by raydp
4 replies
My wife and I sometimes pick up some stuff from the local Lidl supermarket. For anyone unaware of Lidl it's a German based bargain basement sort of shop. They have some great stuff and some not so good (I once bought some wine that could strip paint)!

My wife came across a £5 off coupon on Facebook, you know, the "like us to get the offer" sort of thing. She duly "liked" them and printed the coupon. Early yesterday afternoon we went to buy some shopping.

The car park was packed out, in fact, I've never seen it so busy. My wife remarked how a simple coupon offer could be so effective.

When we got inside it was packed out and, unusually for Lidl, all the checkouts were manned and also very busy.

When we went to pay, I produced the coupon to the total bewilderment of the cashier! I asked if the management had forgotten to tell the staff and he agreed this might have been the case. He then went on to say that it was the only one he'd seen in six hours after having served hundreds of customers!

Several thoughts came to mind:

  • Why make an offer for redemption when it's Easter Weekend so you're going to be busy anyway?
  • How in hell could an offer that's all over Facebook not be picked up by more people?

  • Are the general public not quite so Internet savvy as we think?

  • Does this explain why so many offline businesses show so little interest in Mobile sites, or even Websites?

  • Or is it just because I live in Norfolk (UK)?
Ray
#marketing #mystery
  • Profile picture of the author rosetrees
    Originally Posted by raydp View Post

    [*]Or is it just because I live in Norfolk (UK)?[/LIST]Ray
    Well - I live in Herefordshire. For many years a large part of my work was teaching computing to adults. Now it's website and computer troubleshooting, with only the occasional lesson ............. so
    Originally Posted by raydp View Post

    [LIST]
    [*]How in hell could an offer that's all over Facebook not be picked up by more people?

    [*]Are the general public not quite so Internet savvy as we think?

    [*]Does this explain why so many offline businesses show so little interest in Mobile sites, or even Websites?

    Ray
    Yes - the general public are NOT as internet savvy nor do they have the time or inclination to spend their life online.

    Most people go on Facebook to tell other people how clever/wonderful/amazing/interesting THEY are - not to read what other people are doing. Also, the main age group spending a lot of time on FB are not the ones doing the shopping.

    Lack of interest in a website is a little more complex. A lot of it is fear - it's the same thing I saw a lot of when I was teaching. Especially amongst adults who didn't do too well at school. They are afraid of failing, so prefer not to try to learn in the first place. Many business owners know, deep down, they should have a website but are afraid of "making a fool of themselves".

    They don't know what they want, they don't understand how to get what they want, they don't know how to find someone who won't rip them off and make them feel stupid. So it's easier to claim they don't want/ need a site.

    The trick is NOT to come on strong. NOT to tell them how clever you are and how daft they are for not having a site. NOT to tell them they need a 20 page site with bells and whistles they don't understand. You need to sow a simple seed and watch it grow slowly and steadily. Take them along on the journey with you.

    Oh dear - here I go again on the subject of adult education. I'd better stop.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by raydp View Post

    Why make an offer for redemption when it's Easter Weekend so you're going to be busy anyway?
    It was arranged weeks/months ago. Nobody at the time realized that it was Easter weekend.

    Originally Posted by raydp View Post

    How in hell could an offer that's all over Facebook not be picked up by more people?
    Lack of targeting. Social media marketing isn't useful for Lidl. Their online marketing people are clueless and their customers are anti-social.

    Originally Posted by raydp View Post

    Are the general public not quite so Internet savvy as we think?
    Yes; they're not nearly so internet savvy as some internet marketers think.

    Originally Posted by raydp View Post

    Does this explain why so many offline businesses show so little interest in Mobile sites, or even Websites?
    Partly. But it's partly self-fulfilling, too, because many of those business are owned by people who are also not as internet savvy (nor indeed as internet interested!) as some internet marketers think.

    Originally Posted by raydp View Post

    Or is it just because I live in Norfolk (UK)?
    I decline to answer this question on the grounds that I'm gradually offending England, here, one county at a time (yesterday I "did Essex") and soon nobody in the country will speak to me any more. :rolleyes: :p

    My answers above are complete guesswork and skepchickery. I'd barely heard of "Lidl" and I've never seen Facebook either.
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  • Profile picture of the author raydp
    "skepchickery"

    Now there's a word!

    Ray
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Not to be confused with "skepchicory", you understand, which is a vegetarian version. :p
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