Hearthlist Digest #301 - Monday, May 10, 1999 Re: Hearthlist Digest #300 - 05/09/99 by "by way of Craig Issod" <[email protected]> HPA Show idea by "Kelley" <[email protected]> Internet Promotion and our Industry by "Craig Issod" <[email protected]>
(back) Subject: Re: Hearthlist Digest #300 - 05/09/99 From: [email protected] (by way of Craig Issod) Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 08:59:41 -0400 Craig, I agree with all the explanations given for how the ODS operates. One thing left out though is that the flame speed is dependent on many factors in addition to Oxygen content of the primary air/gas mixture. One of these factors is the temperature of the air/gas mixture. As the unit warms up the flame speed increases. Some ODS designs use bimetal strip to modify the amount of air entering the ODS, to mix with the gas, at startup so that the ODS operates reliably both when it is cold and when it is hot. Other designs do not require the bimetal strip. I hope this is helpful. Samir Barudi .....Thanks, Samir, I knew that strip did something! Craig
(back) Subject: HPA Show idea From: Kelley <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 11:09:23 -0400 Heard a great suggestion from one of our manufacturers reps. How about evening hours/cocktail party out in the burn area. Wouldn't be so hot inside or outside the booths. Maybe do day before show opens or open burn area later that day. Some of the burn booths were incredibly hot! -R. Kelley (editors note below) Sounds fine when show is in warmer areas...but It could be downright cold in Baltimore in March.
(back) Subject: Internet Promotion and our Industry From: Craig Issod <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 13:58:59 -0400 Internet Advertising Zooms An article in USA today states that Internet advertising is growing at an amazing rate. More important is the satisfaction of the advertisers who are moving their marketing $$ online. Some Quotes from the article below: "The Internet Advertising Bureau says that ad spending in 1998 was $1.9 billion, $655 million of which came in the fourth quarter. Reports from companies that sell advertising online indicate that if this year's sales grow at the speed they have so far, ad spending will hit $4 billion in 1999." "The Buick division of General Motors just completed an April sweepstakes during which it gave away 45 cars over the Web. Although GM advertised the promotion on TV and the Internet, the Web response was staggering. More than 200,000 people signed up in the first week. "The Internet proved to be 60% as effective as TV," says Roger Adams, Buick's general manager. "But we spent only 5% as much online as on TV. It was highly efficient and very well targeted." end quotes.... Can you imagine? Buick got 60% of the effective results of TV and only spend 1/20th as much money. By doing the math, we can determine that they got almost 12x as much bang for the buck on the web. Other reports show that much of the future growth in internet advertising, commerce and promotion will be from consumer products (like ours). Also, women (who make many of the hearth products decisions) will drive a lot of this growth. How is the Hearth Industry doing online? If I had to give a report card, I'd say maybe a C-. Many Hearth manufacturers do not have web sites. Others have "homemade" sites that are poorly promoted and lack customer focus. Most hearth industry manufacturers are only using only a tiny % of their marketing dollars on the web. In fact, many hearth manufacturers are not engaged in ANY national customer advertising of any kind, instead preferring to rest on the shoulders of their retailers. I know of MANY retailers who spend MORE on marketing to local customers than certain Hearth Manufacturers spend TOTAL on ALL forms of customer marketing. A lot of this has to do with our industry roots. Even though the companies have grown, the owners often think in the same way as when the shop started in a garage. Although this attitude can definitely save a buck, it might eventually drive retailers more toward those manufacturers who provide customer leads. As a retailer, I was always enticed by the leads that flowed from companies such as Heat n' Glo and Vermont Castings. These proved to be more than leads...they were buyers. As the line blurs between manufacturers (i.e., product lines widen), retailers will have important decisions to make. Manufacturers that provide leads, online resources, CD's and other marketing services will have a leg up on the "old school" makers who sometimes seem to have the late 70's attitude of "Sure,we'l LET you buy some product from us". ------------------------------------------------------ Craig Issod HearthNet at http://www.hearth.com [email protected] Everything your Hearth Desires ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------