[Mike Finley]

Anybody have any success doing piggy back advertising? For clarity it is when you split the costs of advertising by sharing it with another company that is synergistic or at least isn't competing with you. Like doing an insert in something, you get the front side, he gets the back, next time you switch. It ends up only costing you 1/2 price each time.

Anybody have any success at this? What would a smart partner be for a home improvement business to piggy back with that would be a win/win for each of us?

 

[Floorwizard]

Interesting Idea....We are a part of Carpetone, also known as CCA global, and they pitch in for a ton of advertising for us in the paper and lots of radio spots.
Plus they get spokespersons that work the radio spots and T.V. our last spokesperson was Florance Henderson....... she no longer is the spokesperson...I am not sure who they will get next, but I can tell you it will cater to females....

Maybe there is a group for Roofers or Painters that you can join and have the same kind of system....

 

[Grumpy]

We are certified by GAF and they subsidize our advertising. Well some of it. Many manufacturers of residential products will co-brand with you. Especially in the shingle world.

What you call piggy-back is known as co-branding. Like SBC-Yahoo!

I've been thinking of doing radio after my busienss is around for a few years. The problem is I will be too small to service the leads from 30 miles away. I will need someone else that will be willing to do those leads. Do I sell those leads to them or ask them to pay a portion of the advertising? Either way it's something I've been pondering.

 

[Glasshousebltr]

Come one come all!......piggy back rides for a dollar fifty.

Bob

 

[Mike Finley]

I think you guys are confusing piggy back advertising with co-op advertising. I think of co-op advertising whenever you see a general store sign with the name of the store and there is a prominent Coca-Cola logo on it, or a bar sign with a prominent Miller or Bud logo on it. Companies will co-op with you if you use their products which I think is what you guys are thinking of. For a retail floor store I'm sure the manufacturers offer your company tons of co-op money.

I'm talking about just a very casual partnership shared advertising program with synergystic businesses. For instance a sports arena might get local restuarants to do a combination advertisement that they mail out to people, the top half might be the sports arena "Get out family fun pack, 4 tickets, 2 cokes for $75" the bottom or back might be a restaurant "Come over to Tony's after the game" you see this all the time, where they offer you a free drink or something with your ticket stub.

I'm not even thinking that creatively yet, just maybe a local realtor who is farming a neighborhood, getting together and sending out something together and sharing the printing and postage, that kind of piggy back advertising. I was hoping some creative types here could share some successes or suggestions along that regard.

 

[Mike Finley]

Grumpy, I think you will up front have to decide if you can create a system that keeps your name un-tarnished. If you are advertising your company name and people are responding to your company and then you sell the lead to someone else and they screw up the job or even worse just pocket the money and screw the customer, the customer is going to remember your name the next time they hear your radio ad and tell everybody they know how they got screwed. If you can create a system that protects your reputation while allowing you to sell the leads, then why not? Of better yet if you can create a system that allows you to oversee the jobs somehow outside your area and have quality control then why not?

If you can't get a solution to that then I think you just have to accept that there will be certain reponses that you will just have to inform that you don't service there area yet and hope you are getting more than enough responses in your area of service. The worst is you could tell the customer that you don't service their area yet, but if they would like you could either recommend or take their information and pass it on to a competent company. Being the guy who has so much work that he gives it to other guys will certainly make you the man in your field and probably return much down the road.

I think you would have a hard time getting others to pay for advertising, unless you had a relationship with them, then everything is open to interpretation.

 

[Grumpy]

Actually Mike the points you mentioned have been kicked around in my head many times over. I've thought of a few possible solutions but I can't gice away everything all at once

Definetly I wouldn't approach someone out of the blue. I have a circle of local roofers/contractors that do excellent work and wouldn't mind a few qualified leads. What you suggested about passing the lead along is along the lines of what I have kinda decided upon... We shall see. Radio advertising doesn't play into my business plan for another 5 years.

 

[Mike Finley]

Always good to be dong long term planning. You know that old saying "Fail to plan, plan to fail."

 

[Grumpy]

Absolutely. I live by that saying. As we discussed in another topic, my business plan is more of a schedule than anything else. It is pretty tight for the next five years then I have some loose goals planned for very long term like 15+ years.