Jiffy Lube

Now, I'm not sure about all Jiffy Lubes, but the one by my home has done an effective job of marketing. Because it is located in an old gas station, the first thing the owners did was to clean up the pavement and clean and remodel the station. In a clean waiting room, a host or hostess takes customer information. The image projected is that getting an oil change is a pleasant experience - much, much different from the local gas station. I get my oil changed at Jiffy Lube every 5,000 miles now. Before, I'm not sure I changed it more that once a year.

Measuretech

Measuretech has been in business for more than 50 years, and over 65 percent of all systems in use are Measuretech’s. Measuretech has 18 salespeople across the country and advertises heavily. Its products have a better-quality reputation than Stuebins’, and it provides excellent customer service and technical support.

POOR MARKETING THRUSTS

RCA

RCA is active in three competitive markets: VCRs, VCR tapes, and VCR cameras. Now, there is one unusual factor here. RCA has a strong position in all three markets, while many other competitors don’t. Having a package of products and services should give RCA an advantage, yet RCA has not exploited this edge. Missing golden opportunities is lousy marketing.

Recently I visited a local electronics retailer. In one part of the store, there was a large stack of RCA tapes on sale; in another, there was a large stack of RCA VCRs; and in another, there were RCA video cameras. I couldn’t help but think how appealing it would have been to see the three products combined into an RCA display. The store could have been showing home videos of little kids on an RCA TV. It would have been excellent marketing for RCA, and I think the store would have liked the promotion because it would grab the customer’s attention.

Coke

I’m not going to criticize Coke again for introducing new Coke. Consider, however, what Coke has done since that introduction. First, Coke changed the product’s name to Classic Coke. This new name reinforced Pepsi’s position as the “Choice of a new generation.” Young people – the new generation – are the very people Coke was trying to appeal to with new Coke.

Second, consider the outrage of the consumers when Coke dropped old Coca Cola. It may have been the biggest protest of the year. People didn’t just like Coke – they were willing to take to the streets in protest to get old Coca Cola back. How could Coke pass up this opportunity for a tremendous marketing campaign? Now, I have a theory about soft drinks. After you drink a certain soft a week or two, you become accustomed to the taste; another soft drink doesn’t taste as good. I would have thought a campaign to have people try new Coke for a week or two was in order. But I don’t think the Coke executives wanted to admit their mistake. I think they could have capitalized on it for some great publicity. As a rule, people will be supportive of a company that admits a marketing mistake.