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Dear Dealer, The launch of the all-new 2012 Focus is here… a car we expect will change the way customers think about compact cars – in a positive way. Not only does the general public see the Focus as reliable transportation, but also as a vehicle that doesn't have much to desire. Because of this, the all-new 2012 Focus will require new positioning within the dealership. The 2012 Focus is in a segment with nearly 30 other competitors, many of whom have a large customer and fan base. Almost all the segment leaders have launched a freshened or all-new model in the last year. All will be competing for the attention of new buyers. We'll have to be on top of our game. Some important items to consider: Customers think they know what Focus is – we have to work hard to change these perceptions The best way to change these perceptions is to get customers to experience the new Focus A repositioned Focus will require that we attract new customers who are younger and a little more affluent than today's typical Focus buyer On May 12th, stores across the Great Lakes Region will be hosting a Premiere Night for the all-new 2012 Ford Focus. This guide is here to help you create a successful Event at your store. We want to help you invite as many current and new customers in as possible. We're providing you with this notebook full of ideas to get the ball rolling. As you read this, begin thinking about what your store can do to best showcase the 2012 Ford Focus. We're always ready to answer any question that may come up during your Event planning process – call us at 877-445-0671 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com whenever you have a question. Thanks for your support of the 2012 Focus Premiere Night Event. Program Headquarters Phone: 877-445-0671 Email: email@example.com 1 of 31 FOCUS PREMIERE NIGHT PRODUCTION GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. PREMIERE NIGHT OVERVIEW 2. WHAT TO DO FOR A SUCCESSFUL EVENT 3. GETTING PEOPLE TO THE EVENT 4. WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS 5. CHECKLISTS TO GET THINGS DONE 2 of 31 What To Do For A Successful Event CAR COVER/CAR COVER REVEALS BEST PRACTICES: You'll be receiving a car cover to hide the 2012 Focus and then to make a splash during the Focus Premiere Night Event. Car cover reveals have been a staple in stores for many years, and we'd like to encourage you to help build suspense around the reveal by using a car cover. A friendly little reminder: be sure to have the reveal early in your Event so people have plenty of time to get inside the vehicle. If your Event is from 5:00pm to 9:00pm, have the reveal around 5:00pm or 5:30pm. The purpose of the Event is to show off the Focus and leaving it covered until the very end of the Event is counterproductive. You'll want to choose a host for the reveal and someone to give a short presentation on the car after the car cover is pulled. If your store has a microphone and PA system, this would be a great time to use it so everyone can hear. Here's an outline of what you can do and say: Before the Event, make sure the Focus gets the car cover put on it. The Focus Premiere Night Event begins / Displays are up and running / Music is playing / Etc. 10-minute announcement that the reveal will happen (by Dealer Host). 5-minute announcement that the reveal will happen (by Dealer Host). 1 minute announcement that the reveal will happen (by Dealer Host) / Music is turned down / Sales Consultants herd people toward the Focus. Dealer Host comments Opening comments --- Welcome / Thanks for coming / Make sure you get some food before you leave. Focus Intro --- Underneath this car cover is the new 2012 Ford Focus / (Comments about what this car has done for Ford, global vehicle, etc) / We think it's going to have another big impact on the comeback of Ford / So let's pull off the cover and introduce you to the new … 2012 Ford Focus. Pull car cover / Applause led by store employees. Dealer Host comments --- I know you all want to get a close look and climb inside / Before we do that, we'd like to tell you about a few of this car's highlights / Please welcome . Short Focus Presentation Dealer Host comments --- Once again, we have of these cars in now and we'd love to have you test-drive the vehicle. / Before you leave, please help yourself to some food, and definitely register for the 2012 Focus sweepstakes. It would be great if the winner came from (your Dealer Name). / Once again, thanks for coming to our Focus Premiere Night Event. And if you have any questions about the 2012 Focus, please see one of our Sales Consultants. / Now, let's all get a close-up look at the new 2012 Ford Focus. 