Reported by Donna Fenn

Marketing;

 

If you depend on third parties for sales, you want to give them reasons for moving your product. That may mean helping them to market themselves while they are selling for you.

John McCormack had that goal in mind this spring when he introduce the Brocato line of hair-care products, to be sold through hair salons. The chairman of Visible Changes Inc., a Houston-based chain of salons, McCormack knew how important it was for a hair-cutting establishment to keep its name in front of customers. He thought, why not design his products for that very purpose? So he left a space on each bottle where the selling salon could affix a sticker with its name and telephone number. Not only that, but he arranged to provide the salons with stickers for about 4? apiece.

The line made its U.S. debut in March 1987. Since then, more than $700,000 worth of the product has been sold through about 2,000 independent salons around the country.