Introduction
Gurus tell us to think out of the box. We've also heard that there's more than one way to skin a cat. Both expressions mean the same thing: we can't do things the way we have always done them.
This portion of the book explores unique, interesting, and different tactics that you can adopt and adapt to WOW your retailers and make their registers ring, putting you on the path of being the preferred resource.

1. Become the Ad Librarian--Collect Ads for Retailers
You can become the source of advertising ideas for your retailers. Collect ads from your accounts and create a library of advertising. Try to get comments from those retailers about how well each ad worked. Make note of the type of store, the medium (local newspapers, magazines, radio, or TV spot), and why it worked or didn't. Knowing why an ad didn't work can be just as important as why it did!
You can place your collection of ads and notes on your company web site in a section for retailers. The collection also makes great content for a print or electronic newsletter (e-zine) even as an advertisement to send people to your web site.

2. Add Other Industries to Your Library
Look for great advertising from other industries that can be adapted to retail. Create a library of interesting ad concepts. It's even okay to collect actual advertising from other industries and block out the names of the stores and then put these into e-zines, newsletters, and/or web sites.

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Dewars Scotch ran an ad concept for years in which it profiled people who liked Dewars. The ads featured photos of the individuals and gave some personal information about them, including the fact that their favorite store was the one running the ad.
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3. Create Ads Your Retailers Can Use
This idea has been around for years, but one problem is that the ads become stale. Another problem is that these ads have traditionally been institutional ads for the manufacturers, without doing much for the stores. Ads you create for your retailers must be store-focused, with the ability to feature the business as well as the benefits of the product. These ads must be proven winners and state-of-the art, offering the flexibility for local adjustments.

4. Be the Source--Supply Photos and Logos
A great format for cable TV is a store's presentation of a series of photos that change every six seconds, with a musical background and a voice-over. But photos are expensive for an individual retailer to produce, whereas most manufacturers already have files of high-quality photos, which enable the retailer to meet cable TV's required production quality.
Photos and logos can also be used for a store's web site, magazine ads, brochures, direct mail pieces, and of course newspaper ads. Supplying these resources costs you, the manufacturer or vendor, very little, especially if the photos are made available in 72 dpi and 300 dpi in a section of your web site that is easily downloadable. Retailers will appreciate this service and will prefer buying from you simply because you are supplying the photos. You gain a competitive advantage with very little work.