3 Hyperlocal Marketing Success Factors

Traditional marketing focuses on the needs and wants of customers. What drives needs and wants are problems.

Nobody likes to admit they have problems, but the truth is we all do. We may not be getting quality sleep because we need a better mattress. Or we may not entertain as much as we would like because we are embarrassed about our outdoor environment.

Call it what you wish, just recognize that the needs and wants of your future customers are the result of real or perceived problems.

Problems require solutions, and businesses that can effectively and appropriately respond to them will earn the business.

Your local business is ideally positioned to do exactly that. It’s the crux of hyperlocal marketing.

via 3 Hyperlocal Marketing Success Factors.

Incredible mobile VAS – 75paise per voice sms

Following up on my previous post about Negative Value Innovation, here is a graphical description of someone trying to use the so-called Value Added Service of leaving a voice SMS when a called party is unavailable.

Imagine the possible scenarios when the VAS takes you by surprise and asks for you to dial the TEN-DIGIT-NUMBER,

Either …
I. hang up, then …
Step 1. Get hold of a pen and a piece of paper,
Step 2. Go through phone book,
Step 3. Note down the TEN-DIGIT-NUMBER, (remember you located the person by his/her name when you called the first time. Now you need the TEN-DIGIT-NUMBER!)
Step 4. Hit last call dialled and be ready to read and dial the number when asked.

I suspect if the called party has hung up while you’re busy with the steps above, you’ll never get to using the fruits of your labour and will be pissed. But if you’re lucky that s/he is still on a call, you’d have a chance to use this ‘friendly neighborhood’ VAS.

Unless you’re an octopus here’s my second visualisation . . .

II. Without hanging up … have your phone tucked between ear and shoulder while you dig into your pocket for a scrap of paper, hurriedly get hold of a pen … then figure where to keep these while you take your phone off your ear and try to access your phone book, scroll down to the contact and note the number, 3 digits at a time while repeating the above subsequence. I wouldn’t be surprised that the IVR hangs up while you’re busy multitasking.

Discalimer: If it was your sweetheart you were calling and you already knew her number by heart! (Pun Intended), you’d be able to use the service like a breeze.

What say to calling this a Value Diminished Nuisance (VDN) instead!!