After the Wal-Mart deal
Cynthia Baker succeeded in her chicken tong business with a proactive marketing strategy. What do you think of her strategy? Is there anything she could've done differently?
From Paul, Dallas,Tx Cynthia has learned a valuable lesson that others entrepreneurs need to learn before they get their product into any retail location and that is you can have the best or worst product in the world and nobody will know about it if you do not build brand awareness around your product. Cynthia failed to have an adequate marketing plan. The worst thing about this story is that Cynthia will have a hard time getting back into walmart with any product. Most of the times you only get one shot with a retailer and you better make it a success. We have a great product we sold to walmart and they gave us a test and we failed because of various reasons. Click here and read my walmart story!
From Tamera Paul I love to shop at Walmart. I know I can find any and everything at your store. But I do have one major complaint. I have been shopping at a Walmart store in Northwest Houston, Texas and several times I have gone in the lines are so long. I stood in line for 20 min. and I still had a long wait. This is really sad. They have 25 or more lanes but only 5 or 6 lanes open. You talking about pissed. I went to find a manager he stated something about a store program and they can not take people off the floor to work the registers. I asked him if knew what was going on at the front of the store? Walmart needs to find a better solution because people might shop at other stores. I was not the only person complaining other people were also talking about the same thing. I was the one person who went to find a manager to complain about the lines. I hope I will hear back from someone.
From Lisa Charleston Oh My God!!!'
Thank you so much for writing this article you truly have given me hope.
You see I am a new inventor of a new innovative bedwetting/medication
reminder device that will help to serve our millions of children and adults
who suffers from incontinence.I have done everything that I can think of as
to getting someone to listen.I have even been denied by Banks and Loan
Companies but yet they have given me many reccommendation letters for my
devices.They stated they will assist as soon as I get out of the R/D stage.I
thought that no one would ever understand .But when I read your letter it
let me know that anything is possible.I love this article and I plan on
sharing it with others. You have deeply touched me you have made me see that
no matter what never give up.My motto is :A Dream Is Only As Big As The
Dreamer….and yes…I AM A BIG DREAMER!!!!!
Again Thank You for Blessing me with this article.If you like you can view
the new innovative timepieces at http://www.myspace.com/ItHappen I would love to
hear what you think.your opinion would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Lisa
From Robert M. Gravely, Altamonte Springs, FL This is the second story in the recent article I feel compelled to respond to. I have one suggestion for Cynthia to get her product in the market. I would suggest she approach the larger wing chains such as Hooters or Wing House (or regional chains if Columbus has some) and license them to the chains.
With the right deal someone like Hooters could brand them, use them in their stores, and then sell them to customers (new not used of course). Hooters gets continued brand exposure and recognition, provides a valuable tool to diners like me who hate to eat wings with a suit and tie on and Cynthia gets her product exposed. With a deal like this moving into retail formats like Wal-Mart could be easier.
Also, I would suggest she look at the big hunting/fishing retailers like Bass Pro and Gander Mountain. And she could work out a promotional campaign with a company like Tyson’s who sells prepared but frozen wings for take home. She could run a limited program where the purchaser receives a set of wing tongs with a box of Tyson frozen wings.
Good luck Cynthia. You are an inspiration to all entrepreneurs!
From staffitright Yep – main part of being an entrepreneur is to continually put pressure on the market, be hands on, and don't let failure rule the day. Good thing she went back and forced her way back into the market. We all need to find new ways of staying out in front, pushing our products and ideas, and never saying, "Oh well, guess it didn't work."
It didn't work 'cause somehow the word 'no' began to creep into your day-to-day. :)
From mike desautel Grafton ND I wish Mrs. Baker all the luck on her new Product. Her first mistake was getting it in a WalMart. They are dead in the water only time for them. Next I own Supermarkets and her product would of never made it in the front door. I would suggest trying selling it to Buffalo WIld Wings type of chains.
Mike Grafton ND 3-3-08
From amoeller Wow, tough crowd here. If everyone always listened to the nay sayers, I'd hate to see where this world would be. I would wager that the Mr. Negatives posting here(and interestingly they were mostly men) have not gone to school and worked 2 jobs while simultaneously learning the process of inventing, founding a business, how to's of packaging & UPC codes, marketing, logistics, etc. The point here, to those that have missed it, is not if she succeeds, fails, or should grow 3" nails, but to share what she has learned with other entrepreneurs. I for one, appreciate hearing other entrepreneurs stories. Good Luck Cynthia!
From Ram, St. Louis, MO Congratulations. Wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Remember- Dreams are like stars, you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead to your destiny…
From Chris, Richmond, VA Proactive approach???? Ms. Baker had a little under two years pass by before she realized her mistake. You have got be kidding me if you think this represents proactive. Great, she finally learned about her mistake and did something. But is the average, normal human being waited as long they would be fired or out of business. Bad representation of what true business owners act like!
From L Stark Hats off to her.You have to start somewhere. When you have limited funds, you have to do the legwork to get it "tested". Now I would suggest that she contact a broker or distributer that uses their sales reps to get the word out to the buyers of the various wharehouses that distribute products to their stores. These brokers can do her legwork and "travel" to the various states where these warehouses are located. Great idea! Restaurants might be interested also.
From Dung Pham, Atlanta, GA The idea of making this product supriserly bases on her long finger nails. So, let marketing this product from Nail Salons where buyers might take a second to think if they need to buy it or not. Good luck!
