Leafleting outside competitors

[darren atkinson]

Hi

Are there any laws against leafleting directly outside a competitors business?

I provide IT services in Hull and there is a very large PC chain which has two stores in my area. Many people say direct marketing to people has a better response rate, and seeing as my prices are well under the large PC chains prices, I was thinking a great way to get more interest in my services was to leaflet outside the large store.

Is this a problem?

Thanks for any advice offered.

Darren

[Rob Holmes]

You'll probably need a crash helmet.

As for the legal aspect - I don't know.

What would you do if a competitor started leafleting outside your place?

Rob

[Jayne]

If someone did that outside my shop, world war 3 would start.. I think you should think of a safer way to do it..

Maybe in a local market where lots of people go, in the same town as your compertion :D But not straight outside..unless you want a thick ear :lol:

Jayne

[Stationery-Direct]

Is it a PC world store? id feel safer doing outside there than a family run business, dont know what they can do really other than maybe contact the local council (do you need a permit to do this?)

Anyway good luck and if you need the leaflets printing then give me a shout.

Damon

[directmarketingadvice]

If it's legal, what's the worst that could happen?

I guess they could do the same to you but, if they're offering the same thing for higher prices, that wouldn't do them any good.

They might cut prices to try to drive you out of business, but if it's a nationwide chain, how likely is that?

If they try to move you on, tell them it's legal and, if they're unhappy, to get a policeman.

If it's one of the chains I'm thinking of, you'll probably find that their staff are indifferent and unmotivated (and not very pro-active) so they won't be busting their chops to move you on.

Steve

[webit]

If it's in a shopping area, retail park then you could be moved on as it's private property.

[darren atkinson]

Thanks for the comments, yes it is a PC World store.

I was just wondering to be honest, saw Risking it All last night and the burger company featured where leafleting outside McDonalds and Burger King.

[10 Yetis]

Why not do a form of flash protest... I love these and did one outside the head office of a rival company when i worked for a consumer brand.

Basically, you get a load of people to turn up outside the store at an agreed time, carry out a (light hearted) protest of some sort for a very short period of time (say 20 seconds to a minute) and then all disappear again. very surreal.

If it was PC world you could protest about prices (they are bl**dy expensive). Have a word with your local papers picture desk and try to get them down or get some pictures yourself and send in after the event.

As for leafleting outside a rival, I have done this once. Handed out leaflets dressed as a lion about a service provider, to a line of people waiting to get into a rivals shop. Quite funny... all taken in great spirit.

I echo the other comment that if it is a family shop, then probably not a good idea, but if it is a large chain, or corporation... yeah, go for it... might even get into the paper (or casualty, or cells!)

:D

[injan]

i would just get some kids to put leaflets on the car windscreens in the superstore carpark every couple hours...
you know what kids are like :) theyll soon run if approached!!

in anycase i would think it was just as viable to do the same in the office supplies superstore...that would also be well targeted yes??

just as a joke
here is a campaign one of our associates uses to advertise his their SAS ad agency

http://www.topdeck.wanadoo.co.uk/sasad.jpg

i guess you also must take your competition seriously!!! :evil:
LOL

[JoyDivision]

To be honest the people that shop at PCWORLD need educating anyway. They tend to be snobs who think they are getting somthing for becuase they are shopping at a well known name. These are the kind of people that take their car to fast fit centres for a service and shop at B&Q for batteries.

So I am not sure how targeted it would be, I think it would be very cheeky and if its in the car park the manager will move you on.

The staff maybe unmotivated twits but the manager or supervisor will not be.

As you might have guessed I have large national chain stores :D

[Rob Holmes]

To be honest the people that shop at PCWORLD need educating anyway. They tend to be snobs who think they are getting somthing for becuase they are shopping at a well known name. These are the kind of people that take their car to fast fit centres for a service and shop at B&Q for batteries.

So I am not sure how targeted it would be, I think it would be very cheeky and if its in the car park the manager will move you on.

The staff maybe unmotivated twits but the manager or supervisor will not be.

Thats quite a sweeping generalisation - you'll be eating your words if you ever shop at pc world again.

The staff at our pc world (I shop there when I can't wait for a day for mail order) are 'fairly' good - each one varies - but it's not right to generalise so much about pcworld or the people that shop there.

Rob

[Stephen]

And a top tip with PC World is that quite often you can order on the web for collection in your nominated store (I think after an hour or so), yet still get any web discount! Very useful when, as you say Rob, a day is just too long to wait!

[JoyDivision]

To be honest the people that shop at PCWORLD need educating anyway. They tend to be snobs who think they are getting somthing for becuase they are shopping at a well known name. These are the kind of people that take their car to fast fit centres for a service and shop at B&Q for batteries.

So I am not sure how targeted it would be, I think it would be very cheeky and if its in the car park the manager will move you on.

The staff maybe unmotivated twits but the manager or supervisor will not be.

Thats quite a sweeping generalisation - you'll be eating your words if you ever shop at pc world again.

The staff at our pc world (I shop there when I can't wait for a day for mail order) are 'fairly' good - each one varies - but it's not right to generalise so much about pcworld or the people that shop there.

Rob

I am just sick of hearing how much money the general public tend to pay for PCs there and some of the advice the I have heared form the sales people was scary. The last time I went in I walked out as the reception I got from the staff on the shop floor was rude.

I get all my stuff from my local PC store, Microdirect.

[Ravenfire]

PC World have always been a great help to me. I bought my wireless system there and had to swap it and they did it no problem. No twits there either I found them very helpful when it came to asking technical information, maybe you are just unlucky at the store near to where you live..lol :)

[JoyDivision]

Or maybe I just like paying £14 for a DVD-ROM drive instead of £29.95 for the same thing in a fancy box :D

[darren atkinson]

PC World have always been a great help to me. I bought my wireless system there and had to swap it and they did it no problem. No twits there either I found them very helpful when it came to asking technical information, maybe you are just unlucky at the store near to where you live..lol :)

Hi

PC World are good at certain things, like as you say swapping faulty products etc... but have you checked out their prices for installing a wireless network at your home? They are literally 3 x what it should cost. At last look, I think they where charging home users £65 to install a new PC in their home! That is extortion! Yet people still pay it.

It is wrong to say all their staff are 'unmotivated twits' but they are certainly not the highest calibre engineers otherwise they would certainly be working elsewhere for much better pay.

Darren