Tuesday, March 26, 2019

#48 BOEING: Guilty of Shoddy Back-end Marketing

Issue #48 - Tuesday, March 26, 2019

http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2019/03/48-boeing-guilty-of-shoddy-back-end.html

Posted by Denny Hatch

BOEING: Guilty of Shoddy Back-end Marketing


One of the absolute worst, dumbest things a marketer can do is make a sale—bring an enthusiastic and trusting customer into the corporate family—and then leave him twisting in the wind.
     Example: Boeing.
     “The sale begins when the customer says yes,” wrote freelance copywriter Bill Christensen.
     Once a sale is made and the product delivered to the buyer, it is imperative to make absolutely sure the customer is taken care of throughout the life of the product. 
     This is as true for the manufacturer of jet planes as it is for the publisher of a magazine or the seller of stamps to stamp collectors.

These two short quotes tell Boeing’s tragic story.
"For many new airplane models, pilots train for hours on giant, multimillion-dollar machines, on-the-ground versions of cockpits that mimic the flying experience and teach them new features. But in the case of the Max, many pilots with 737 experience learned about the plane on an iPad.
     'We would have liked to have had a simulator from the start,' said Jon Weaks, the president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association. 'But it wasn’t practical, because it wasn’t built yet.'”
—Natalie Kitroeff, David Gelles, Jack Nicas, Thomas Kaplan and Maggie Haberman, The New York Times

“As the pilots of the doomed Boeing jets in Ethiopia and Indonesia fought to control their planes, they lacked two notable safety features in their cockpits. One reason: Boeing charged extra for them.”
—Hiroko Tabuchi and David Gelles, The New York Times

The result: 346 passengers and crew were killed in the two crashes of brand new Boeing 737-MAX jets.
    Is Boeing spoiled by its success as America’s premier exporter of American-built products? Have they become lazy jet plane builders who believed they no longer needed serious back-end marketing? Perhaps their business philosophy is from Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.”

Could Calamity Have Been Averted if Boeing Had Seen
The 85-Point Checklist lede is the story of Boeing’s October 30, 1935 catastrophic crash at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio. As a result of this tragedy, Boeing created its greatest contribution to Government, Industry, Medicine and War—the very first checklist in the history of the world. (This original Boeing document is illustrated my Marketeer’s Checklist.) 
     From my 85-Point Checklist:
     31. Another marketing screw-up I absolutely hate: Instructions in teeny-tiny sans serif mouse type translated directly from the Chinese.
• Are absolutely foolproof instructions included with the shipment—illustrated, written in simple, readable English and (if need-be) well illustrated?  
Continually Working With the Customer Can
Be as Essential as Getting the Initial Sale!
I made my bones writing/designing offers to acquire subscribers for magazines and newsletters. A typical offer:
     Take the first monthly issue FREE. If you like it pay just $9.95 for the next 11 issues. If you decide to cancel any time, your money back in full.
     Once you send that free issue, a whole lot of back-end marketing kicks in. You have to keep sending issues and billing efforts until the dude pays. After payment, you have to start sending renewal efforts starting 3 to 6 months later.

Let’s talk stamp collecting.
 
Two of the most brilliant proponents of after-marketing creativity were Prescott Kelly—proprietor of the Stamp Collectors Society of America—and his creative director, the late Malcom Decker.
     Kelly and Decker did not offer traditional stamp collections. Instead they put together unique “themed” collections. These were continuity series of 33 or 47 stamps from around the world that featured railroad locomotives, great automobiles or a series of 58 gold stamps commemorating the treasures of Tutankhamun.     
     Included would be a handsome (free) album to house these unique collections.

The Treasured Transmittal Letters
Accompanying every stamp shipment was an enthusiastic transmittal letter signed by George Worthington (aka Malcolm Decker). Each was chock-a-block full of fascinating nuggets of information and historical tidbits about the stamps in the shipment.
     Decker-cum-Worthington wrote a one-page letter of 200 words with every stamp sent out. Plus George offered Christmas, Easter and other special stamps along the way so that by the time collection is complete, the customer would have received about 50 letters from George. 
 Mal Decker (aka George Worthington)
     All the letters were personalized (“Dear John Jones”) and all were signed with a printed reflex blue signature.
     George Worthington had a voice. To the collector, he was a real person.
     “We send George on trips (he went to London for the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana),” Decker said to me. “He visits famous museums and galleries and regularly spends time with the artists, artisans and craftsmen who create our stamps. He even presented our Tutankhamun collection to the Egyptian Ambassador to the United Nations.”
     Decker also had help. For the "grist" or background information, world-renowned experts were hired. For the automobile stamps, automotive editor Beverly Rae Kimes ("The Grande Dame of Automobile History") wrote the letters with Decker doing the editing and polishing.
     Railroad historian Thomas T. ("Tommy Trains") Tabor III was engaged to supply the background material for the locomotive stamps. And for Tutankhamun, Yale professor of Egyptology Virginia Lee Davis was the consultant-writer. Decker continued:
     "We put as much effort into Transmittal Letter Number 4, 14, 24, or 54—word-for-word and page-for-page—as we put into the four-, five- or six-page letters in our full-dress direct mail packages that brought these subscribers into the program.” 

”Send me the other 57 letters or I’ll cancel.”
"Once in a while one of our subscribers gets a windfall and buys the whole balance of his Collection at once,” Decker told me. ‘But what's odd is that after he receives his stamps, he oftentimes insists on getting the whole set of transmittal letters from George Worthington. He perceives the transmittal letters as having value and being an integral part of the collection.”
     George’s letter makes each stamp “come alive.” When showing off the collection to friends, family or business colleagues he can impress the visitor with stories of the stamps.

 Malcolm Decker’s Decision Tree
A serious, caring marketer should never allow a back office clerk to write a letter to a customer.
     Above is the Flow Chart of correspondence requirements for one Stamp Collectors Society of America promotion. Each line represents a letter that must be written either as a transmittal effort, follow-up letter or response to a collector’s question or problem. Each of these letters was written by Decker with precision, care and warmth.
     If a new situation arises that is not part of the Decision Tree, Decker would write a letter, add it to the flowchart and work with the clerks to make sure they understand which letters go out under which circumstances.

Takeaways to Consider
The sale begins when the customer says, "yes."
—Bill Christensen, Freelance copywriter

As direct marketers we're not here primarily to make a sale; we're here to get a customer. Sales are important, of course. (Where would marketers be without them?) But the name of the game is repeat sales rather than one-shots. And to have that you need a customer.
—Joan Throckmorton, Legendary direct marketer

 • "People have forgotten this truth," the fox said. "But you mustn't forget it. You become responsible forever for the things you tame."
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

• A serious, caring marketer should never allow a back office clerk to make marketing choices or write letters to a customer.  

“Build it and they will come is bullshit.” Build it, sell the hell out of it and they will come.”
—Willard Rouse, Developer of Faneuil Hall and Baltimore Inner Harbor

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Word count: 1282



At age 15, Denny Hatch—as a lowly apprentice—wrote his first news release for a Connecticut summer theater. To his astonishment it ran verbatim in The Middletown Press. He was instantly hooked on writing. After a two-year stint in the U.S. Army (1958-60), Denny had nine jobs in his first 12 years in business. He was fired from five of them and went on to save two businesses and start three others. One of his businesses—WHO’S MAILING WHAT! newsletter and archive service founded in 1984—revolutionized the science of how to measure the success of competitors’ direct mail. In the past 55 years he has been a book club director, magazine publisher, advertising copywriter/designer, editor, journalist and marketing consultant. He is the author of four published novels and seven books on business and marketing.

CONTACT
dennyhatch@yahoo.com

Note to Readers:  
May I send you an alert when each new blog is posted? If so, kindly give me the okay by sending your First Name, Last Name and e-mail to dennyhatch@yahoo.com. I guarantee your personal information will not be shared with anyone at any time for any reason. I look forward to being in touch!

Invitation to Marketers and Direct Marketers: 
Guest Blog Posts Are Welcome. 
If you have a marketing story to tell, case history, concept to propose or a memoir, give a shout. I’ll get right back to you. I am: dennyhatch@yahoo.com
 
You Are Invited to Join the Discussion!

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

#47 Don Hauptman’s Essential 31-Point Checklist

Issue #47 - Tuesday, March 19, 2019

http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2019/03/47-don-hauptmans-essential-31-point_19.html

Posted by Denny Hatch

Don Hauptman's
Essential 31-Point Checklist for Copywriting Assignments


 

 
By Don Hauptman

Early in my career, at the outset of each assignment, I found that I was asking each new client a set of similar questions in order to obtain the background data and materials I needed.

     So in the late 1970s, I devised a checklist I called a “New Project Discussion Agenda.” Over the years, others have borrowed and adapted it. It has been reprinted numerous times in direct-marketing books and trade publications—both with and without attribution.

     This is a working tool. It does not claim to be exhaustive, nor will every question apply to every product. It serves as a useful guide, helping to ensure that no critical item is forgotten. Although my original checklist was more abbreviated, I’ve expanded on some points for clarity in this version. 

IMPORTANT: this checklist was intended for my copywriting for subscription newsletters and other information products. But you can adapt it for virtually any product or assignment; I encourage you to think of additional “customized” questions you might add.
 
The ideal source for providing this information is your client: the product manager, sales director, editor, owner, or someone else in the company who is knowledgeable—and willing and able to communicate that knowledge.

     In section “A,” I grouped what I regard as the most significant items. And Question #4 is perhaps the most likely to generate valuable creative ideas.
     Although I often used this checklist while interviewing clients by phone or in person, in other cases I requested that they complete it themselves and supply the answers in writing.

     Not surprisingly, I heard occasional complaints about the work I was asking them to do. But, more often, they told me afterward: “You made me think through issues I needed to address in order to improve my business. Thank you!”

A. PROJECT FUNDAMENTALS

1. What is the product’s Unique Selling Proposition? 
What is your publication’s concept? Its aim, function, unique selling proposition? How is it “positioned”? Ask the client to complete this sentence: “This is the only resource that…”

2. What is the competition for this product?
Who are the major competitors? What are their failings? Is there a gap in the marketplace? If so, how does your product fill that gap? What do you offer that’s exclusive?

3. What is your market?
Who is the target subscriber or user? What are their ages, genders, income levels, etc.? Such demographic data is an important starting point for getting to know the prospective buyer. But go beyond that, into attitudes, motivations, emotions, behavior, etc. Ask the client about the mindset of the subscribers. Even better, ask some subscribers directly.

4. What are the prospect's biggest concerns?
This may be the single most important question to ask. Determine your prospect’s most important concerns, needs, and problems. What keeps him awake at night? What are his questions, complaints, fears, threats, mistakes? On the positive side: opportunities, expectations, and hopes? What information does he need to deal with them? If it's a B2B product, what is the industry climate? What trends, events, hot issues, and new developments are occurring in this field?

5. How does the product help the reader?
How does it fill a compelling need in your prospect’s life? What are its features? What concrete benefits will he realize?

6. What is the product’s name?
If this is a new product, you may be able to help name it. Find out how the name, subtitle, slogan, and logo reflect its goals.

7. What are the product's origins?
Is this a brand-new product or does it have historical roots? Who first created or developed it? Are there any interesting or compelling stories about its start?

8. Is there an editorial/marketing plan?
Does your client have any internal documents about the product, its development, or marketing? Ask him to share them with you, in confidence. The more you know, the stronger the promotion you can write.

B. EDITORIAL/CONTENT

9. Can you supply me with back issues?
Ask to see a year or two of past issues. If it’s a launch, ask for a list of article titles and synopses that are planned for the new publication.

10. What is the content?
What are the regular departments, columns, standing features? Does the newsletter emphasize specifics, so the reader can take action and realize concrete benefits? Does the content suggest surprising or little-known facts that can be cited in the promotional copy?

11. What is the editorial policy?
Is the newsletter independent? If so, is this a selling point in contrast with the competition?

12. Does the newsletter offer exclusive content or benefits?
Can it boast “scoops”? Accurate predictions? What is its track record?

13. What are the newsletter’s sources?
How does the editor/staff obtain information? Do they have “inside” sources? What is the newsgathering process?

