Question

Topic: Strategy

Virtual Club And Direct Marketing

Posted by Anonymous on 4/19/2006 at 4:39 AM ET 50 Points
Dear All,

My client uses a virtal club to get maintain club member database that is used for direct marketing activities and direct sales. However, it does not have web now to interact with its members and internet access ratio in my country is very low. I have not known about virtual club's benefits, but I doub about it is not effect in my client's situation. Please advise me. Thanks!

To continue reading this question and the solution, sign up ... it's free!
SUBSCRIBE
Or, SIGN IN

RESPONSES

  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 4/19/2006 at 8:48 AM Member
    if by virtual club you mean a users group or a certified list of users, these existed and were successfully exploited long before the internet.

    Typically speaking what the internet did was provide a low cost way of maintaining contact with people and thus lowered the cost of having such a club.
  • Posted by steven.alker on 4/19/2006 at 10:16 AM Accepted
    Frank’s right about this – one other point that’s worth making. When these clubs existed and communicated from a physical address through the post, the expense of all communications was significant – letters to the members, letters from the members and the cost of publication and distribution of a newsletter.

    As a consequence, a lot more thought tended to go into everything and greater value was attached to the club’s activities. If a physical, staffed address with a phone existed, members were privileged to use it – not to abuse it.

    To an extent the internet has devalued club communications whilst making them more widely and freely available. Witness the drivel on most virtual club message boards. This forum and other professional outlets are perhaps an exception!

    Tell your client that if they are prepared to strive with postal communications, they can still get value out of their club, but the members will have to respect it for what it is – and be prepared to pay for the privilege.

    Steve Alker
    Unimax Solutions
  • Posted on 4/19/2006 at 7:38 PM Author
    Without internet, club members can not communicate togther. They just received the direct mail, birthday card and leaflet of product. Therefore, they are very passive in interact with a manufactuer. There is no sales direct measure from the virtual club's activities. PLease be noted that my client have to use this club because it is not allowed to approach to directly sell its infant milk product. Now my client review the efficency of this club and require new direct marketing plan and consider whether it should kill this club or not. Could you advise me pls.
BACK TO TOP

Post a Comment

Related Discussions

Community Info

Top 25 Experts
(Strategy)