Below is a draft of the artwork we have developed at Tower Systems for newsagents to use to invite customers to spend their federal government stimulus money in a local newsagency. I felt it was important for newsagents to respond in some way to marketing from electrical, furniture and other outlets chasing the stimulus money.
I’d be interested feedback – direct or as comments here. I am not sure that this artwork is quite where it needs to be.
My goal was to tell people that buying a plasma sends money offshore whereas more of what you spend in a newsagency stays here, local.
I like it.
Maybe :
“Spend some of your stimulus money here”
So it looks like we’re not asking for all of it but just some to boost the economy.
Also maybe a plasma screen at the bottom with a red cross through it and beside it a pile of magazines with a green tick going through it.
Under the plasma it could write “money goes overseas” and under the magazines it could say “money stays here”
Just a few ideas I have. I’m no artist.
I have received some excellent feedback privately about this. New artwork will be developed and released next week as a result.
Maybe we could put on dark glasses and a sit near the door with a tin cup…how pathetic,sounds like begging to me,surely things arent that bad we need to beg for people to spend in our stores,and to insult loyal customers with such a sign would be the ultimate slap to them
Helen, The idea was to do something. Otherwise, at some point newsagents are likely to say we got nothing from the stimulus.
Offer great product ,great prices, and great service,and the volume will look after itself if you do this, but for goodness sake begging for a sale with a pathetic embarassing campaign such as the one some retailers are using smacks of desperation,i cringe everytime i see an add about spending stimulus money,i dont want my customers cringing in my store
And Helen you see me doing that with most of what I do in my business. Whether we like it or not advertisements are running to connect with the stimulus money. My personal view is that we need to try and connect with the somehow. It will be up to individual newsagents if they do or not. At least they will have a resource they can use if they wish.
And if that doesnt work busking is always an option,actually nobodys done the franchise busking thing yet,we could be the first to embrace this new emerging market.
Thanks Mark for this initiative. I see a lot of businesses starting to use this type of pitch. Car makers come to mind immediately though there are others.
Helen enjoy your opinion but do you have to be so petty in wanting to state it over and over again? State your opinion and move on.
Sell them your Billexpress screen for $900 🙂
Maybe by replacing “spend your stimulus money here” you could put “keep your stimulus money local. Support your local newsagent”, this in my opinion would sound more sincere.
I hate the advertisements that say say spend kev’s money on x product or in y store, its not “free money” we will pay dearly for it, I think the Gov got it wrong by giving the money to people with little or no skills with cash and then expect them to spend it wisely. Most will spend it at the shop with the flashiest ad campaign and then cry poor again in the near future. I understand Helens comments but we need to put something out there to jolt peoples awareness, and this could be it, its not loud and out there but it puts across a message.
Helen
Have you seen the “Holden Owner’s Grant” advertising?
Holden’s ad is using the wording of the stimulus package and are receiving massive handouts as well.
Newsagents attempting to get some of their taxes back via consumers spending the stimulus money in their shops is smart, sensible and ultimately better for all of us rather sending the money overseas for plasma screeens.
Newsagents are not begging, they are offering another destination for the spending of the $900.
Luke,
Just a thought re: … giving the money to people with little or no skills with cash and then expect them to spend it wisely.
People with a lot of skill & cash created the GFC. (greed & over leveraging) and are being bailed out (maybe) with taxpayers money. Gov. didn’t get it wrong, it’s just that what they are doing may not work. Lets hope it does…
I stand by my comments, from what I am seeing in our area a lot of the money is going into poker machines, alcohol and expensive toys like T.v an Wii, that will not help get people jobs or keep them in jobs once the initial cash runs out or stimulate the local economy. As for the people who created the problems, they used others peoples money to create the problems and it was a case of easy come easy go, if they had to work for it then they may not have lost it so easily. Again giving people money without having to work for it is the cause of the problem not the cure. For me this is just Kevin Rudd trying to buy popularity.
I hope you run a successful business leon or work for someone who does because unemployment is rising, and will continue to rise unless small business gets help.
Brilliant marketing idea. Newsagents might not be the first to use it, but we would be the first to connect stimulus spending with the local community. I look forward to the finished product.
It is not begging, btw! It is called bringing in business!
Luke,
Again giving people money without having to work for it is the cause of the problem not the cure..
Current batch of stimulus if for those who filled out last years tax return. I think that means they worked for it. Its taxpayers money being returned to taxpayers to stimulate the economy. Again it may not work but lets hope it does.
