The Cutting Edge in Online Marketing - Latest Comments

Re: Does the latest news about Sears have a message for Manufactured Housing retailing?

Mhlmvl — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:16:14 -0000

Of course Sears is everything the article says it is, but the talk of upgrading is far easier than actually finding the resotces to do it. In my lifetime, Sears bested Montgomery Wards with newer, better located stores. This left Wards with many small, downtown stores as the suburban shopping malls were emerging and thriving. This got the new entrants better locations and larger, more inviting stores. No one can stand up to that type of competetion.
Often, as with Sears today, not only are the stores tired, but leases for the location might well be a factor in not moving.

Re: Lazy vs. Professional Sales People

John Thalacker — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:35:43 -0000

Lazy people, are you inspired yet?
Merry Christmas to all my friends in the biz!

Re: Is Content Marketing in Business 2 Business Marketing the New King?

John Thalacker — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:29:53 -0000

Martyn Chamberlin had some interesting things to say about content marketing for generating quality traffic and email subscriptions.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups...

Re: Warren Buffett’s advice to Manufactured Housing

Tony — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:49:21 -0000

Actually, Dan R at MHV refers to his system as an MLX.

IMHO - Their approach certainly has potential, given the inclusion of other variables.

Tony

Re: Warren Buffett’s advice to Manufactured Housing

John Thalacker — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:42:26 -0000

I guessed you might be talking about Dan's MLS.

Re: Warren Buffett’s advice to Manufactured Housing

L. A. Tony Kovach — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:06:38 -0000

John, we know each other well. So it is with respect that I say that in your own warm, whimsical way, it is you who are doing the baiting ;-)
That said, Warren Buffett and I agree on this point (gee, isn't that interesting ;-) Buffett's statement to Kevin Clayton in the video on our Daily Business News blog is dead on.
The MH Industry suffers in part from a lack of an effective resale mechanism.
What makes Real Estate work in terms of a normal market and the normal opportunity for appreciation? Resale, image and financing. So realtors are a part of the mix that makes real estate what it is today. if reselling your site built house or condo was as big a hassle as it is with MH, real estate would never have had the bloom that it has enjoyed.
There are billions to be earned when an effective resale mechanism is established for factory built housing that mimics what Realtors and an MLS system do. Combined with image building, marketing and more, you have the MH Alliance/Phoenix Plan.
Cheers!

Tony

Re: Warren Buffett’s advice to Manufactured Housing

John Thalacker — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:18:49 -0000

"resale marketing system"
"effective resale mechanism"

I feel like I'm being baited with double talk. I wish you could speak plainly.

Re: Starting the MH Image and Marketing Campaign

Derrick — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:47:07 -0000

This project is tremendously great and much needed. To bring the MH industry together to better our image, reputation, products, and business is long overdue. Will it be easy? Of course not, but then nothing that is truly worthwhile ever is. I applaud Tony and everyone at MHMSM for spearheading and managing this effort. We will be more than happy to participate in any way needed.

-Derrick Hachey, Manufactured Home Source

Re: Manufactured Homes: we either Define ourselves or let others define us

Johnny Edmundson — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:03:43 -0000

I have been in the Retail side of this industry for 36 years (24 as an owner). When our industry gets out of denial and shares your message and all the positive things about our product on national TV with all Americans, then we will begin to see more customers. When the industry stops spending millions on plant shows and regional shows and begins spending those millions on advertising their message to the masses, then we will see more customers. As you say here we will get a shot at the low income customers anyway, its the middle income customers, who have good credit and just can't quite reach that $200,000.00 average site built house that we must target. While shipments are down nationwide for 2011, the retail sales at our little MOM and POP dealership in Athens, TN are up 35% for this year. 50 new homes thru July. How, you say? Because we ADVERTISE on TV. It is the only way to relay the message effectively. Mail outs don't work, neither do newspaper line ads or little signs on the side of the road. I know how to beat the Real Estate industry for the middle income customers, but I can't get anyone to listen!! Johnny Edmundson/johnny@zl55.com/423-337-1545

Re: Starting the MH Image and Marketing Campaign

Richard May — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:45:04 -0000

Hello Tony,

We here at the national trade association for the rent-to-own trade association are looking into the same type of image campaign. We have had PR initiatives for nearly two decades and have been successful but need to take it to the next level. Any unified industry PR/Marketing/Image campaign is a great achievement in of itself and I believe we can learn much from each other.

