Bold Marketing from Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA)

 

It’s never easy to take advantage of someone’s disaster. But sometimes that might be the right moment to reach out to your market with an important message.

This was a half-page ad in the Globe and Mail on May 29, 2015. It’s bold, provocative and effective.

It’s bold and provocative because it shows images of the devastating fire that consumed a construction project and the neighbouring condo complex in Langley BC 12 days earlier. More than 150 people lost their homes.

It’s bold because in a case like this there is the possibility of negative blowback – from the public, media or social media. Those are the chances you take when you act boldly and embrace controversy.

I believe it’s effective because it’s visual, emotional and simple. The photos of the flaming buildings sear us emotionally.

The message is effective because there are only three elements to this ad:

1. The headline with the location and date
2. The two photos of the burning buildings
3. The message from CCMPA which is clear to understand…

This is why you should build with Concrete Block

I wonder how much debate ensued at the office of the Canada Concrete Masonry Producers Association before placing this ad.

Association marketing is more difficult than business marketing because:

• There usually isn’t a measurable return
• Some association members will be unhappy no matter what you do

This ad is a good example for marketers to pay attention to the news. Look for opportunities to tell your message. Always be prepared to grab opportunity when it knocks.

In this case it could have been a matter of watching the news and asking the question “Could our products, services or expertise have prevented or mitigated this disaster?

Effective messaging is dependent on relevance. Before the fire this ad would have been meaningless and long after the emotional proximity would have been lost. The biggest challenge is to decide how close to tragedy to send your message.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Embarrassing Questions for BMW Motorrad Canada about charitable donation for demo rides

 

I hoped to test ride a BMW motorcycle but received confusing messages from BMW Canada. I found their request for a charitable donation combined with their no-receipt policy strange.

I reviewed the BMW Canada website, called the dealer rep and read the email from the BMW Canada marketing rep. There were some holes in their story and the messages didn’t ring true -which raised the followings questions for BMW Motorrad Canada.

(This is part two of this BMW Motorcycle Demo Ride review. Click here to read partone.)

Questions for BMW Motorrad Canada about Charitable Donations

Purpose, Policy and Procedure

Why do you charge a fee to test ride your motorcycles? What’s the real purpose?

Do you also charge for a test ride of your automobiles? If not, why the different practices?

If a person buys a motorcycle after a test ride, will their test-ride fee be refunded?

The Myth of the Charitable Donation

Why do you call the fee a charitable donation?

Your practice and the email from your marketing rep suggest otherwise.

Are you aware that a charitable donation is normally recognized with a charitable receipt?

Why do you believe that a fee to test ride your product is similar to a hospital selling lottery tickets?

Fee to Ride

If it’s not a donation it must be a fee for service. Why not call it what it is?

Why do you not issue a receipt for the money collected? Is that normal practice at your dealerships? What else don’t they issue receipts for?

Do you accept payment by cheque, debit or credit card? The dealer rep emphasized cash payment. As we all know cash is harder to trace.

Official Charity Recognition

Is your intended charity aware of your fundraising? How are you working together? Is there a link on their website to accept donation for your ride?

Did you ask them to provide official charity receipts?

Why was there no link from your site to the charity website to make it easier for people to donate?

The Money Trail

When there are no receipts issued how do we know where the money goes?

Is the money received recorded as taxable income by the local dealer or BMW Canada?

What is the difference between the money paid by demo riders, the amount reported by the dealer, the amount reported received by BMW Canada and the actual amount submitted to the charity? Those are four different transactions.

How much of the money donated by riders is used for coffee, refreshments and other promotional activity (as suggested in the email from your marketing rep)?

When and how are those numbers reported to all the parties involved? Who can I contact for that financial report? Are the numbers from last year available yet?

Who gets credit for the donation?

If an individual gives you money why doesn’t the individual get credit for his/her donation?

Your website states that you donate on behalf of your dealers. What does that mean? Do the dealers each receive a charitable receipt?

Does BMW Canada claim the charitable donation against their income tax?

That might appear to be a lot of questions. When something doesn’t smell right it raises questions. The stranger the smell – the more questions.

Here’s that email from the marketing rep at BMW Canada

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“Hello Gentlemen,

Just to clarify the test ride donations, the reason we do not give receipts is because you are receiving something in exchange for the donations.  In this case you are getting a ride on a new motorcycle and also lunch or a refreshment.  It is just like if you buy a hospital lottery ticket, no receipts because you are getting the chance to win something.  If you donate directly to the COC then yes you can get a receipt because you are not getting anything in return for the donation.