3 of 31 FOCUS PRODUCT STATIC CLINGS We designed these clings with your customers in mind. We want them to be able read the clings and learn a nugget of Focus product knowledge they may not have already known. Adhering Velcro circles to the backing of the cling (don't remove the backing first) would allow you to attach the clings to the car cover before the reveal. This would allow customers to read facts about the Focus before seeing the car for themselves. The clings could then be removed from the car cover right before the reveal. Or, these graphics can be placed on the car and used as cue cards for a Sales Consultant's presentation—without need for Velcro circles. The choice really is yours. They're also perfect for use after the Premiere Event on Focus' you have in your showroom. FOCUS BANNERS We've sent you three 6' x 3' banners that can be used for the Premiere Night Event and other Events where the 2012 Focus is highlighted. These banners can definitely be used outdoors at an Event featuring the 2012 Focus. We've designed the banners to hang above the Focus from the ceiling of your dealership, but we realize some of you may not be able to hang much of anything from your ceiling. Windows. Walls. Wherever. Put them where your customers can best see them! CAR TOPPER We're also supplying a triangular car topper with key Focus selling points. Put this on top of the Focus and let customers learn all about the new Focus. Whether you're in the store or outside during a Grassroots Marketing Event, the car topper will be a great addition to your Focus product materials. WINDOW COVERING To add an element of "what's going on inside the store?" for people driving by, we'll supply you with paper and signage to cover your front windows and announce the reveal of the 2012 Focus. We don't want to hide your Event, but we do want people to look twice at your store as they drive by. Tape the 5 signage pieces up first and then the paper. If you put two rows of paper up horizontally (for a total of 6' of coverage) this should supply enough window coverage to have the desired effect. These 5 signs and paper will add some color and mystery to your windows! 4 of 31 NAME CAPTURE SOFTWARE Want to keep track of who came to the Event so you can follow up on these leads? Gone are the days of pen and paper. Part of the Premiere Night Production Kit is PC- based software for name capturing that exports into a Microsoft Excel document. Another cool feature of the Name Capture Software is it can be used to register your customers for the 2012 Focus Giveaway. After your Event, all you have to do is export the entries into the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, send us the spreadsheet and we'll get your customers in the drawing! NAME CAPTURE INSTRUCTIONS: Insert the Name Capture Software CD into the CD drive of you computer The CD includes versions of the software for current versions of Windows and older versions. Open the folder for the version of Windows you have. Double-click the "Windows Installer Package" icon. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the name capture software. The installer will install a shortcut for the software onto your desktop. Double click the Name Capture Software icon and the program will launch There are three sections to the software that can be accessed by the menus at the top of the window. The first section is the "Data Entry" screen This is the screen where you will enter the customer's information—make sure you click "Save" when you're done. The second section is the "Customers" screen This is where you'll find the list of customers you've entered into the program. You can click the "Export to Excel" button to create a spreadsheet of all the customers. The "View Excel" button makes it easy to open the Excel file you just created. The third section is the "Events" button Here you can create new events and use the Name Capture Software for other events you hold in the future. It will keep the new list of customers separate from previous lists to allow you to track the attendance at each event. If you have any questions about the software or need help with it, you can contact Program HQ at: Phone: 877-445-0671 Email: email@example.com 5 of 31 DRIVE ONE ZONE USAGE To help your sales team be up-to-speed on product facts, you'll receive access to the desktop and mobile versions of the Drive One Zone four weeks prior to the Event and two weeks after. Buzz about the 2012 Focus has been ramping up for awhile, but there are more vehicles your sales consultants are learning about and selling. Since Focus is such a fresh vehicle, some product knowledge may be a little hard to come by. That's why we're giving you access to the Drive One Zone. We've taken the time to gather relevant, eye- catching Focus product information for your sales consultants to use. We want you to take full advantage of this tool. It's loaded with wonderful information and we know you'll learn a lot! DRIVE ONE ZONE INSTRUCTIONS—DESKTOP: Head over to www.driveonezone.com Login with your five digit dealer code Once logged in, click the "Cars" section You'll see a listing of cars ranging from Fiesta to Mustang to Focus Click on "Focus" Once you've entered the section talking about Focus, you'll see a lot of information to read over Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with this section of Drive One Zone One extra piece of advice: if you have a computer hooked up with monitors around the dealership, access www.driveonezone.com from that computer and let people around the dealership see the information