Re: New Format Preview! Check Up on upcoming MH Image Campaign today

ExecDirector — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:39:43 -0000

Keep up the GREAT work! It's very needed and necessary. I'll do what I can to help promote.
Mary McBrady
MMHA (Massachusetts MH Assn.)

Re: Starting the MH Image and Marketing Campaign

L. A. Tony Kovach — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:26:51 -0000

Derrick,
Thank you, the positive comments and interest are coming in by phone and email too.

This is one of them, that the author has just given me permission to post:

===

Tony,
When sent you email had not read about exciting initiative
described. I salute your alliance plan. Count me in as well as let me
know how I can truly get behind it. It's VITAL to our industry.

Cheers, Craig

Craig Bollman

======

MHC aficionados know Craig, as do iCafe fans.

Thanks Craig!

Tony

Re: Starting the MH Image and Marketing Campaign

Derrick Hachey — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:15:15 -0000

I'm beyond excited to learn more about this project. As a member of the former MHI image campaign task force I was saddened to see those efforts go by the wayside. I believe the industry as a whole can and will benefit from improved image.

Re: Starting the MH Image and Marketing Campaign

Boe — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:46:48 -0000

Tony - what is the schedule like for the webinar?

Boe

Re: Starting the MH Image and Marketing Campaign

L. A. Tony Kovach — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:39:46 -0000

Grayson Schwepfinger asked me to review/edit and post the following:

Tony:

My response to
your suggestion that we need a national campaign to promote the industry
is that I couldn't agree more! Your remark regarding the RV industry
was rather coincidental since I made the same observation in an article last
month.

When I was
president of the Pennsylvania Association back in the 60s we tried a
similar program in central the Pennsylvania market area. At the time
Owens Corning Fiberglas had just completed their second in-depth survey
as to why people that visited a manufactured home sales location did not
buy. I'm sure these surveys are still available for your
consideration. My experience is that little has changed over the years. I
have always felt that our biggest traffic problem is that the qualified
customer when considering housing change doesn't even consider us as
one of the options.

Owens Corning
identified seven main reasons such as lack of quality, lack of resale
value, lack of sites, and lack of financing, etc for not buying.
Since only lack of sites and lack of financing had any validity at that
time, we decided to attack the other five reasons with a TV campaign
to increase both traffic and sales. I'm not sure exactly what it did for
sales but at the end of the three-month program we held a survey and
80 some percent of the people asked said they had a much more favorable
attitude toward the industry.

My main concern
in putting this program together was how we would get people to visit
only good-looking locations with qualified salespeople and not visit a
substandard location and again be turned off by the industry. My
solution to this dilemma was to develop a logo and copyright it. All of
our ads stated,"For more information visit a dealer displaying this
logo!" We supported the program with a monthly fee paid by the dealers
who were approved and participated. The Association declined to give
access and the right to use the logo to anyone they felt was
undesirable. We had nearly 100% participation by the dealers in that
area. The few that held out when they saw that they must join to be able
to use logo quickly became a member.

I feel very
strongly that if you create a national program it has to have some way
to direct traffic toward the reputable dealers and away from the
undesirables or the whole program will become counterproductive.

If you desire any further information on this program or any other assistance I may be able to offer please e-mail me.

GOOD LUCK!

Grayson Schwepfinger

Re: Starting the MH Image and Marketing Campaign

L. A. Tony Kovach — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:36:41 -0000

Boe,
Great questions. If you read the above carefully, what you will see is that more than just an image campaign. We have built 'fixes' into those problems that plagued us for decades. So we are not talking about a band aid, but solutions plus image/PR/marketing.

Set some time aside, and check into an upcoming orientation session, you will see for yourself - the above leaders have, plus others have, and they like what they saw.

