Learning from Sales/Marketing Campaigns that FAILED

**inle** · 09-14-2009 03:39 AM

As much as we love success, sometimes FAILURES taught us valuable lessons os well..
And sometimes these failures taught us MUCH MORE (well, at least for me)..

I hope that we can take a positive view and share about the Sales/Marketing campaigns that we had thought will work but in the end, flopped BIG time..
We take them as valuable lessons and milestones towards our goals..

Lets hear about them and learn together..

PS:
I am starting this thread so that we can learn in a positive light from each other's misadventures so that we are aware and can spot pitfalls easier..
So I hope there will be honest feedback with positive suggestions to each stories..

**inle** · 09-22-2009 02:45 AM

I am aware we have many experts here..
Please do share your experiences ya..

Thank You..

**inle** · 09-25-2009 05:24 AM

Something to share..

A few months ago, I happened to know 2 business owners who started a tution centre..
I was referred to help them and go through a brief analysis of their marketing campaigns..

One of the way they are getting to their customers is through a "Needy 50 % Discount" Program cater to needy family during this downturn..
Sounds good so far but when I dig further, we know this does not work..

1. There is no clear definition of the "Needy" status.. No income or per capita considerations.. If you think you are "needy", therefore you are..

2. There is no differences between the Normal & the "Needy" program.. So it will rise concerns why the Normal rates is needed.. Also the children from these two programs held lessons together with the same delivery & materials..

3. The owners told me it is a "gimmick" and used only to get customers in, and later try to encourage them to switch to the normal rates.. I was trying hard to think what valid reasons will be good to get this conversion.. I can't think of any..

4. The staff is not informed about the details of the program.. I realised that is because the owners are not aware themselves when I probe further..

As a result, I offered some suggestions to improve on it and they told me they will "see how"..
I couldn't go on to help them in details because they refused to engage me officially, but only wanted to rip off ideas from me..

Trouble started when a "Normal Program" concerned parent ask them about why she was not include in the "Needy Discount Program"..
Their business started this year January and closed down by June when half af the normal rates programs died off.. And they have ran off out of Singapore due to debts and are currently under lawsuits..