available on the website DRIVE ONE ZONE INSTRUCTIONS—MOBILE: On your mobile browser, head over to www.driveonezone.com Login with your five digit dealer code Once logged in, use the dropdown menu and select "Cars" Click "Go" Click on "Focus" Click "Go" Use the dropdown menu to select which section of the mobile website you'd like to browse and remember to click "Go". You have access, on the mobile version, to the same information found on the desktop version— it's just modified to speed up loading on your mobile device This is a great resource to use with your customers if you're standing next to the new Focus in the showroom and really helps out with things like competitive comparisons if you're on the lot. 6 of 31 SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT To give you extra reach in your solicitation campaign, we'll provide you Facebook content on Focus and 21 unique tweets that center on the Focus Premiere Night. You can start tweeting these updates every day three weeks before the Event to generate excitement and buzz. Since many of your customers 'live' on Social Media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, it's important to meet your customers where they are and promote the Event to them in a way they're used to: on Facebook and Twitter! Spend a few weeks promoting the Focus Premiere Night Event with your Facebook updates and Tweets. We'll be helping you out with some of these, but it might help to post some pictures from a previous Event to get people excited about what's to come! And, you know your customer base better than we do, so promote your Event to your customers in a way in which your customers are familiar and comfortable. If you took any video of a previous Event, upload it to your YouTube page. Or, you could give people a 'virtual tour' of your store to get them prepared to come out. Any video taken during the Event could be uploaded to your YouTube page. While your store Facebook and Twitter pages are great places to advertise current deals, don't limit those pages for just that kind of content. Reach out to your customers. Have fun activities for your customers to compete in and win some store swag. Post pictures of vehicle deliveries. Highlight long-time customers and those around you who serve in the military. Your sales people are great Social Media assets, too. Ask them to promote the Event on their personal Facebook and Twitter pages. This will open the door for even more people to hear about your Event and they may even invite some of their friends. If you play your Social Media cards the right way, word about the Focus Premiere Night could spread faster than any radio spot or newspaper ad! 7 of 31 AUDIO WALKAROUND This is an upbeat, 12-minute audio walkaround of the 2012 Focus. You have it on a CD and thumb drive (for SYNC-equipped vehicles) to make it easier for customers to enjoy a self-guided overview of the car. We hope your Event is so well attended your sales consultants won't be able to personally talk to every customer about the 2012 Focus. This is where audio comes in handy. Let it play in the vehicles and let your customers learn! CALL CENTER SUPPORT: We'll have a support team checking on the arrival of materials and standing by to answer your questions. Not sure if the ideas floating in your head are really that good? Give the support team a call! Wondering what to do with one of the goodies you received in the mail? Give the support team a call! Don't have a spare minute for a phone call, but have a quick second to send an email? Go for it! The support team will be checking email throughout the day, too. Need the contact information? Here you go! Phone: (877) 445-0671 Email: email@example.com FOCUS GIVEAWAY: Would you like to promote a drawing for a free Focus at your Focus Premiere Event? That's exactly what we're giving you the opportunity to do. One person in the Great Lakes Region will win a fully loaded 2012 Focus … and that's the whole car, not just a 2-year lease! We've found customers greatly enjoy the opportunity to win a brand new car. It adds a great deal of excitement to an Event. Plus, we like the all-new 2012 Focus so much we want someone to walk away with one—actually, drive away with one. This is a great opportunity for your store to connect with a customer in a huge way! One customer will get the opportunity to walk into your store, place an order for a loaded 2012 Focus (or pick one from your lot), pick it up at your dealership and then drive it all over town telling friends and family about where they got it. They got it, potentially, from your store. If great food and music don't get people into your store, the opportunity to win a brand new car will. 8 of 31 Getting People To The Event A successful solicitation program will be the key to your Focus Premiere Night Event's success. We've found that there's no one "silver bullet" – dealers who bring out a large crowd use at least six different types of solicitation. Take a look at the ideas we've listed below: Five keys to a successful solicitation program Send out dealer mailings to your own customers with an RSVP. Sales Consultants should