Thanks for your candid comments and questions!

tk

Re: Starting the MH Image and Marketing Campaign

Boe — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:15:14 -0000

I most certainly agree the need exists and would be interested to see what has been done so far. The questions I have are:

1. What kind of time frame are we talking about in terms of length of campaign? My recollection of the GO RV stuff was it ran for several years. Are we prepared ($$$) for that?

2. What will we say about how we have or plan to overcome our self inflicted problems? While the message must be positive we need to be prepared and have response ready for the initial feedback we get.

I honestly have reservations about this as I stated in a response to an earlier post about this very topic. Have we fixed what ails us? If the answer is yes then move forward. If the answer is no I repeat that we hurt ourselves when someone positively responds to the campaign only to be told that when they visit a dealer we can't sell them a home. Are we ready to launch a campaign that we hope will drive sales?

Re: Starting the MH Image and Marketing Campaign

Mike Moore — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:45:34 -0000

The 'new economy' we are now experiencing requires, vision, leadership and courage. MH ALLIANCE/PHOENIX PROJECT exhibits all of these qualities and should be an example to other industries. It's time to acknowledge that the home and the housing industry needs to keep up with the changing lifestyles of people today and Rhee 'new economy'! It's interesting and exciting that manufactured housing would be a leader in leading the way.

Re: Selling More Manufactured Homes

Tony — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 07:10:40 -0000

Bob, Thanks for the nice fair well note to the team and myself. March on and be well!

Re: Selling More Manufactured Homes

Bob Stovall — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:49:58 -0000

As you may have guessed from this post, I am no longer writing this blog. If you have been following my posts and wish to continue to do so, go to http://BobStovall.com and sign up for my mailing list to stay informed.

Best, Bob

Re: A Manufactured Housing Image-Building Campaign Can Start Locally and Now!

Bob Stovall — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:04:35 -0000

I agree 100% Shawn and that is the problem with the proposed national image building campaign as I see it. 1997 thinking in 2011. "The Purple Cow" should be the bible for anyone starting an image building campaign in the 21st Century. You can get it here:

Hardcover: http://bobstovall.com/go/5
Kindle: http://bobstovall.com/go/6
CD: http://bobstovall.com/go/7

Re: A Manufactured Housing Image-Building Campaign Can Start Locally and Now!

Shawnsisco1 — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:08:43 -0000

I think that for many, "Industry Image Campaign" = National Television ad spots. I encourage everyone to read Seth Godin's "Purple Cow" book. In it, you can clearly see that building brands the way we used to do simply won't work any longer.

Some really nice shared content that we each as individuals can utilize in our own advertising should be the focus.

Re: A Manufactured Housing Image-Building Campaign Can Start Locally and Now!

Tony — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 17:32:38 -0000

Important points, Bob!

Re: It’s Manufactured Housing photo time

Bob Stovall — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:22:41 -0000

Thanks for the great comment, Ben. Picasa is certainly a good option for anyone looking to enhance and resize their photos. And you can add those photos to a web album and link to them directly from Picasa. http://picasa.google.com/

Re: It’s Manufactured Housing photo time

Ben Roche — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:18:52 -0000

Your write up on taking photos of homes and communities sparked my interest. I have been taking photos of homes for factories and retailers now for over 15 years and I am constantly providing tips to the retailers I serve on posting quality images of there homes on the web.

One tool you did not mention but I use religiously is Google's FREE Picasa photo organizing and editing tool. It does not replace the occasional need for Photoshop or Gimp when you want to get serious about your photos, but it does plenty with a very short learning curve. Straighten, brighten, contrast, crop, saturation, and other basic effects are just a few of what it can do.

What I particularly like about Picasa is the ability to batch process by re-sizing, renaming, and watermarking. There are also plug-ins that allow you to upload directly to Facbook or other photo sharing sites. The collage creation tool can also be a fun way to make marketing pieces for your business.

If you have not given this free gem a try I highly suggest you do, it is how I organize and view all my photography.

I even blog about it: http://bensviewpoint.blogspot....

Ben Roche
District Sales Manager
Palm Harbor Homes
Millersburg, OR