How best to promote a new product on forums?

[Steve]

For those of you out there who have been on forums for a while and have seen new products pop up. What stands out in your mind as the best promotions? What were the things the manufacturers did to create a buzz about thier product? I am hoping we might come up with some ideas for our new friend who is in the process of promoting his products online. For example, do you remember when Tony from "Quick 36" was offering steep discounts for buying groups that were created on the forum?

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I do remember the Quick 36. I think that people are thinking about two different things when they are buying the product: 1) The name brand of the product. Do they recognize the name, 2) Price of the product. Some of the best things that I see are no payments for 6 or 12 months. I also think that if products were more readily available for demo use then people would buy them. Nobody wants to make an $8,000 investment on a ZTR mower, to only find out 2 weeks later that they hate it.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ] I also think that if products were more readily available for demo use then people would buy them.

What would be an ideal demo situation for you? How would it work?

[kc2006]

One of the best things I remember (and was thinking about this just the other day) was when billy goat tricked everyone with their new force blower. They went on all the lawncare forums and sold it as a new brand called force, didnt give any real info on the company or the product even but they showed videos of the blower putting other blowers to shame (even a billy goat!). Then they put out a new video showing it off and at the end they showed the logo (a pair of eyes in a black screen) then they lightend the screen up and it was the eyes of the billy goat logo!

If you make a huge buzz about the product but leave the consumer wondering about it, the consumer will burn it in their mind because they want to know more. I can't really recall any other things that stand out to me.

[kc2006]

Forgot. The best promotions I normally see are the 36 months with no interest. My mower has 9.99% interest which I didnt realize how much that came out to until I got the first statement. Next time I finance anything, I'll be more tempted with lower interest.

I also agree with Troy. Demos are huge. If I wasn't capable of getting a demo of a mower brand, I didn't even consider that company. If a company can't let you try it before you buy it, what kind of customer service are they going to have?

[Steve]

I remember that blower promotion. I totally thought it was a new company as well.

Do you think that promotion helped them sell more? What value do you think it added to their promotion not to let anyone know at first it was from billygoat?

Why do you think they choose to do that?

[kc2006]

I think it helped sell more because it really made people curious, so everyone wanted to run out and check it out. I know I did! As for them "tricking" us, I think they did it to kill brand loyalty. On other message boards guys are always make a post without knowing any other brand and instaltly blurt out the brand they have and love. For example (thought of this the other day) when I had my bobcat walkbehind, I thought it cut extremely well, well I bought my exmark and it makes lawns look like a carpet. One day I took the bobcat out and cut with it and I was amazed at how "bad" the cut looked now compaired to the exmark. Thats how it is with many things, vehicles, small equipment, mowers, beverages, stores, anything. Consumers tend to close their mind to new or different products, I think billy goat saw that and their marketing campaign really came through I think. If they came out at first and just said it was a new blower by billy goat, giantvac and little wonder diehards wouldn't have even looked at it I bet, but since they came out throwing punches showing it whooping on even their own blower, I think that really helped get everyones interest and made it seem like "the newest and best thing out".

It's all about creating a buzz to stand out.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ Nov. 09 2006,6:01)]I remember that blower promotion. I totally thought it was a new company as well.

Do you think that promotion helped them sell more? What value do you think it added to their promotion not to let anyone know at first it was from billygoat?

Why do you think they choose to do that?

It got a lot of peoples attention, but to me, Billy Goat was already a huge name. I have used Billy Goat blowers in the past and love them to death, more than Little Wonder.

I think that if Billy Goat concentrated on selling their brand name with the blower, how much more powerful it was, and most importantly, how much lighter it was it would have done better.

But on that note, I have heard a lot of people criticize the new blower and how they hate it. I am just a little leary about the plastic aspect of it. Also, I hate that you can not adjust the shoot at the handle bars like the older models. I have been in the look out for a new blower, and because of them not having that adjustable shoot lever at the handle bar, I will not buy it. That is what is causing me not to buy a Little Wonder as well