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Sitting Next to a Granola Bar

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with My Assistant

     

I went to my local grocery store for square orange cheese crackers. In particular I was looking for Cheese Nips because they were on insane sale.

Cracker isle. Found the Cheez-Its but where are the Cheese Nips????? Can't find them anywhere. But they're on sale. They must be around.

Cruise down the isle to the granola snack bars. Lo and Behold - there are the Cheese Nips. Why here???

This immediately gets my attention. Why in the world would Nabisco choose to put their square cheese cracker so far away from the other square cheese cracker? Why would they choose to put their cracker where the other crackers are not?

Now, this was like five days ago and I can't let it go. Something is significant here. Today, I think I figured it out.

Location, Location, Location!

You've heard it said before in real estate but it really is the best thing to consider in much of marketing, listings and otherwise. I don't like Cheese Nips as well as I like Cheez-Its. My guess is that most people agree with me or at least they recognize the red Cheez-Its box much faster than they recognize the orange Cheese Nips box. My guess is that Nabisco purposefully moved their product out of their competition's reach. Move it where there is no competition besides granola bars. The guilty indulgence may get the best of some people and they'll reach for the cheese crackers instead of the granola bars.

That's my theory.

What does it mean to you?

This can be applied to both listing marketing and agent marketing. If you can't get a house sold, what is the first thing you recommend to the seller? Price reduction. If you can't beat the competition, move away from it. Move away in price. Set yourself up with new competition. Sit next to a granola bar.

Same goes for agent marketing. Get out of Homes & Lifestyles and put yourself where the saturation is much more in your favor of getting seen. Where is that you say? Right now, it's in people. It's in social media. It's in getting yourself out there where the people are. It's about walking your neighborhood and talking to your neighbors. Ask for a referral. If you don't have the guts, get some. (psssst....you're in sales).Don't be afraid to move out of the cracker isle. (No, I didn't just call you a cracker). Hang out with some granola bars and you might find yourself with better exposure. At the very least, someone might start talking about you on some blog.

Comments(15)

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Mara Hawks
First Realty Auburn - Auburn, AL
Inactive-2012 REALTOR - Homes for Sale Auburn Real Estate, AL

Frustrating experience but interesting observation...

Jan 08, 2009 02:41 PM
Vickie McCartney
Maverick Realty - Owensboro, KY
Broker, Real Estate Agent Owensboro KY

Hi Renee~  I like that.  It's a simple solution, just start hanging out with Granola bars instead of quackers crackers!! 

Jan 08, 2009 02:44 PM
Jim Albano
Prudential Damiano Realty - Little Falls, NJ
Team - Jean-Marie Vantuno / Realtors North Jersey Real Estate

Renee, that's a great analogy. Correctly marketing, no matter what the product is so important.

Jan 08, 2009 02:44 PM
Shellye Meyer
Mel Foster Co. - Bettendorf, IA
One half of My RealTeam

It's interesting how we see real estate in everything. Nice post.

Jan 08, 2009 02:47 PM
Thomas Tolbert
Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate Legacy - Savannah, GA

Great food for thought Renee, but now I have a huge craving for cheese-its or cheese nips!

Jan 08, 2009 02:48 PM
Heather Goodwin
Licensed by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission - Shreveport, LA
Results That Move You

Well, don't know about the Cheese Nips, but locations IS actually very important to grocers.  Notice how they always position the sugary cereals at children's eye level?  That's the best location for that type of cereal.  Granola cereal or raisin bran wouldn't sell nearly as well on those shelves.  It's all about location!

Jan 08, 2009 02:53 PM
Bob & Carolin Benjamin
Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ
East Phoenix Arizona Homes

Sounds like you have the right idea -- this seems likely to be the case.

Jan 08, 2009 03:18 PM
Shane OnullGorman
Eau Claire Realty, Inc. - Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire Wisconsin, Real Estate Agent & Realtor- Buy or Sell

Kashi makes some cheez nip substitutes that are pretty good but nothing to do with this.

Jan 08, 2009 03:25 PM
Renee Crabtree
My Assistant - South Bend, IN

Shane - you've made me laugh out loud. I love Kashi and will check it out!

Heather - placement is key. Not just with products but with homes and with ourselves. The day we forget that is the day we're at the bottom shelf.

Shellye - it's in our blood. My mom is a realtor and my dad was an advertising genius when I was growing up. It's all I think about.

Jan 08, 2009 03:44 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

What a great analogy.  Good for you putting that all together.  I'm impressed!  I think you are right, too.  Those poor people thinking they are safe in the "healthy" section of the grocery store and just when they least expect it...out jumps the junk food and grabs them!

Jan 09, 2009 05:10 AM
Casey Joiner
Scenic Sotheby's International Realty www.caseyjoiner.com - Destin, FL
Scenic Sotheby's International Realty

Renee...I appreciate your point and well done.  But I have to argue loudly that Cheeze-itz definitely takes the crown as the top cheese cracker.  Its' my favorite snack...and yes I have tried Cheese Nips before you ask :)

Jan 09, 2009 05:15 AM
Renee Crabtree
My Assistant - South Bend, IN

Casey - I'm totally with you. Cheez-Its are by far the best - especially the hot variety. Yum.

Jan 09, 2009 05:31 AM
Evelyn Johnston
Friends & Neighbors Real Estate - Elkhart, IN
The People You Know, Like and Trust!

Well, I think what you said has great merit, but do the grocery stores let them put the products where ever they want?

Jan 11, 2009 04:27 PM
Rich Rogala
Consistent Clients - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Marketing Coach

Renee, fantastic analogy! I like how you see things from the marketing perspective no matter what you're doing. And you're right, moving away from the competition and differentiating yourself (however you choose to do that), can be the difference between surviving and thriving in a competitive market.

Jan 11, 2009 05:38 PM
Renee Crabtree
My Assistant - South Bend, IN

Evelyn - I'm sure they have some sort of a say. Not sure it really is the point in the post, though.

Rich - Sometimes we need to stop trying to beat the competition. We often forget to separate ourselves from the competition and we will fare much better. So many arenas are saturated with ads for real esatate agents that it's hard for a consumer to pick one out among many. It would be much easier to pick one out among a few.

Jan 12, 2009 12:14 AM