many of the women I know and a girls night out involving chocolate sounds even better.
- Third, chocolate generally makes women happy, happy women are inclined to spend money. This seems even more of a leap, but you have to admit it’s pretty true.
So combine happy women together (peer pressure), chocolate and chocolate goodies for sale and what do you get; a recipe for success. I think the success of other companies following the same program is enough to give this chocolate sales approach some credit. I think Mars sent their people out and did some pretty decent research. The only problem is they need a better way to get more people involved. I had never heard about the DCD program until I read about it in a PRWeek article, and I doubt the people really interested in this type of program are reading PRWeek, but I could be wrong! The article I read claims that Mars is planning on working with social networking sites to start promoting their DCD program, an idea that I think will definitely help them in the long run. It might not be a bad idea to link with companies with a similar selling program, like Mary Kay and Pampered Chef. The Food Network wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Hyundai and GM Reach Out
The Hyundai motor corporation came up with a unique idea that they’ve been sharing with the world. You lose your job within a year of purchasing your Hyundai vehicle, and the company will take the car off you hands. This coverage is included in the Hyundai Assurance, a plan that the company calls, “America’s Best Warranty” and during these hard economic time, I would have to say that Hyundai is definitely on to something. It seems that other car companies are starting to agree.
I recently saw an advertisement for Saturn that took the idea just a little bit further. The company says that if you lose your job within 2 years of purchasing or even leasing your new car, they will make your payments (up to $500) for the next nine months in a check made payable to you. It turns out that after a little research, this plan applies not only to Saturn vehicles, but all General Motors (GM) made vehicles. GM calls this there Total Confidence program.
I believe this is a brilliant public relations move by these two corporations. When someone goes to buy a new car, the dealerships are generally thought of as the, “Bad Guy.” We assume that they are out to take every last penny they can with no regards to the customer. I think these two programs are an excellent way to start to change the public’s opinion about car companies. Not only is the general public being hit by the current economic conditions, these companies are in peril as well.
Lisa Janssen's Blog 