Re: apple store link up
Re: apple store link up
- Subject: Re: apple store link up
- From: "Waldrip, Chris" <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 16:25:42 -0400
While it's great to have an embassy of the mother ship in town, we've
seen very little direct impact from having an Apple Store (two
actually).
I'm not positive, but I believe that corporate policy forbids
solicitations - which means that we can't publicy post our flyers or
cards in the store. The staff is happy to take our stuff, but it has to
stay under the counter until some one asks about a local MUG. This also
applies to Apple Specialists too, so it's not directed at MUGs
directly.
The store will increase the potential Mac user base, but the in-store
events/classes can cut into your SIGs. We're finding it hard to draw
new members to our SIGs, when they can go back to the Apple Store,
which they're familiar with and where they bought their machine, and
attend their events rather than find our SIGs. We're trying to not
overlap with the Apple Store as much (Portable Computing, Programming,
etc), and try and explain that the Apple Store is just going to repeat
stuff over the short haul while our SIGs will keep moving forward where
possible.
I think, over all, the impact is neutral. You have the benefit of
additional Mac users, you get no real advertisment benefit from the
store, and you have the negative of competing against them for new user
educational activities.
Having said all this, we've had a nice relationship with our local
store managers. We recently received a nice-sized gift certificate for
a raffle prize, and an offer to hold a meeting there. But our monthly
general meetings are too large (50-75) for it to be practical. We're
thinking of maybe having one of our special interest groups have a
meeting there though.
On a side note... whenever I drop by the store I usually leave a few of
our business cards laying around and leave a few web pages on our
website. I'm sure none of that stays for long (cards are put away or
picked up, web page is changed by customers and the whole machine is
reset at night), but it makes me feel a little better. :-)
-Chris Waldrip
President
Atlanta Macintosh Users Group
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