be on the phone making calls, especially to their own customers. Adding the Event to your weekly newspaper ads will bring people out. Customize everything you do with the type of food you'll be offering, giveaways, etc. Promote the sweepstakes for a new 2012 Focus. Leverage your Social Media sites (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube). Key One: Phone calls Customize the phone call scripts we gave you. Mailings work best when a Sales Consultant follows them up with a phone call. One successful dealer had each Sales Consultant call at least 100 people. Reminder phone calls on the day of the Event are important. Here are sample scripts you can use for a variety of purposes: Current customers Follow-up to invitation Local media Local dignitaries 9 of 31 2012 FOCUS PREMIERE NIGHT EVENT SOLICITATION INITIAL PHONE CALL TO CURRENT CUSTOMERS Hello (customer name) , this is (name) from (store) . I wanted to give you a call to once again thank you for your business, and to invite you to an Event we're having at our store. We're going to be debuting the all-new 2012 Ford Focus, and we'd like to add you and whomever you'd like to join you to our invitation list for a special Focus Premiere Night Event before the car goes on sale. And when you get here, I'd love to personally show you the all-new Focus. There are some great new features I think you'd be interested in seeing, such as (key in on features you think this customer will be looking for) . Our Focus Premiere will take place on (day and date) here at the store, and you're welcome to stop by anytime between (time) . Be sure to come hungry, because we'll be having (describe food) and we'll also be giving away (describe door prizes) . We're having a drawing with a chance to win an all-new 2012 Focus – please make sure to enter when you're here. We'll have other vehicles for you to look at and also get behind the wheel of for a demo drive. This is a big Event and I hope you can make it. Do you think you'll be able to come? How many total do you think will be coming? So you can have a reminder in front of you, I'd like to send you a formal invitation, or would you prefer to get an e-mail? Can I confirm your address / get your e-mail address? Thanks for your time. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call me at (phone number) . I'll send you a follow-up email the week before the Event. Thanks again. 10 of 31 2012 FOCUS PREMIERE NIGHT EVENT SOLICITATION FOLLOW-UP PHONE CALL TO CURRENT CUSTOMERS Hello (customer name) , this is (name) from (store) . I wanted to follow-up on my call a couple of weeks ago and give you a quick reminder about our special Focus Premiere that's coming up on (day and date) here at the store. Does it still look like you can make it? Remember to come hungry, because we'll be having (describe food) and we'll also be giving away (describe door prizes) . Do you need any directions in getting to our store? Okay, I'm looking forward to seeing you there. Thanks again for coming. 11 of 31 2012 FOCUS PREMIERE NIGHT EVENT SOLICITATION FOLLOW-UP PHONE CALL TO DEALER INVITATION Hello (customer name) , this is (name) from (store) . I'm calling to follow up on an invitation for a Focus Premiere Night Event at our store you should have received in the mail. Do you remember seeing it? (IF YES, SKIP THE NEXT TWO PARAGRAPHS) Well, what the invitation showed was we're going to be able to show off the all-new 2012 Ford Focus, and we'd like to add you and whomever you'd like to have join you to our invitation list for this special Event. There are some great new features I think you'd be interested in seeing, such as (key in on features you think this customer will be looking for) . Our Focus Premiere Night Event will take place on (day and date) here at the store, and you're welcome to stop by anytime between (time) . Be sure to come hungry, because we'll be having (describe food) and we'll also be giving away (describe door prizes) . We're having a drawing with a chance to win an all-new 2012 Focus – please make sure to enter when you're here. This is a big Event and I hope you can make it. Do you think you'll be able to come? How many total do you think will be coming? So you can have a reminder in front of you, I'd like to send you a formal invitation, or would you prefer to get an e-mail? Can I confirm your address / get your e-mail address? Thanks for your time. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call me at (phone number) . I'll send you a follow-up email the week before the Event. Thanks again. 12 of 31 2012 FOCUS PREMIERE NIGHT EVENT SOLICITATION PHONE CALL TO LOCAL MEDIA Hello (name) , this is (name) from (store) . As one of the top media outlets in our market, I wanted to let you know that we're going to be debuting the 2012 Ford Focus. It's totally new for 2012 – and we think this car will have a big impact in today's world of high gas prices. There are some great new features I think you'd be interested in seeing, such as (key in on features you think this person will be looking for) . Our Focus Premiere Night Event will take place on (day and date) here at the store, and you're welcome to stop by anytime between (time) . Do you think you'll be able to come? So you can have a reminder in front of you, I'd like to send you a formal invitation, or would you prefer to get an e-mail? Can I confirm your address / get your e-mail address? I also have a press release that I can send you – would that help you get some background on what we're doing? I'd be glad to send it to you. Thanks for your time. