Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing
Day Dreamin Exotics
Website
http://www.daydreaminexotics.com
Profile
How Can I Get the Media Involved?
Since Day Dreamin’ Exotics is a start-up company with limited resources for advertising, we have tried to use creative techniques to generate interest from local media personalities. This can be very difficult, as some of the television and radio personalities view themselves as celebrities rather than media personnel.
We have used our cars to create interest in our product. We were able to take the Aston Martin and Viper to the Utah Jazz Playoff game this week. The Jazz charge several thousand dollars to park a car on the plaza and show them off. Because we do a small amount of advertising with KFAN, the local radio station that broadcasts the games, we were able to put our cars in their space with a KFAN sticker displayed. It made KFAN look great and we got our cars on the plaza for free.
We turned to guerilla marketing and a free Tour give away to increase the hype. Every news team in town was on the plaza broadcasting live. We were the perfect backdrop for several hits. I spoke with a number of the anchors during the evening. One in particular is a car guy and has a huge interest in Day Dreamin’. Not only does he want to do the tour himself, but also his producer called me the next day to arrange a short segment for the news.
Not every new business can boast $600,000 worth of exotic cars, but try to find a way to generate interest for the media. Try to find something newsworthy. If you can get one or two people in the media excited and involved, it can produce thousands of dollars in free publicity.
Want to Increase Sales this Month?
As any new business gets off the ground, exposing yourself to potential clients is key. The first step is deciding what are the demographics of your potential clients. We have been surprised by two developments this month. The first is that there is less disposable income in Salt Lake City than we anticipated. We charge $500 to participate in the Tour, which is 50-75% less than our competition nationwide. This is cheap! Lots of folks in Salt Lake just don’t have $500 to spend in one day. Second, more women are buying for their husbands or boyfriends than men buying for themselves.
We have altered our marketing strategy this week. More emphasis is being placed on Corporate Tours. We ask for a 3-month commitment. We show up to their business the first month with $600,000 worth of cars and take the top five producers on high-powered, 5 hour driving experience. These five come back to work and can’t stop talking about how cool it was to drive a Ferrari, Aston Martin, 911 Turbo, Viper and Lotus! Everyone works harder to be in the top five next month so they can drive these amazing cars. Our first small business to sign up has noted an excitement around the office and increased sales. We also offer a one time Tour to treat clients or staff to an experience they won’t ever forget. Clients are tired of golf and expensive dinners. They want something original. They want speed!
We attended the Business-to-Business Expo put on by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce last week. This was our angle and it was well received. Since an entire Tour is a $2500 purchase, 3 months in a row, it is a harder sell. But here in Utah, businesses have more available money than individuals. Plus it’s easier to spend pre-tax dollars and other people’s money.
Please share your comments or ideas. We all need each other.
Meet Day Dreamin’ Exotics
Day Dreamin’ Exotics, LLC is an exciting new company offering Exotic Car Day Tours in Salt Lake City, Utah. I know what you’re thinking… What’s a Day Tour? We own 5 exotics sports cars; Ferrari, Aston martin, Porsche, Viper, Lotus. Tours are conducted “euro-caravan” style on open roads through some of Utah’s most breathtaking scenery. We travel 150 miles on the Tour, with pit stops every 30 minutes to switch vehicles and drivers. Each participant gets to drive every car in the fleet.
I am a long time car enthusiast and I’m lucky enough to not only have the money to own the car of my dreams (Porsche 911 Turbo), but a wife understanding enough to let me buy it. Most of my friends do not have the same luxury. I asked myself, “How can the average guy experience these amazing cars?” I came up with the idea last fall and quickly realized that there are a few companies around the nation with the same idea. One problem: they charge $1000-2000. Here in Salt Lake City, there is not very much disposable income and very few people are going to drop $2000 in one day. The challenge was to make it more affordable for our financial environment. I pitched the idea to Ian Harding, owner of Luxury Imports Online. He has bought and sold cars for me in the past. He loved the idea. We tested the waters at the Utah Auto Expo and there was lots of interest.
For the last 6 months we have been brainstorming and gathering data. This is the first start up business for me. I never dreamed it would require this much work. Many people want to help or fund the project, but we have decided to do it all ourselves. We hired a Tour Manager and part time marketing help. Our grand opening was last weekend and we have started booking tours. The word is slowly getting out.
I am excited to share ideas with business owners who deal with similar issues and frustrations. And if you find yourself in Salt Lake City, come visit us and take the tour.
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