Anything on the
Internet:
Even A Real, Live Rubber Dog
Funny things can
happen with the Internet. You just might find something you really
want . . . even if you don’t know it exists. There are products
out there to suit very specific needs.
Everyone in my
household, myself excluded, wanted a dog. The trouble is every one
of us is allergic to dogs. Being an Internet savvy family, my kids
pursued an online search for robotic dogs while my wife hit the
search engines with, “dogs for people with allergies.” She
tested poodles and an assortment of “low allergen” dogs in
person – achoo! But soon she came across a new breed recognized by
the American Kennel Club as the American Hairless Terrier. She saw
pictures (cute) and read testimonials from highly allergic people
who were able to cohabitate without the use of a big plastic bubble.
She emailed owners
and breeders and was quickly drawn into a unique family of helpful
folks whose lives have been touched by the hairless breed. The
result: soon a plane from Baton Rouge was carrying a tiny allergy
free dog in an animal crate to BWI. What arrived was pink, totally
hairless  and
smooth like a naked baby. I tried to name him Rubber Dog or Yule
Brenner but the kids found a better name, Gadget. You guessed it,
they found the name from a Web site for naming dogs.
The American Hairless
Terrier is practically allergy proof, does not shed and never gets
fleas. Yet they are not particularly valuable. In fact, no one we
know, even veterinarians have ever seen one.
There’s a lesson to
be learned here. The Internet is a good tool for finding very
specific things but it’s not so easy to get the word out. Niche
marketing can be powerful stuff on the Net but when there’s
potential to expand demand more broadly, the challenges become
greater. Although excellent for just-in-time demands, branding is
difficult for the seller. So even a great product may not become
widely known unless the right channels are used.
In the case of real
live rubber dogs, better use of the major portals associated with
dogs and pets could help with branding. Feature stories, promotional
events and better use of multimedia, would do an excellent job of
promoting wider recognition.
Affiliations with
larger more established sites is critical to getting the word out.
And don’t forget non-Internet media including TV and print. It’s
a big country and with so many messages out there, viral style
marketing (tell a friend) may have an even greater impact. Anything
enhancing word of mouth communications is worth reinforcing. Don’t
underestimate the vastness of the market. Some untapped niches may
be quite large. I know of Web sites that sell commercial products
such as industrial strength mixing bowls only to find wealthy
consumers buying them in droves for their homes.
So look out, if you
have the right product and make use of all the Internet has to
offer, it might soon be raining rubber dogs.
-------------------------------------------------
Odin Wortman is
president of Internet Marketing Solutions a Web development,
ecommerce and consulting firm that helps companies profit from the
Internet. He can be reached at 410-799-9283 or on the Web at http://iMarketingSolutions.com.
|
