Lance B
Marketing professional. Email specialist in creative, distribution and analysis.
Marketing to current customer's neighbors. Thoughts? Uses? Sectors? Ideas?
I am developing a software service that allows companies to market to their current customers neighbors. It takes a current or past customer list and processes up to 30 of each of the addresses closest neighbors. Not based on radius, zip, or other common currently offered.
It is working very well for the Home Service Professional sector ie: plumbers, landscapers, window replacements, etc...
Was wondering if you had any other thoughts on this service? other sectors? other uses? features? any comment!!
Example: You are a company and you know address XXX purchased XXX product or service... could you assume that the area they live in would have the same demographics and market XXX product/service to the entire neighborhood?
Take a look at my website for more information before you comment if you wish. www.sellnextdoor.com .
Good Answers (1)
Alvin H
Recruitment Consultant at Quest on the Frontier alvin@questonthefrontier.com
Best Answers in: Business Insurance (1), Economics (1), Direct Marketing (1), Business Development (1), Customer Relationship Management (1), Using LinkedIn (1)
This is a good true-and-tried idea, think of all the car dealerships that put their brand (Joe's Chevrolet) sticker on the back of your vehicle, or license plate frame. Think of Chubbs Security or whatever security company you use that puts a sticker near the front door. Think of Craftsman (or any garden tool) that prominently displays their brand on the side of the lawnmower.....
All expecting when your neighbor walks by, notices your nice alarm system/car/john deere tractor, they will think of that brand and gets "touched"....
Certainly worth refinining and pursuing, but other than giving your existing customer a referral reward, can't think of an non-intrusive way of getting to that potential neighbour....
When I lived in apartments, my locksmith that helped me unlock my door one day pasted a small sticker on EACH mailbox in the lobby of the apartment on his way out, so everyone has his number. No one has tore it off, cos they don't know when they may need the locksmith.
More Answers (12)
The conceopt sounds very good. I have clients right now who do door hangers by field reps when they go into a neighborhood. This is a good opportunity to take advantage of the neighborhood synergy. Not sure what the magic is to 30 addresses. It seems this should be flexible based on the client needs.
Angela V
Creative Services Director at Empire Broadcasting
Best Answers in: Graphic Design (2), Advertising (1), Retirement and Estate Planning (1), Small Business (1)
I could really see real estate agents utilizing something like this. It would help them get their name out to neighbors of houses they just helped a consumer buy or sell. I feel sure there are many other ways to use what you have developed. But do keep in mind with a number as low as 30 it makes it harder and more expensive do any special marketing. For instance if a real estate agent wanted to send a postcard of a house she/he just sold to the neighbors that would be costly as most printers will not do a print job of less than 250. You might want to form a partnership with a printer who can handle small print jobs on a digital press that can help your clients, then the printer could outsource some of their direct mailing to you too. Just an idea for you to further investigate.
Ian M
Strategic Marketing Executive driving demand using cutting edge experiential, entertainment and digital marketing
Best Answers in: Events Marketing (10), Advertising (4), Business Development (4), Sales Techniques (2), Conference Venues (1), Staffing and Recruiting (1), Internationalization and Localization (1), Lead Generation (1), Writing and Editing (1), Organizational Development (1), Branding (1), Information Security (1)
Hi Lance,
This is a very good idea. There are services out there that show that "birds of a feather" flock together. for example, there are rich neighborhoods and poor neighborhoods. One company that does some interesting work in this area is Claritas (www.claritas.com) They use demographic and psychographic profiling based on loosely on census data and other inputs to inform their segmentation methodology.
This kind of approach can be used for service industries i.e., contractors putting up a sign at a job site, or to target locations for retail establishments, special events, direct mailings, etc.
Bob A
Interim Marketing Research Management
Best Answers in: Direct Marketing (1), Business Development (1), Business Analytics (1), Planning (1)
This might also work for realtors. But, why do you limit the service to 30 additional addresses per input address? I think most larger companies would want a lot more names since response rates are usually very low.
There are several services that offer postal carrier route fill-ins -- which sounds similar to what you're doing. I've used this service in the past and it has been very useful.
Bob
James P
Professional coffee drinker, I connect business problems with people that can help take them away, can I help you?
Best Answers in: Business Development (11), Sales Techniques (5), Change Management (3), Mentoring (2), Customer Relationship Management (1), Lead Generation (1), Organizational Development (1), Career Management (1), Using LinkedIn (1)
Hi Lance,
Sounds like you have the gem of a great idea, neighbourhood selling is a great way to progress either at a consumer or a organisational level.
What you might want to consider is adding some academic rigour to your thinking, for example talk to a good university which is marketing or sales strong and see what research has been done in the space and tag into that.
For many years I have worked informally in a model where you profile successful organisational impact against the parallel organisations by proximity and parity to the successful site.
Definately worth pursuign I would suggest, but you might have to think about the two potential markets home use versus organisational use differently as there are different dimensions and characteristics with each.
Good luck and if i can ever help please don't hesitate to shout.
Best wishes,
James
jamesdpotter@btitnernet.com
i'm thinking this short neighborhood database could possibly work for door selling type of products/brands such as avon / cooking robot. I see it more for a high priced ticket item in case the neighborhood is at least midclass.
I agree with some of the debaters arguing it's a small database for large retail stores or large advertisers...
Very interesting Lance -- I'll check out your site. I may have the perfect customer for you. They are always interested in new-mover lists for the professional services they perform for homeowners, but this sounds better. Forget predictive modeling. You're catapulting them directly to clone modeling!
I'm in direct marketing (print, mail, email, interactive, etc.). This sounds like a winner.
Thanks,
Keith Franco
770-905-6674
kfranco@harrisinteractivemedia.com
keith.franco@dma-atlanta.com
HAREL A
Independant Asset Protection Agent---If You Own It, Drive it, or Think it, I Can Protect IT! --Mpls/St.Paul-952-233-5110
Best Answers in: Direct Marketing (1)
Sounds like a great idea. I could see this working for insurance agents. They have a house in a neighborhood and having access to the neighbors would be good. Price is an issue, so offering the list at a reasonable rate is worth doing. I do a bit of mailings and this could be a part of the marketing mix.
Birds of a feather flock (and nest) together! Spent a small fortune on a database study to get this kind of data when I was working in the casino industry. The research allowed us to target mailings, advertising, etc.
Every one of the thousands of mail service vendors already provide this type of service. Whether it is based on zip, carrier route, demographic or census/prizm clustering info, any marketer can receive "fill-in" leads based on what their existing customers look like. In most cases it is a relatively inexpensive process.
Hello Lance. I am with Corporate Document Solutions, we offer offset and digital printing. After reviewing your website, I would like to send you further information on our capabilities as we offer variable data printing, as well as, set up a custom system online for print on demand. Give me a call/email if you would like to further discuss.
Kevin W
Printing Sales rep that also helps his customers with social media
Best Answers in: Advertising (1), Direct Marketing (1), Graphic Design (1), Inventory Management (1)
Hi Lance,
Does it work by using the customers name in the advertising. Ie Jim uses our turf building system why don't you.
Or is it random.
Feel free to let me know.
Thanks