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call me at (phone number) . I'll send you a follow-up email the week before the Event. Thanks again. 13 of 31 2012 FOCUS PREMIERE NIGHT EVENT SOLICITATION PHONE CALL TO LOCAL DIGNITARIES Hello (name) , this is (name) from (store) . I know your time is valuable, and we appreciate how hard you work for our community. That's why it would be our distinct honor to invite you to our store for the premiere of the all-new 2012 Ford Focus. We're extremely excited about the Focus. The car is totally new for 2012 – and we think it will make a huge impression on those in our area who are looking for an affordable car with excellent fuel mileage. Our Focus Premiere Night Event will take place on (day and date) here at the store, and you're welcome to stop by anytime between (time) . May I request you put us on your calendar? So you can have a reminder in front of you, I'd like to send you a formal invitation, or would you prefer to get an e-mail? Can I confirm your address / get your e-mail address? Thanks for your time. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call me at (phone number) . I'll send you a follow-up email the week before the Event. Thanks again. Five Keys Cont… Key Two: Mailings Customize your mailing with the type of food you'll be offering, giveaways, etc. The best turnout comes from dealers who use their current customer list for a mailing and include a stamped RSVP. Key Three: Print Newspaper ads placed 1 – 2 weeks before the Event have drawn customers. Some of these are stand-alone ads and some are placed in their weekly full-page ads. One dealer printed flyers for the Event and had them inserted in the local newspaper, along with handing them out at factories and plants in the area. Print out store flyers and staple them to every Repair Order in your Service Department. Key Four: Radio Successful dealers use radio spots to promote the Event and have a live radio broadcast from the Event. Make sure the remote comes early to the Event, so people listening will adjust their schedules and come to the Event before it's over. 14 of 31 Five Keys Cont… Key Five: Internet Sending e-mails to customers is a quick and inexpensive way to draw attendance. Other ideas Getting the Sales Consultants enthused about the Event is critical to a good Event. Make sure you remind Sales Consultants of the Event at every weekly Sales Meeting. One dealer gave his Sales Consultants a $250 spiff for any vehicle sold during the Event. An internal meeting (held by the Sales Manager) early in the day and before the Event keeps the Sales Consultants focused on the Event. One store offered $10 oil changes throughout an Event day with the proceeds of this going to a local charity – they also donated a percentage of every new vehicle sold during the Event to charity. Many dealers use the Event to sell down their current cars. Offer a special $500 off any 2011 Focus bought during the Focus Premiere Night Event. Have these cars on display if your food and beverage is served outside. Guerilla marketing – have someone hand out flyers for the Event at retailers in your area that you have a relationship with. Go to parking lots and put flyers under the windshield wipers of older mid- size and full-size sedans. One store bought gas cards from a local service station for prizes. The catch? The service station put up flyers for the Event at the pumps so people could read the flyer while they were fueling their vehicle. Rent a sign and display it outside the store the week before to promote the Event. Invite local dignitaries to the Event – chances are they'll invite others, too. Speak with contacts you have with the local Chamber of Commerce to promote the Event. 15 of 31 GRASSROOTS MARKETING TO PROMOTE THE FOCUS AND THE FOCUS PREMIERE NIGHT Places like Best Buy, Starbucks, Panera Bread and local restaurants are great places to get the word out about the 2012 Ford Focus Premier Night Event. A Sales Consultant or two can hit the road during the morning and early afternoon to position the 2012 Ford Focus to garner as much attention as possible. Here are three ideas: Best Buy: A Sales Consultant parks the 2012 Focus in front of Best Buy with the car cover on … but he or she leaves a headlamp and tire uncovered just to tease the passersby a little. As people look at the car, the dealer personnel gives them an overview of the new 2012 Focus and invites them to the Event that night and see the whole car. To make things even better, an invitation is printed on the back of the Sales Consultant's business card. When the customer brings that card to the Focus Premiere Night, they get a special prize … like a Best Buy gift card the dealer has