From Gleb Esman, Ottawa Mrs. Cynthia Baker is a superpowered rocket engine. She penetrated the walls and retailers and landed her products on shelves where countless others failed. Although I have to admit her energy, focus and powers are attached to the wrong purpose. Wing Tongs? When i'll have a billion dollar company I'd hire a person like her on the spot giving her top marketing manager role and chunk of stock options. She needs to take her chicken wings off and turn her rocket engine to full thrust to fly to the highest orbits.
Gleb Esman, SEO Consultant for MENSK Technologies.
gesman@mensk.com
From Brett Christoffel, Dallas Texas It goes to show you anything is possible when it comes to a great idea and seeing it through. As it turns out in America, Individuals that receive patents (not including corporations) less than 2-3% ever make it to market where the inventor sees a return on investment. Those "let us help you patent your idea" companies are a great way to toss your money away as less than 1/10th of 1% of the patents they help people secure ever make it to market.
Just because it is a great idea does not mean it will translate into dollars. The USPTO website will tell you all you need to know to create and execute an effective patent but know that just because you think of it and like it does not mean the market will take to it.
I wish Cynthia the best of success and thanks for being a successful problem solver and not just another dreamer with no action and no results.
From nelson, Dallas, TX I'm happy for Mrs. Baker. She will inspire others to get off their couches instead of making someone rich, to make themselves rich. As far as the negative comments posted, do not hate someone's ability to push forward their entrepreneur spirit that you don't possess. I'm sure that all of us want a better world and given the opportunity you can make it happen. A product can be refine and adjusted to consumers needs and wants and she is barely starting. I applaud your efforts. Keep your spirit up regardless of people's comments. You can not make everyone happy. Your product might not reach all households. One thing is for sure, you have just convinced yourself among others that if you can do it, so can the rest of us.
From AW. Denver, CO Wow, I can't beleive that some people think a product is useless junk when consumers are spending their hard-earned dollars to purchase it! Shouldn't the consumer decide if it is useless? As long as people are buying the product, there is a need. Retailers won't continue to carry a product unless it meets certain sales hurdles and yes, even Fortune 500 brands need a proactive sales force to keep sales and distribution growing.
One of the worst mistakes a company can make is trying to force sales for a product no one wants. Ultimately, the consumer decides what is useless and what is not by the purchase decision they make. To stifle innovation and not give the consumer the choice is the greatest mistake of all. The tongs are not something I would ever purchase and I agree, sometimes the choices we have seem ridiculous and number of varieties of one core item are extreme, however what is worse, to have too few choices or too many choices?
From Tom, Gainesville Florida This article should be a joke. Unfortunately it isn't. So we've got another person peddling practically useless junk hoping that consumers will pick it up on an impulse buy, fantastic. Now we'll have even more plastic crap to fill up the land fills.
The problem with this article is that it fails to recognize that the creation of this product and the abuse of "impulse buying" are exactly the types of strategies we should be avoiding if we want to keep living on this planet, a planet who's resources we're depleting.
From Richard NY, NY Only in America can something so useless become the topic of conversation. I'm glad I don't go to Walmart, and I don't have a Kroger store close. I'd recommend Cynthia try restaurants and take out locations and work through a distributor for better success.
From Kimberly, Oviedo, FL Thank you for sharing this article. I love reading inspring stories like this!
From Scott Purcell Loved this smart, well written article about a smart, quick learning entrepreneur. Congratulations on doing what almost everyone thinks about but very, very few people do…starting your own business! With her work ethic and drive she will make a success of this.
From Jeanatta Smith ,Panola ,Texas I think you are off to a great start.With your patent in place a few samples in a test market so consumers can see your product in action may be a way to get some movement.
Wish you the best.
From Don Van Zandt Waxahachie, Texas Cynthia suceeded in getting one part of the equation filled in – distribution. Unfortunately price, promotion, consumer awareness, and placement may not be fully taken care of.
Selling in a great idea is barely the first step. You have to tell the account where it needs to be merchandised (based on consumer research or testing in independednt stores, or simply a good rational sales story that supports where you wnat it). Do you want it next to Kraft BBQ sauce or a regional brand. is it going to go on the shelf or on a clip strip or other display vehicle? Bear in mind that actual execution in stores for off shelf vehicles can be less than 50% of the "authorized stores" a chain might ship product to.
As she grows, investing in a retail broker to ensure store execution is something she may have to consider as well.
Best of luck to her and I admire her effort and success thus far
From Kevin, Bethesda, MD A useless product. Limited market as few people, with respect to the general population, walk about with 3 inch nails.
From Dave Taylor, Land O Lakes, FL I think she has made an excellent start and she will be successful. The only thing that I see as an obstacle is she only has one product. A lot of the larger retailers like to display products in groups by category and often times by brand. Perhaps she can add other products like mini basters or hot sauce dipping cups if she is trying to market the product on/near shelves that are related to sauces and wings. Another approach would be to market the product in a more general area instead of focusing on wings. She perhaps could include something like those things you stick into ears of corn to hold them. If it is too much to try to manufacture related products it may be easier to sell the rights to the product to a larger brand that already has market share in the utensil/housewares industry.
From CK, Irving TX its always good to be proactive and get hands on on processes and activities.. what baker did was right. Apart from this if she needs more exposure she could hook up with the companies which make the BBQ sauce and show her product and see if she can market her tongs along with the BBQ sausces.. but be careful not to get hooked up with only one brand of sauce. good luck
From Patrick Columbus, Ohio I think that she is smart to be so proactive. I would suggest that she even schedule any vacations or weekend trips to include areas with stores that she can pitch to in person. Good luck and way to represent C-bus!
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Do you have a patent for this product? I am almost positive that you don't as I hold the current patent.