Our test ride program is not set up for you to donate directly to the COC and then to show us a receipt.

If you are interested in riding a new BMW, please follow the regulations we have set up.  We pool all the money collected during our rides and donate it on behalf of the Motorrad retailers at the end of the season and make an announcement on the total when done.”

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Here’s the text from the BMW-Motorrad.ca Website

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All riders must arrive at least 15 mins prior to your scheduled ride time in order to:

• Complete the Test Ride Waiver
• Pay your charitable donation
• Participate in the Rider’s Meeting
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Click here to read part one of the BMW Demo Ride charitable donation issue.

What other questions spring to mind? Add them below.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing  
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

 

BMW Motorcycle Demo rides – charity donation - a sad tale

I’m a motorcycle rider. Last year I was delighted to discover “Motorcycle Demo Ride Days”. That means that anyone with a valid motorcycle license could test ride the newest bikes at a local motorcycle dealer. I visited events at six motorcycle brands and created a shortlist of bikes that I’d never considered but now must have.

Try-before-you-buy is a simple yet powerful marketing technique based on the principle that if you give them a free taste and they like it - they’ll want more.

How it Works

The manufacturer or national distributor trucks a dozen or so of their newest models around the country to dealers. The local dealer hosts the event, manages the logistics and even provides refreshments. And it’s all free with no obligation or high pressure sales pitch.

BMW Motorrad

This year I searched online for more demo rides. Near the top of my wish list was BMW. I had visited the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany decades ago and have long dreamed of owning and riding a BMW motorcycle.

I was excited to uncover a BMW demo ride at a local dealer. And yes, I had to “uncover” it because there was no mention on the local dealer website or their Facebook page and only one mention on the national site. The national site listed an email to contact for more information.

Charitable Donation?

Riding a BMW motorcycle wasn’t free. The website stated “for a small charitable donation you receive a lengthy ride on a variety of roads that are chosen to highlight the unique qualities of a BMW motorcycle…”

That sounded reasonable and I was willing to donate to the charity in order to ride a BMW motorcycle.

When I called the local dealer I heard that, “It’s $25 for a ride”. He sounded like a side-show barker. I asked him, “Will I get a charity receipt for my donation?”  He replied, “No. We picked $25 because a receipt isn’t required under $30. We don’t want to deal with the paperwork.”

His comments sounded strange so I checked the website of Canada Olympic Foundation – which was the charity. That site stated that a “charitable receipt was automatically generated for a donation of $10 or more”. I emailed that information to the dealer rep and asked “If I make my donation directly to the Canada Olympic Foundation online and bring my receipt – would that be okay?”. The dealer rep didn’t apologize or explain the discrepancy between that fact and his “under $30” statement. He simply forwarded my question to the BMW Canada marketing rep who responded…

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“Hello Gentlemen,

Just to clarify the test ride donations, the reason we do not give receipts is because you are receiving something in exchange for the donations.  In this case you are getting a ride on a new motorcycle and also lunch or a refreshment.  It is just like if you buy a hospital lottery ticket,  no receipts because you are getting the chance to win something.  If you donate directly to the COC then yes you can get a receipt because you are not getting anything in return for the donation.

Our test ride program is not set up for you to donate directly to the COC and then to show us a receipt.

If you are interested in riding a new BMW, please follow the regulations we have set up.  We pool all the money collected during our rides and donate it on behalf of the Motorrad retailers at the end of the season and make an announcement on the total when done.”

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Is this the Way to Build Trust?

This email raises several questions which I list and discuss on another post. The first discrepancy is that BMW Motorrad Canada seems to be using their own definition of the word “donation”. This so-called donation looks like a fee for service. The second curiosity is the refusal to give a receipt for the money they receive. Apparently some of that money collected might be donated to a charity by BMW Canada.

I decided not to attend the BMW demo motorcycle ride because I believe that the BMW people were misleading at best. If you’re a stickler for the truth you might consider those statements lies.

The feeling of being deceived tarnished the shine of BMW motorcycles. The local dealer was either misinformed or misleading. The message from the national office was misleading.

If one deceives (or lies) about a simple thing as “charitable donation” you might wonder what other deceptions (or lies) have they, and will they tell?

This experience did not build trust with me – which is an important part of inviting prospects into your store to examine your products.

Scratch

Buying and riding a motorcycle has little to do with logic. It’s all about the feeling. One of those feelings is trust. Normally I’d be writing about the riding experience but the experience before the ride turned me off so I canceled my ride.

I’ve scratched BMW motorcycles off my wish list.

Read the next post for the questions this strange promotion raised – or should raise.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing  
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter