Working on my marketing and distribution plan

A lot has changed since September 2008 when I started building my business. Back then I didn’t have my product fully figured out, and my vague launch plans were generic and “traditional”. I’ve spent the last few days thinking through my launch strategy, and it looks much different from my original approach.

Eco-fashion/eco-design blogs and twitter accounts have popped up left and right, so my publicity push will likely begin there. And although my products will primarily be sold online, my offline business development efforts will be focused on distribution in “green” and eco-friendly boutiques in SF, NYC, and Portland. And of course, I’ll experiment with a few traditional avenues like search marketing. I feel like my outreach plan is measurable and managable. Now I just need to figure out the boring logistics :). If anyone has any other ideas for (cost-effective) marketing or distribution, feel free to let me know. All suggestions are welcome.

Some good news: after last week I thought my manufacturer had abandoned me and scammed me out of a down payment, but it looks like he’s back from the dead now and says that the briefcases are on track to be finished this month, and the tote bags should be completed early Dec. I’m really hoping this production timing doesn’t slide: it’s already cutting it pretty close. If for some reason my manufacturer screws up and I can’t make the holiday season, please consider buying a loved one a bag to celebrate February’s Black History Month.

Don’t get scammed by TM-COLLECTION

To compound my real-life trademark worries, today I received a suspicious international letter from “TM-COLLECTION, P.O. Box 201, HU-9701 Szombathely” postmarked “Trieda Classe” (not even first class!). The letter stated that for a one-time, low cost of just $1650, I could be listed in a publication called the “TM-Collection 2010″. Of all of the trademark junk mail and scam artists that have sent me mail over the past few months, I was surprisingly impressed by how nice this fake letter layout looked. They even cut-and-pasted my color logo from the USPTO site to legitimize the offer. It’s like those direct mail postcards that use your name in the copy to personalize the mailing. They try to make you feel special.

I googled the company name and saw that many people had received the same letter, and sadly, some people had fallen victim to this company’s illegal activity. I hope they didn’t also fall victim to the Nigerian bank scam.

I hope that other entrepreneurs who receive this letter will google the company name like I did and see that this is all a lame scam not worth anyone’s time. And perhaps other entrepreneurs and blog readers will respond the way I did, by opening up a new gmail account and emailing the bogus company info@tm-collection.com with the subject line “Here’s the payment”, and sending them lots of pictures of lolcats.

On a happier note, I drafted another version of my press release, and I think it’s coming along nicely. As I was writing this press release I actually felt a sense of accomplishment, and for the first time ever, the product launch felt very real.

Let’s hope the momentum continues!  

 

 

If you’re stuck in a rut, do something you enjoy

I’d drafted a launch press release a few months ago, but when I re-read it today I decided it was garbage and tried to start over. But then writer’s block set in again. By lunchtime I had only written (and re-written) just 2 sentences. I also emailed my copywriter friend and asked her for some help. I realized that my writing paralysis wasn’t going away so I decided to change gears and work on my next wave of bag designs.

I’m currently working on a laptop messenger bag that I think will be a great addition to my line of products. If you check out my website in December and you find that the totebag or briefcase ain’t your cup of tea, then you might wait for the Spring 2010 messenger bag. But then again, given my bad luck with manufacturers, that might be Spring 2011!

OK, it’s dinner time. See ya!