There was a time when film labs and dry cleaners seemed very similar: smelly, devoid of retail experience, defined by pounds of wash and roll counts; customer satisfaction was only as good as your last stain free shirt or well developed print.
In those days customers were acquired, or lost, when their commute intersected with your front door.
I often make this comparison to illustrate just how far the business of pictures has come; the toolkit required for success today is so vastly different and contains customer experience, merchandising, marketing (beyond coupons), and customer coaching.
Alas, it seems dry cleaners are about to enter a new era that will change their business for ever. Read this story in the NY Times. If you're an evolved retailer you know what's ahead for dry cleaners!
-Ravid
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tag Along Sale
Is it wise to run a sale on best selling products? Such is the on-going debate within Cameo Style.
To promote a best selling product is to leave money on the table, so say some.
Yet, to others the practice of discounting strong sellers is a sure way to generate sales during slower periods.
We've decided to split the difference and go for a "little sale" on Tag Along books, just 15%. And we're going to keep this sale very short, a week at most.
(by the way, we've been running a "private sale." If a customer is excited about the Cameo products but isn't ready to place an order just yet, we send them off with the folded Cameo Menu stamped with a special 10 day savings voucher.)
Now is a good time for a little sale because:
Good luck, and please share.
To promote a best selling product is to leave money on the table, so say some.
Yet, to others the practice of discounting strong sellers is a sure way to generate sales during slower periods.
We've decided to split the difference and go for a "little sale" on Tag Along books, just 15%. And we're going to keep this sale very short, a week at most.
(by the way, we've been running a "private sale." If a customer is excited about the Cameo products but isn't ready to place an order just yet, we send them off with the folded Cameo Menu stamped with a special 10 day savings voucher.)
Now is a good time for a little sale because:
- The weather in the northeast has impacted store traffic
- Mother's Day is a bit distant still, and Earth Day traditionally does not impact picture taking and memory keeping
Good luck, and please share.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Cross Merchandizing/ Bundles
When seemingly ordinary images are transformed into extraordinary products customers feel great, and you make a higher sale.
Cameo Style products work well in collections: to hang on the wall, to mail in an envelope, to carry in a purse, to display on a coffee table.
The best way to get your customers to think this way is to make a variety of products from a related grouping of images.
In the pictures below you can see how extraordinary 1-13 ordinary images can become when used as a Spring Frame, Tag Along, Peanut book, and a greeting card. These are images that as 4x6 prints would not get much notice. But presented in Cameo products, they are astonishing.
In the world of fashion this might be called accesorizing. And it works.
At our concept store we offer a 10% when products are purchased in groups.
Every Cameo Style retailer should showing samples this way. Just ask for sample files.
Cameo Style products work well in collections: to hang on the wall, to mail in an envelope, to carry in a purse, to display on a coffee table.
The best way to get your customers to think this way is to make a variety of products from a related grouping of images.
In the pictures below you can see how extraordinary 1-13 ordinary images can become when used as a Spring Frame, Tag Along, Peanut book, and a greeting card. These are images that as 4x6 prints would not get much notice. But presented in Cameo products, they are astonishing.
In the world of fashion this might be called accesorizing. And it works.
At our concept store we offer a 10% when products are purchased in groups.
Every Cameo Style retailer should showing samples this way. Just ask for sample files.
We are also struck by the undeniable synergy that gallery wraps have with Cameo Style products. If you print on canvas in your store you would be wise to create image continuity between your canvas and Cameo store samples. The resulting sales will impress you.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Every Day is a Birthday
I recently read that "birthday" was the tag for nearly 4000 projects on Shutterfly.
How many birthday books have you made in your store?
Sure, we all love big holidays and the rush of orders they bring. And we therefore tend to market Cameo Style around these big seasons.
But birthdays happen everyday, and they belong in the column of special occasions we need to market all year. This is a column with a great bottom line.
We made some samples that everyone can use. Please let us know that you'd like the files to print samples for your own store.
