IBS:
How long has the Australia Presents web site been running?
AP: We opened in October '99.
IBS:
Where did the idea come from? and how did you identify your
target market?
AP: I had been at home for three years spending time with my
daughters but was looking for the next challenge. I considered
going back to work part-time but after paying for child care I
would have been losing money rather than making it.
I came
up with the idea for the business in November 1998. It was
something I could do from home, I had a sound sale/marketing
background (10 years in the travel industry) and no knowledge
what-so-ever of the technology-but then this was what I was
going to be paying the experts for!
I had a
number of friends living overseas and I knew from traveling myself the things I missed from home were usually very basic
things like a particular brand of Shampoo, Cadbury Chocolates,
Tim Tams and the like. I researched by checking out all the
expat websites and looking at discussion groups to see what
these Aussies were missing the most.
IBS:
Describe the growth of your business?
AP: We opened in October just at the same time I was interviewed
by Personal Investment Magazine, following that we got some
great publicity through The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and a
number of regional newspapers responding to our opening Press
Release. This was a great boost for business at Christmas time
and I was receiving at least 6 orders a day for the two
weeks prior to Christmas.
IBS:
Is this growth tied to detailed planning or do you just wing it?
AP: The growth of the business really relies on the major events
of our calendar year. I found Valentines Day to be fairly quiet
and am now gearing up for Easter and then Mothers Day. I would
expect to find Xmas always to be our most prosperous but
obviously the aim is to keep the orders coming in all year
round.
IBS:
How have you separated yourself from your competition?
AP: Our main competition were the larger Hamper Services e.g.:
David Jones and Myers. The problem with them though was that you
couldn't make changes to the hampers, the service was impersonal
and that if you were sending a package overseas they would have
them packed by another organisation in that particular
destination. This meant that in the U.K you would receive things
like Scottish Shortbread and French Jams. I wanted to not only
promote our culture but also help in the export of Australian
made goods. All our products are Australian made except for some
of the soft toys that are fully Australian designed. We also
have a very colourful, young and vibrant image- we pride
ourselves on being a "cane-basket free" zone. We use
colourful gift boxes with contrasting ribbons and tissue wrap
that are guaranteed to brighten up anyone's day.
IBS:
Your web site is somewhat unique in that it is selling products
and a service, how do you manage that? and does initially
selling products lead your customers into using the shopping
service?
AP: The service aspect of the site supports the Selling side and
vice versa. A free service on a website is a very important
marketing tool as it will keep bringing people back to the site.
IBS:
Tell us about the ex-pat shopping service?
AP: This is really our "Personal Shopping page" where
you can request us to purchase anything at all on your behalf as
long as it is legal. It could be a specific piece of clothing
you have seen in a magazine or a particular gift for someone. At
Christmas time I had an order from a gentleman in the U.K for
three different gift hampers; one for his parents, in-laws and
brother all who were located in Mt Eliza, Melbourne.
IBS:
How did you find your customers? word of mouth? Internet?
commercial advertising? how do you measure the performance of
this marketing?
AP: I found my customers mainly through the press releases that
went out when we opened, also through expat websites,
newsletters and magazines. We gained many orders as well as
enquiries through the articles written in the media prior to
Christmas.
IBS:
What mechanisms do you use to retain your customers?
AP: By offering a personal service where we follow up each order
with a phone call or e-mail to make sure they are satisfied. We
also offer a free newsletter four times a year. When they sign
up to receive this it means they will be prompted four times a
year to visit the site.
IBS:
Tell us about your reminder service?
AP: The reminder service is like your own personal diary where
you can enter birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions and
on the day requested, either a month prior, 14 days prior or 7
days prior, you will receive a reminder e-mail from Australia
Presents. This also offers great opportunities for companies
where they can receive a reminder of staff birthdays and we can
arrange a card or gift to be sent on their behalf.
IBS:
What are your plans for the future?
AP: Our short-term goals are to expand the range of services and
gifts. In the next six months we will have incorporated a
professionally written expat newsletter. This would be produced
and written here in Australia. It would be something you would
subscribe to on the site and it would be posted to you each
month. We have also put together housewarming hampers for the
local real-estate agents which have created some interest so we
are going to expand that side of the business as well. Long term
goals are to have orders coming in every day and not only on the
big occasions during the calendar year.
Visit
Australia Presents
| 
AUSTRALIA
PRESENTS
