RFID and marketing
Posted by Patrick Sweeney on Tue, Sep 08, 2009
This past week we closed several new projects. One was a very RFID-experienced company that was quite unhappy with their original strategy - they went with a middleware company who had only one solution. It got rotten in a hurry (40% read rates at one point) to the middleware company's hammer each read point was a nail. The other was an existing client expanding on their dozens of read points across the USA. Both made the same comment when I called to thank them for trusting ODIN - "your brand is the best in RFID."
One thing that is important is that the RFID industry is marketed well - that creates a bigger pie for everyone. This week's blog I want to tell you how everyone in the RFID industry can help make the industry bigger for us all, and bring this breakthrough technology to more businesses across the world. Once it's done right their business processes will never be the same.
There are four primary media types that are effective in RFID marketing and I suggest everyone use to get their message out but first three rules:
1.Give the readers some value by telling them something they don't know
2.Make sure your facts and promises are solid - telling the truth makes your life a lot easier when someone asks you to cash the check your marketing wrote
3.The only thing users care about is "What's in it for me?" WIIFM, don't sell features, sell benefits
Now the four primary mediums that you should use for marketing are :
Trade shows - RFID Journal is the clear winner in our space. We had hundreds of folks stop by our booth in Orlando. It's the place everyone in RFID goes. Other industry-specific trade shows are great if the industry is adopting RFID. If it is Greenfield and you are playing the role of technology evangelist, expect the sound of crickets.
Blogs/Website- you're reading and learning right now. Your clients will as well. Give them something that can help them do their job better and win at what ever is important to them (see rule three above). If you get people on your blog try and send them to your website to learn more about what you offer.
Phone cold calling - this is the most disruptive of marketing efforts, but also can yield the most information. Calling early before gate-keepers get in is key. Even if they aren't buying ask them what their big pains are and ask them others they may know who would like to learn more about RFID.
Email/Twitter - while not as invasive as a call, theses text based mediums are very effective if they have a clearly stated WIIFM up front and then a call to action, usually to your website
Now go build the RFID industry one great deal at a time!