BloggernityWho’s your marketing competition? Las Vegas versus Disney World
By
I had an interesting conversation with the Vice President of a local web design firm the other day at the Twins game. I do some copy-writing and search engine optimization for their marketing and web design clients and they were kind enough to invite me to a company outing at the Metrodome (the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3).
Anyway, he told me he went to Las Vegas with his girlfriend to attend his sister’s wedding. The ceremony only lasted 12 minutes so they had plenty of time to go to shows. and they only gambled $10. Although he had a good time watching the various Broadway show they saw, he was, overall, very disappointed with the whole experience.
He said Vegas was noisy and dirty. And everything except the food was really expensive. And he said that for what he spent, he could have done a cruise and a land pass at Disney World. The last thing he said was that although he’s glad he went, he’d never go back to Vegas.
I wonder how many casino owners in Las Vegas think of Disney World as a direct competitor? I wonder how many of them are so busy thinking about what people see inside their doors that they don’t notice (or care) what people see outside their doors? And I wonder how long it will be before someone takes a look at what makes Disney World special and what makes Las Vegas an unpleasant experience for people like my friend, and decides to create an American Monte Carlo or an Adult-focused Disney World-quality experience?
i took some interesting lessons out of that conversation. Am I sure I know who my competitors are? Have I looked outside my own industry to see who might be getting my potential customers? Are there other industries where I might find new customers where I just haven’t looked for them? is there a potential Netflix out there about to blindside my Blockbuster? And lastly, how many of my customers might be telling their friends, I’m glad I used his service but I’m never going back to him?
Quick suggestion: I have a free sample testimonial letter you can download off of my website to use as a format for your own letter to solicit testimonials from recent or former clients. Using it can not only net you some new testimonials, it can also open the door for a simple and innocuous question like, “By the way, would you do business with me again? If not, why not? If so, what did you like and what didn’t you like about my product/service/buying experience? And what would you like to see improved?
Originally posted 2008-04-06 16:34:20. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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3 Comments
April 20th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
This is a very important topic although I think of it in somewhat different terms.
Regardless of who our competitors are, are we doing our absolute most to create raving fans of our products and services? Before we even worry about what our competitors might be doing, we need to consider how we can continually improve our products and services.
If we implement this strategy, we should almost automatically be ahead of our competitors who don’t continue to strive for improvements.
April 20th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Bob – Your post provides good food for thought on knowing who your competition is. It is important to understand who your direct and indirect competitors are and what they are doing. Usually this requires conducting market research, which companies sometimes do not want to spend the time or money on. However, market research can not only help you understand what your competitors are doing or planning to do, but also what new trends and issues are or will impact the marketplace you do business in.
February 7th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
disney world and las vegas will ALWAYS compete. they are both magical, fantasy-like destinations to get away from the everyday stresses of life. disneyland and disneyworld are both absolutely amazing, but there is NO CITY on planet earth like las vegas. vegas IS the disneyland for adults. your friend might not have liked vegas, but its still one of the top tourist attractions IN THE WORLD for a reason. for every 1 person that doesnt like vegas, there are a hundred that love it and thats not going to change anytime soon.