14. What items have generated a strong reader response?
Was the response favorable or unfavorable? Why did readers respond that way? Can this knowledge be applied in the promotional copy?

15. Who are the people on the editorial staff?
Who are the editors and writers? What are their biographies and qualifications? Any anecdotes or stories? Do you have photos?

16. Does the newsletter have a board of advisors?
Again, what are their biographies, qualifications, stories? Photos?

C. PROMOTION/MARKETING:

17. What mailing lists will be used?
Learn about the mailing lists, list brokers . . . and/or other relevant media where your copy will appear. Which lists worked well and which did not. Is the client targeting the right audience? Are prospects already familiar with the publication? With the publisher?

18 Are there testimonials or related items that can boost credibility?
Does the client have testimonials (from subscribers or authorities in the field), anecdotes, or success stories? Press clips? Awards? What special achievements can the client boast? Proof of authority?

19. What is the circulation?
What is the publication’s circulation and renewal rate?

20. What market research has been done?
Is subscriber survey data available? If possible, examine the subscriber list.

21. What are the results of past promotional efforts?
What type of testing has been done? Split-tests? Please supply copies of past promotions, especially the current control, and the results. Winners? Losers? The renewal series and results. Any lessons to be drawn from this data? Is a “welcome” letter sent to new subscribers? 

22. Competitive products?
Do you have samples of competitive publications? The promotions for them? Should competitors be named in copy, or not?

23. What type of promotion will this be? Direct mail, space ad, other?
Any “mandatories” re the concept, format, structure? Who is the graphic designer?

24. Are there any copy caveats?
What legal constraints, if any, do we face? Internal policies?

D. OFFER:

25.What is the publication’s subscription price?
What is the regular price? Can we offer a discount? A “Charter” offer? If a launch, can we promise to deliver “all issues from #1”?

26. What are the ordering options?
Does the client prefer a soft or hard offer? Billing? Credit cards? Order mechanisms?

27. What is the frequency of publication?
How often is it published? Will the subscriber receive alerts between regular issues?

28. What are the terms of the guarantee?
How long is the guarantee valid? Is the refund full or pro-rata?

29. How is the product delivered?
Is it mailed First Class? Delivered via e-mail? Other method(s)?

30. Is a premium being offered?
What is the basic premium? Early-response premium? Prepayment incentives? Additional bonuses?

31. Finally, do you have additional background material not already mentioned?
What else can help me write the strongest possible copy? Subscribers or experts I can interview?

E. DIGITAL POSTSCRIPT

Aside from some minor updating over the years, the above checklist was mostly created and used prior to the Internet era. Here are some additional questions you might ask today:  
• What copy platforms and offers have been tested in digital media: websites, e-mail, mobile, Google ads, etc.?
• Results?
•  Social media experience and feedback?
• Metrics and other data obtained via website, search, SEO?
• What lessons have been learned that can inform this project?

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Word Count: 1347

About the Author: Now mostly retired, Don Hauptman is one of the great direct-response copywriters. For three decades, he specialized in the marketing of information products: subscription newsletters, magazines, books, spoken-word audio, conferences, and the like. His direct-mail packages won the Newsletter on Newsletters promotion award for nine years, six consecutively—a feat unduplicated by any other writer at the time. His ads for Audio-Forum’s recorded language lessons with the headline “Speak Spanish [French, etc.] Like a Diplomat!” have achieved classic status. 


At age 15, Denny Hatch—as a lowly apprentice—wrote his first news release for a Connecticut summer theater. To his astonishment it ran verbatim in The Middletown Press. He was instantly hooked on writing. After a two-year stint in the U.S. Army (1958-60), Denny had nine jobs in his first 12 years in business. He was fired from five of them and went on to save two businesses and start three others. One of his businesses—WHO’S MAILING WHAT! newsletter and archive service founded in 1984—revolutionized the science of how to measure the success of competitors’ direct mail. In the past 55 years he has been a book club director, magazine publisher, advertising copywriter/designer, editor, journalist and marketing consultant. He is the author of four published novels and seven books on business and marketing.

