About 3 weeks ago, I wrote about the idea that Chrysler had with offering gas as an incentive for purchasing or leasing a car. Since then, I’ve come across a few other innovative ways to use this “problem” to your advantage.

You should take a few minutes and just sit back and analyze this idea.  If it’s not gas, it will always be something or another that becomes a problem in our lives.

One of the strategies I came across involves my local Shop Rite Food Store.  For those of you who don’t have one of them nearby, they are a chain of very large food stores, similar to A&P. 

The chain worked out a JV with Kraft, General Mills and P&G to promote their products, and the incentive is that if you spend $75.00 on any of those products, you will receive a $25.00 gas card for Shell or BP.  And if there isn’t a Shell or BP near you, you can choose a $25.00 Shop Rite Gift Card.

The promotional period is over a three-week period of time.

If any of you are selling products of any sort, you should ask your Manufacturer or supplier to work with you on similar promotions. 

The ad is really great.  It’s a full page ad in the local newspaper that is headlined:

FREE GAS!      FREE GAS!    FREE GAS!

Again, put your creative mind in gear and come up with similar promotions that will help you get more customers and grow your business.

Technorati Tags: Chrylser, gassoline JV idea, high gasoline price opportunity, joint venture with manufacturer, joint venture with supplier, JV idea, JV promotion

Normally I’m answering questions from the subscribers, but today I want to write about something I think is very important to all of you. 

The topic is to capitalize whenever key news is made, or any other problem area of life for which someone comes up with a solution.  In this case the news is gasoline guaranteed for a set period of time at $2.99 per gallon, while gas is selling above $4.00 per gallon in some places.

The concept here is to be aware of areas of stress that is occurring in our customers and clients lives.  The price of gas is one area.

Chrysler capitalized on the Gas problem, by offering gas Guaranteed at $2.99 per gallon for a set period of time.  Let’s assume it’s for 3 years.  Naturally it’s only good for the vehicle you purchase.  So if you use this concept, you want to make certain that you have the rules in place so that you won’t get burnt.

Let’s do the math.  Let’s assume you are in an area where gas is selling for $3.99 per gallon.  If you drive the new car you just bought from Chrysler over the next three years, and fill it up once a week and it fills up about 2/3 of the tank, this probably means 15 Gallons per week, times 52 weeks, is 780 gallons per year, times 3, equals 2,340 gallons.  The difference between $3.99 and $2.99 is $1.00 that you are saving. Multiply that times 2,340 gallons and you come up with a saving of $2,340.

Normally when you purchase a car, you go to the dealer and they offer you $1,000 off for this, $2,000 off for that, and $5,000 off for whatever.

Chrysler knows that on average what their cost will be over the next 3 years, and they offer gas at $2.99 a gallon, guaranteed, instead of a $15,000 rebate.

Here’s the concept.   Some of you could do the same to induce your customers and clients to purchase from you NOW.   If you offer rebates, or discounts on your products, choose something that is dear to their hearts instead.

Here are Chryslers’ particulars on this offer.  The program participants use a special card that is linked to their MasterCard or Visa Credit card account.  The card may be used to purchase enough fuel at $2.99 per gallon to travel up to 12,000 miles per year in each of the next 3 years.  To qualify a Customer must buy or lease a qualifying 2008 or 2009 Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep Vehicle.  Select the MasterCard or Visa Card to use for the program. They then receive a Let’s Refuel America Card that they will use to buy gas.  Each year for the next three years, you will receive an allocation of gallons to use. 

This offer is an alternative to the traditional incentive offers which Chrysler offered in the past.  But here’s the part that is interesting, because you have to set parameters…there is a limit to how many gallons per year that you can purchase for the $2.99/gallon price.  Anything over that will be a full price, until the next year starts, and you can then get that years allocation. There are other rules that they have set, so the idea is that when you come across a strategy that you can also use for generating more customers for your business, you should look into the rules that they set up, and follow them also.

Technorati Tags: capitalize on problems, Chrysler, gas prices, problems into money, problems into solutions, Stealing Ideas