In Response to Chris Cheever's Post...

   I think L.L. Bean is really setting up for success when they announced their free standard shipping without a minimum purchase amount.  Ever since Cabela's opened up, L.L.Bean really began to struggle to stay within the industry.  By including free shipping, I think L.L. Bean is not only attracting customers, but they're also coming back with a competitive edge.  Chris posed the question, is this approach appropriate for all companies?  And I would definitely say no, this is not the case for all companies.  For many of the companies that are in a similar situation as L.L. Bean and Cabela's...perhaps.  But it is important to first analyze the demands of products, and the available funds at hand before making such a big decision.  Free shipping has the potential of attracting new customers, and eventually creating a profit for the company.  But, realistically, it  is also very possible that no new customers are enticed, and the company looses thousands, if not more, dollars in paying for the shipping costs.  Therefore, it is important that companies are careful in analyzing their situation, pros and cons, before any offers are made by the company.

Diet Dr. Pepper and Yahoo Team Up...

I recently read an article about Diet Dr. Pepper teaming up with Yahoo to create an online scavenger hunt.  The "Hunt for the Unbelievable" sweepstakes participants enter their "...name, basic demographic information and their e-mail address in order to participate..." (McKeefery) with the hopes of winning the $10,000 travel getaway grand prize.  Participants were to locate and virtually capture the Diet Dr. Pepper characters across the Yahoo web, which also included mobile properties.  The hunt ran through March 31, and the winner is expected to be announced in April.  These two firms are participating in a very interactive way of marketing their products and services.  It's a fun way for people to get to know more about their products, probably with the hopes of gaining a number of loyal customers.

But what about the data they collect?  The article did not say what the firms were using the data for.  It could be something as simple as collecting information to consider a new target market.  But it could also be as untrustworthy as collecting data to sell to other companies.  What do you think about the overall idea of the interactive approach?
http://www.dmnews.com/diet-dr-pepper-and-yahoo-team-up-in-online-hunt/article/199209/