Email Trade-In Programs
Posted by Bill Leming on August 10th, 2009
Regardless of your political inclination there is little doubt that the CARS program (or Car Allowance Rebate System) has been successful in its effort to increase new car sales. (Six months ago I would have bet heavily against the odds that 250,000 new cars would be sold in the US in July or that Ford Motor Company would post its first car sales increase in 19 months.) While the costs associated with kick-starting the auto industry and who will ultimately bear the burden is debatable, there is little doubt that the offer itself has caught hold and is gaining traction both inside and outside the auto industry.
Just this morning a large, local furniture retailer began a campaign that offered a “cash for clunkers” rebate to anyone purchasing a new sofa, armoire, dining set, etc. between now and August 16 including pick-up and removal of the “old” furniture.
This is a great idea from a variety of standpoints. First of all the offer is easy to understand, it provides a valuable incentive on a limited-time basis and, perhaps more importantly, it solves a perceptual problem (what do I do with my old sofa?). It did not address the environmental benefits touted in the CARS program or any philanthropic donation benefit and my feeling is that doing so could have enhanced the cash-for-clunkers offer.
Xerox has announced its version of this offer called the Trade-In Promotion by offering rebates of up to $1,200 on eligible Xerox printer(s) purchased or leased between January 1, 2009 and September 30, 2009 with an eligible laser or multi-function trade-in.
Like the furniture retailer the Xerox offer also indicates “Xerox will pay shipping on your eligible laser or multifunction trade-in(s) which for many will be highly attractive. Unlike the furniture retailer, the Xerox offer also includes a Donation Program component which indicates that, “Xerox may also donate functioning equipment to the National Cristina Foundation” and furthermore that, “The NCF works to ensure that technology resources are given a second productive life as a tool for non-profit organizations, public agencies, disabilities, students-at-risk and the economically disadvantaged.”
From a What’s-In-It-For –Me perspective, it’s a triple winner: it gets me a new printer/mfp at a discount, it alleviates any real or imagined concerns about having to pay high shipping costs and it makes me feel really good about where my old, but-still-operable piece of equipment will end up.
If the cash-for-clunkers offer is as strong as I suspect it is in both the b2b and b2c arenas, we’re going to see many more iterations of it in the weeks and months ahead. The question becomes how to make it work within the context of your business. I’d love to hear how this has worked (or not worked) within your particular industry.
