Lessons in Marketing From Sky

by Admin on July 5, 2009

Today, I received a letter from Sky TV asking me whether I would be interested in upgrading to Sky HD. They also kindly informed me that though I may have a HD-ready TV, that didn't mean that I would get high definition channels. The cost for this enhancement of my TV viewing - a  one-off cost of £49, when you take out a HD pack of £9.75 EXTRA a month and stay with Sky TV for another year. This comes after I have just given in to their tempting offer of half price Sky Sports and Movies for 6 months!

Though I won't be giving in to temptation this time, I do like the way that Sky markets to its customers. Invariably customers will be given a very tempting, initial offer of half price Sky Movies and Sports, with a free Sky+ box, for the first 6 months. If you don't wish to take up the offer, you may well get a call or direct mail with an offer at some point in the future.
What  Sky do effectively is to try to move people along the Sky TV customer lifecycle. They never seem to tire of trying to get you to buy into more of their products and services. And, in the main, the products and services are very good and very competitive. It would be so easy for them to sit back on their laurels and generate income off their subscriptions each month. However, they are constantly on the look out for products that may interest their target audience, be it Broadband, phone, or even TV's. Some of these latter products you may not even consider unless you have gone further down the funnel and probably begun to 'trust the company'.
I like the way they market to their customers.
It makes me think of the number of people (clients sometimes) I have met who are more than happy to keep delivering the same products, to the same types of people. These are the sort of traits you find from those who don't challenge themselves:
  • More often than not they have their staple bag of products and services which their clients will buy.They don't consider what else they could be offering their clients.
  • In some cases they think locally. But if you've succeeded locally, there's a bloody good chance that you could sell your products and services further afield, even internationally.
  • More than likely their clients are not fully aware of the full range of products and services the company can offer. I remember someone telling me that the worst thing a customer could ever say to you is, "I didn't know you did that".
  • The company fails to spot new opportunities. These are often in abundance and can be found by checking out your competitors, reading about your industry, visiting conferences and speaking to your customers.
  • It takes its eye off the customer life cycle. Your customer may have bought a camera off you but have you tried to sell them accessories, training, new lenses, etc?

I like to think that I try to practice what I preach. I do look at the products that I offer clients and try and work out how I could offer them new, quality products and services in the future. If someone comes on the eMarketing Award, they will be invited to come on a Social Media or Business Blogging workshop. If they have don't have the time or inclination to develop a digital marketing strategy, I can offer them consultancy.

    The key is not to stand still. Be aware of what is happening around you, what your competitors are doing and offer superior products or services. Sky does it and it has developed a very successful business model.

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