CONTACT
dennyhatch@yahoo.com

Note to Readers:  
May I send you an alert when each new blog is posted? If so, kindly give me the okay by sending your First Name, Last Name and e-mail to dennyhatch@yahoo.com. I guarantee your personal information will not be shared with anyone at any time for any reason. I look forward to being in touch!

Invitation to Marketers and Direct Marketers: 
Guest Blog Posts Are Welcome. 
If you have a marketing story to tell, case history, concept to propose or a memoir, give a shout. I’ll get right back to you. I am: dennyhatch@yahoo.com

You Are Invited to Join the Discussion!


Tuesday, March 12, 2019

#46 A Billion Dollar Website Waiting to Be Discovered!

Issue #46 – Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Posted by Denny Hatch


A Billion Dollar Website Waiting to Be Discovered!

SERENE. Length: 439.30 Ft.     
Owner: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman 

This all began with SERENE.
     A number of years ago Peggy and I sailed into the harbor at Valletta, Malta on a Viking ocean cruise ship. Docked nearby was the eye-popping yacht above.
     After visually drinking her in, I ducked down to our cabin to go online and see who she was. I discovered:
     SERENE was owned by Russian vodka (Stolichnaya) oligarch Yuri Schefler.
     • She is the 16th largest private yacht in the world with two helipads, three swimming pools and a crew of 52 looking after the ship and its maximum of 24 sleepover guests.
     SERENE was chartered by the Bill Gates family for a cruise off Sardinia. The tab: $3.5 million a week (plus expenses).
     Several years later—in mid-2015—SERENE was sold for $438 million to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (the notorious MBS), alleged murderer of Jamal Khashoggi, columnist for The Washington Post.
         More on SERENE:
In Our Cruise Ship Cabin, I Found www.marinetraffic.comEverything Needed to Become Billion-dollar Website!
This extraordinary website tracks 550,000 ships worldwide in real time—freighters, tankers, cruise ships, tugs, river boats, ferries, private yachts.
      A boat of any size—from 15 feet to over 1,000 feet with a transponder sending a signal up to the Automatic Identity System (AIS) satellites—shows up on the MarineTraffic.com map of the world.
     Among the smallest and largest vessels tracked by the amazing MarineTraffic.com website:
Here's How www.MarineTraffic.com Works
Right now I’m on my iMac in Philadelphia, Monday, March 4, 2019 at 08:30 hours. Below is Malta on the MarineTraffic website:
Every dot represents a ship.
     • Green Dots: Cargo/Container Ships
     • Red Dots: Tankers (Oil and Chemicals)
     • Dark Blue Dots: Passenger Ships (Cruise Ships, Ferries, etc.)
     • Light Blue Dots: Tugs, Military Vessels
     • Lavender Dots: Private Boats and Yachts
     • Muddy Orange Dots: Fishing Boats
     The big cluster of dots just to the right of “Malta” are ships in Valletta harbor and the Malta Yacht Marina. Enlarge the map and it reveals around 100 individual ships and boats of all sizes.
     Pass your computer cursor over any dot and basic information appears.
     In the Malta map above, SEE GREEN SHIP OUTLINE AT LEFT—MSC HAMBURG, Panama registry, speed 20.2 knots, Destination ESBCN—ES (Spain) BCN (Barcelona).
Double click on MSC HAMBURG green ship outline above left and here’s what pops up.
Double click ­on Vessel Details (green box above) and you hit the info jackpot—basic data plus specs.
Click on the blue bar at bottom right ("Ship Photos 55")—and you’ll discover 55 gorgeous photographs of MSC HAMBURG in ports all over the world!
     This trove of data (and photographs) are available with a few clicks on your desktop, iPad or Smartphone—24/7 for 550,000 vessels anywhere on the planet!
     Let’s say you have friends or family at sea or on a river; simply enter the name of the vessel they’re on and it will pop up on the map, so you can see precisely where they are!
     This is dazzling technology!
     While there are modest charges for advanced professional information, the basic service is Free!
  