And yes we run a newsagency and I work for a company.
Regardless of the stimulus package, unemployement will continue to rise – a lot more I think.
I agree that small business is being neglected, not only by the Gov. but also by the gouging banks who are largely responsible for this mess.
Sorry Mark for straying being off topic…….
We may have different ideas of what work means leon, showing up and collecting a wage is not work for me, to be a worker is to contribute to the profitability of the business. A lot of people expect a job but do not want to actually work and cry poor me when the owners have to let them go because the business is not profitable. Just because you filled out a tax form last year does not mean you have earned your wage. Again we have different ideas as to what work is.
We will have a revised version of this poster and a new alternative poster read sometime Wednesday all being well. I will post them here.
Thanks for getting us back on topic, I look forward to the updates
Luke,
Maybe we are just lucky but we have great staff that do work and contribute to the business. You will always find those that don’t but I like to think there are far more willing than unwilling. It maybe a case of is the glass half empty or half full.
As for gov. popularity. I think they are between a rock & a hard place. Not there fault but easy to blame. They will come out looking bad regardless, especially by the ignorant…
Its easy to call people who do not agree with you ignorant leon, but you may want to check your spelling first or you just look silly Their fault not there fault.
I think this poster, whatever it becomes will work to a degree and help our channel, by possibly driving more sales in newsagencies which then can invest in software and hardware to make things easier, maybe help with getting some new shop fittings, to get the shop looking better, to sell more magazines/stationery.
I hope the poster works for who ever puts it up, I’d rather the money stay put, than go overseas.
Luke,
Apologies if you thought I was directing the ignorant statement at you. I wasn’t. It was an open statement. By the way if you want to resort to the use of grammar, a persons name is a proper noun and therefore starts with a capital letter (Leon). No offence taken I’m not thin skinned.
Nelson, I’m a second generation newsagent, having grown up within the business as a paperboy then counter I went to uni and moved away for 6 yrs before we moved home and bought my parents out after dad died. So to answer your question we bought the business it was not given to me, and I went into it with my eyes open, dad died in my opinion because after many yrs of 7 days a week and 90+ hours he just got tired. I do not want others do do the same thing.
Why do you ask?
I was curious as to Nelson’s questions as well. It doesn’t have anything to do with Luke’s comments.
I never had a go at Leon, I hoped he worked in a successful business because I’d hate to see how he would react when his staff needed to be layed off.
As for the non workers, this is my opinion as I see it but if you feel the need to come to the rescue of the working man then good on you Nelson. In my opinion the money should not have gone to individual but should of been spend directly into the economy on large projects, the first stimulus failed, and by the sounds of things so is the second. All we are getting out of it is huge national debt.
I know what I have put into my business, and how hard I work, so if you want to trade detail no probs. Uncle Kevin is not bankrolling my business.
Nobody I know personally is spending their stimulus money on toys. More like loan repayments/principal, (essential) car maintenance, bills and other less frivolous stuff.
I’m gobsmacked at what I see as the mindless indulgence of spoilt brats (AND their bratty kids) on the news etc. Like a Wii will enhance one’s life in any meaningful way. But that’s just me and the crazy, wacky way I see the world, I guess.
However, I’m not going to turn anyone away who wishes to spend theirs towards holidays, and buy provisions and mags at the local shop (ours!). The local spending, I agree wholeheartedly with, as well as the thing about keeping toy/plasma salespeople in work. It’s a tricky road to hoe. Let’s face it, many mags are also of overseas origin, whether in whole, or ‘raw’ material.
For so many, though, the little luxuries are the first to go, like mags, coffees, and impulse things like sweets etc. Then there’s the convenience stuff like groceries etc. All of which we purvey. We don’t dare whinge, however. It could be worse!
Oh, and the poster? I think it’s a great idea, if it’s worded less aggressively than the original. Ideas so far are helpful. I can see Helen’s POV, too, though.
I am looking to buy a terrabyte external usb hardrive from a Newsagent from my stimulus. Please email dekka34@aapt.net.au if you have them for sale.
Its kind of on topic, I want to buy from a Newsagent via the stimulus.
Thanks Derek
You are on the right track – any business would be mad not to try and capitalise on stimulus money but you need to design ads to relate to the consumers self interest not the advertisers.
This ad is a far cry from what Holden is doing.
The basic principle of successful marketing is WIIFM – What’s In It For Me. That is what all customers are thinking.
Look at Holden’s ad and ask that question then look at this ad and you will see the difference.
Good luck!