How many birthday books have you made in your store?
Sure, we all love big holidays and the rush of orders they bring. And we therefore tend to market Cameo Style around these big seasons.
But birthdays happen everyday, and they belong in the column of special occasions we need to market all year. This is a column with a great bottom line.
We made some samples that everyone can use. Please let us know that you'd like the files to print samples for your own store.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
New "Subscription" Program from Cameo Style
As a matter of policy we use this blog only to inspire retailers with the success of our line.
But our new model is so different and so easy to join, we cannot not mention it.
We call it our Subscription model
- $150 gets the Cameo Style Software installed and operational on your computer, or any existing kiosk. Then pay only $100 monthly, (3 months free with an annual contract))
- Use an existing printer or send orders to Cameo Style central printing
- Key elements of the program remain available, such as: product samples, signage, point of purchase materials, ideas from our concept store, and support from our staff.
And if you upgrade to a full Boutique department, (with Kiosk, Printer, and Custom Furniture), we'll apply all all your first year payments.
Everyone likes Cameo Style products. Now there is no excuse to deny your customers a great experience.
Call us now at 215 501 7021 to subscribe.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Cameo Style Menu
We Created a new Cameo Style menu that customers can take home after finding your store. It helps to remind them of a gift idea, and to share gift ideas with others at home or at work. The menu prints on 8.5x11 paper so you can print it yourself. We left space right on the cover for each store to add its contact information. Please contact us if you'd like to use the file.
Frame White Paper, frame sale success
What else are you going to sell when there isn't a specific "holiday?" Well, collage frames of course.
So we put the table frames on sale yesterday, marked down 30%
We disguised them to look like any other frame on display, not frames attached to a "process." We even left some of them "naked," without pictures inserted. We figured if people bought them we'll let them know they could return for a free print.
Customers responded strongly and 8 have been sold since yesterday, all with prints. So we sold eight frames and we got eight new customers to fall in love with Cameo Style and the service.
Frame White Paper:
Frames are so profitable!
In theory frames are the easiest and most accessible way to introduce customers to Cameo Style. This is because the public already gets frames: every one of your customers understands buying a frame. Can the same be said of photo books, for example? Of course not. So its helpful to think of frames as an easy intro to a new process.
Moreover, a frame is an easy project to make, and to complete, (for both customer and shop), and so it's an experience that is likely to be repeated. (Sort of like if someone offered me a painless 10 minute a day fitness exercise that was effective...I'd be an exercise nut). Frames create an easy opportunity for repeat business. A man who's ordering two frames as I'm writing this asked to hold the last 4 frames of a particular style, that's what I mean.
But in practice only some of our shops seem to leverage the frame opportunity. We'd like to see more stores make the effort to present our frames as, well, just frames, and then add the personalization as a free extra. will you let me know how it worked?
So we put the table frames on sale yesterday, marked down 30%
We disguised them to look like any other frame on display, not frames attached to a "process." We even left some of them "naked," without pictures inserted. We figured if people bought them we'll let them know they could return for a free print.
Frame White Paper:
Frames are so profitable!
In theory frames are the easiest and most accessible way to introduce customers to Cameo Style. This is because the public already gets frames: every one of your customers understands buying a frame. Can the same be said of photo books, for example? Of course not. So its helpful to think of frames as an easy intro to a new process.
Moreover, a frame is an easy project to make, and to complete, (for both customer and shop), and so it's an experience that is likely to be repeated. (Sort of like if someone offered me a painless 10 minute a day fitness exercise that was effective...I'd be an exercise nut). Frames create an easy opportunity for repeat business. A man who's ordering two frames as I'm writing this asked to hold the last 4 frames of a particular style, that's what I mean.
But in practice only some of our shops seem to leverage the frame opportunity. We'd like to see more stores make the effort to present our frames as, well, just frames, and then add the personalization as a free extra. will you let me know how it worked?
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