Tiny Company, Giant Website 
Exmile Solutions Limited, dba MarineTraffic.com
• Been collecting data since 2009.
• Incorporated 2012.
• 3,500+ AIS (Automatic Identification System). Stations in 140+ countries run by volunteers.
• Tracks 550,000 ships of all sizes.
• 6+ million monthly unique visitors.
• 1.1million registered users.
• 2+ million ship photographs.
• All photos automatically © copyright in photographer’s name.
Latest Financials—Year Ended Dec 2017
   • Total Assets £2.83m
     +£680.81k (+31.63%)
     vs previous year
   • Total Liabilities £-2.12m
     -£283.05k (-15.4%)
     vs previous year
   • Net Assets £712.82k
     +£397.76k (+126.25%)
     vs previous year
   • Cash in Bank £1.62m
     +£495.36k (+44.12%)
     vs previous year
   • Employees Unreported
   • Turnover  Unreported
   • Debt Ratio (%) 74.84%
     -10.52 (-12.32%)
     vs previous year
If the numbers above (and I have checked several sources) are accurate, next to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WeChat, Instagram et al., MarineTraffic is huge web service and a financial pipsqueak.
Why Do I Give a Hoot About MarineTrafic.com?
  Fast Forward Three Years. Peggy and I downsized to a
2 BR apt on the 30th floor overlooking the Delaware River
I am now hooked on ships—giant cargo vessels, tankers, yachts, sailboats, tugs—pretty much anything that floats and carries people.  
     Okay, I confess.
     I bought a Nikon camera and am one of MarineTraffic.com’s 29,000+ avid volunteer ship photographers worldwide.
     The portrait of STOLT KIRI above was taken from my living room window. 
     The gray warship in the background is the 888-foot WWII battleship/floating museum USS NEW JERSEY, the most decorated ship in the history of the US Navy. At left is a section of I.M. Pei’s iconic “brutalist design” Society Hill South Tower completed in 1964. The two tan smokestacks at bottom left are on OLYMPIA (launched 1892). She is the oldest battleship afloat in the world—famous as Commodore George Dewey's flagship in the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War in 1898.
     I have around 500 photos on the MarineTraffic.com Website. (It contains 2+ million ship images from all over the world.)
     When we go on cruises, fellow passengers take photos of friends, family, historic sights and sites. I take boat pictures.
The Glory of the Great Ships
Often, I go down to the Delaware to get close to these aristocrats of oceans and rivers. Here’s INDUSTRIAL SONG after passing under the Ben Franklin Bridge.
Many of the ships I photograph are giant rust buckets. Yet they radiate majesty—the largest moving objects on the planet that account for 90% of world trade amounting to $4 trillion annually.
     These breathtaking ladies (all ships are “she”) get beaten up in rough seas in all weather. Yet they soldier on. On arrival in port, the crews—many of them Eastern Europeans and Asians who speak no English—are forbidden to leave the ship for fear they might become illegal aliens. Many speak no English. They live a lonely, isolated existence à la Henry David Thoreau on Walden Pond.
     Of all my photos, here’s one of my favorites:
    
In good weather I spend $7 for a ride this little guy and take ship pictures from her deck.
     In short, I’m in love with vessels great and small that that traverse the seas and the waterways that make up 71% of the earth’s surface.
My opinion: MarineTraffic.com could become a billion-dollar website—the digital epicenter of the multi-trillion-dollar behemoth that is the world Maritime Community:
• 550,000 vessels worldwide. Every one of them should have its own website.
• 1.6 million professional seafarers on merchant ships.
• 250,000 cruise industry crew members.
• 28 million annual ocean and river cruise passengers.
• 650,000 Americans in the US Maritime Industry.
• 13 million registered boat owners in the U.S.
• Millions more boat owners all around the globe.
• Countless sailors in the world’s navies, port and warehouse workers, shipping companies executives, et al.
MarineTraffic.com could become the first place to click on for anybody interested in the trillion-dollar universe of ships, boats and yachts: buying, selling and servicing them, chartering them, looking for jobs on them and, of course, traveling on them.

So, how does a lone-wolf geezer
with a dynamite concept get in the door?
I tried and failed.
     As MarineTraffic.com photographer, I would love to meet some of my fellow camera fiends. I’d like to watch them work, learn from them, swap yarns, compare cameras, hoist a few with them and join them for some exotic travels and cuisine.
     So I dreamed up a little side business to prime MarineTraffic.com's diversification pump:


Dear Denny Hatch,

As an official MarineTraffic.com ship photographer, you should know how proud and grateful I am for your contributions.

As well as creating an historic legacy, the ship photography project has given a dramatic new dynamism to MarineTraffic.com.

Thank you!
About ISWSP
I am anxious for all ship photographers to have a home base at MarineTraffic.com where you can showcase your unique artistry.

With that in mind, I am launching the exclusive International Society of World Ship Photographers and am pleased to invite you to become a Founding Member.

Annual dues: $20. (As a Founding Member, your dues will never be increased.)

Benefits of Membership
• Your own email address at MarineTraffic.com.
  —I have taken the liberty of assigning you the address:
      With your acceptance below, this will be activated, and you will be “open for business.”

• FREE Web Page on the MarineTraffic.com Website
  —A Website that is uniquely YOURS!
  —Your photographs showcased in format you choose.
  —Show non-ship photos you are most proud of.
  —Describe professional philosophy goals.
  —Your equipment and how you work.
  —Share stories about your experiences and challenges.
  —Private invitations to tour ships docked in your area.
  —Send and receive email.
  —Your privacy guaranteed.

• Weekly eNewsletter
  —News, How-to features, 10 Best photos of week

• Ship Photographers Idea Exchange (SPIX)
   —Ask questions, contribute answers, start discussions.

Photographic expeditions to harbors and rivers all over the world with private tours of port facilities, cargo ships, cruise ships, tugs and yachts.

Again, my thanks for your wonderful work.

I look very forward to welcoming you into the MarineTraffic.com family.

Sincerely,

Click Here to activate your Founding Membership in
The International Society of World Ship Photographers

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

The arithmetic: if 25% of their 29,000 ship photographers join, that’s 7,250 members x $20 = $145,000 revenue. Half the photographers would generate $290,000 revenue. Not chopped liver. Worth a cheap-o email to their own list? Sure.
     I sent the proposition to MarineTraffic.com three times—by snail mail and email—to the address in London.

Never heard back. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Bupkis.

Here are others that do roughly the same thing.
www.vesselfinder.com (Bulgaria)
https://www.fleetmon.com  (Germany)
http://www.shipspotting.com
   Note: Cannot find a country for shipspotting.com.

     With the exception of Fleetmon.com in Germany, these folks are all in the boonies, probably techie geeks who have no idea how to leverage their genius and make so much money they could charter SERENE with 22 of their family and friends for a month every summer.
     Maybe one of these companies has an ambitious and energetic associate with knowledge, people skills and marketing savvy who could honcho this idea and perform a huge service for the trillion-dollar b2b, b2c and c2c maritime communities. 
     Me? At age 83, time is not on my side. Besides, I've got other fish to fry. In May we’re on a Viking River Cruise from Budapest to Bucharest. In November we’re set with Road Scholar for yacht trip in Croatia.
     This cranky little blog will go dark for those weeks.
P.S.  I won’t forget my camera.

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At age 15, Denny Hatch—as a lowly apprentice—wrote his first news release for a Connecticut summer theater. To his astonishment it ran verbatim in The Middletown Press. He was instantly hooked on writing. After a two-year stint in the U.S. Army (1958-60), Denny had nine jobs in his first 12 years in business. He was fired from five of them and went on to save two businesses and start three others. One of his businesses—WHO’S MAILING WHAT! newsletter and archive service founded in 1984—revolutionized the science of how to measure the success of competitors’ direct mail. In the past 55 years he has been a book club director, magazine publisher, advertising copywriter/designer, editor, journalist and marketing consultant. He is the author of four published novels and seven books on business and marketing.

CONTACT
dennyhatch@yahoo.com

Note to Readers:  
May I send you an alert when each new blog is posted? If so, kindly give me the okay by sending your First Name, Last Name and e-mail to dennyhatch@yahoo.com. I guarantee your personal information will not be shared with anyone at any time for any reason. I look forward to being in touch!

Invitation to Marketers and Direct Marketers: 
Guest Blog Posts Are Welcome. 
If you have a marketing story to tell, case history, concept to propose or a memoir, give a shout. I’ll get right back to you. I am: dennyhatch@yahoo.com

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