bought! Local Restaurants: Lunch is a wonderful thing. Lunchtime at Panera Bread or other local restaurants is also a wonderful thing – especially when trying to reach the target demographic for the new 2012 Focus. If a dealer is catering their Event through a local restaurant, they should place it there and tell people there's more free food tonight at the store! We can use the same "sneak peak" strategy again and bring people to the store wanting to see more. Focus on the Community: Automobile stores play an integral role in the success of communities – but too many people don't know the good things they do. Without cars, people would be horse-bound! Without hiring people from the local community, stores couldn't do business. It's important, however, to keep in mind those in the community who aren't as fortunate as others. From the American Red Cross, to local hospitals, to an orphanage, people need a bit of encouragement. Use the 2012 Focus to spread a little cheer in the community. American Red Cross: From tissues, to toothpaste, to socks and undershirts, to DVDs, the American Red Cross is always looking for donations. Invite customers to donate items to the store for delivery the afternoon of the Event. Remember, these are perfect times to invite people to the Event. Don't miss the opportunity to deliver the items in the new Focus! Or promote the Red Cross drive ahead of time and do the pickups at other locations in the 2012 Focus! Local Hospital: Incite a little friendly competition amongst departments at the local hospital. Invite the employees from each department to come down to look at the new Focus. The department with the most attendees in the time allotted receives a monetary donation from the store. Make sure to invite all employees to the Event that night. Maybe even announce the winner of the contest at a certain time during the Event and hand out a check! Christmas in May: Invite your customers to help make the day of children at a local orphanage. Ask them to bring in new or slightly used toys during the week prior to the Event. Plan on using the new Focus to deliver the toys to the children. 16 of 31 What We've Learned From Previous Events The following Tips for Success are taken from previous Consumer Events by Ford dealers. We know you won't need ideas in each of these areas, but hopefully this will get your creative juices flowing. FOCUS REVEAL You'll be receiving a car cover for use during the Focus Premiere Night Event. The cover will add some mystery to the vehicle and hopefully boost the anticipation level. Make sure to hold the reveal early in the Event, so people have plenty of time to get inside the vehicle. WHICH WAY TO THE FOOD? Wherever you place your food, make sure people are either in your showroom or have to go through the showroom to get it. One creative dealer placed a 40' x 60' tent outside the store for their big barbecue, which drew interest from drive-by traffic. Areas were blocked off so people had to get to the food tent by walking through the showroom! SPREAD THE WORD If you're producing a flyer for this Event, make sure to put them around your store – especially in Parts and Service. You can even have them stapled to all your Service Repair Orders and include them in dealer mailings. And don't forget to go outside your store. Parts Department drivers can hand out flyers to everyone they come in contact with. On the CD in the Focus Premiere Night Production Binder, you'll find a file called "Premiere Night Flyer" … this is a Microsoft Word file that's a template you can use for making your own customized flyer. TIE IN WITH LOCAL SPORTS There may be a local baseball or soccer game on the night of your Event. Creative dealers don't fight this – they take advantage of it. Here's what they do: Work with their local team and offer contributions to their Booster Club for people who attend the Focus Premiere Night Event at the store. Make the Focus Premiere Night Event start early with a pre-game party for the evening's game that includes the cheerleaders and mascots. If possible, give away stadium seats with the team's logo for everyone who shows up Have a special parade from the store that arrives an hour before the game! CUSTOMER APPRECIATION NIGHT You can make this something extra special for your loyal customers. Make sure your Sales Consultants are calling their current customers – usually two weeks before the Event and then the night before the Event. Some dealers could be celebrating an anniversary of how many years they've been in business. Use the Focus Premiere Night Event to express thanks to the people responsible for your success—your customers! 17 of 31 CALL YOUR CURRENT CUSTOMERS Every dealer is trying to keep costs down these days – and one of the most cost-effective ways to bring out customers to the Focus Premiere Night Events is for Sales Consultants to call their current customers. Of course, call all current car customers – especially current Focus owners. Make the first call two weeks out to have customers hold the date. Make a reminder call the night before the Event – and don't forget to promote the food and sweepstakes! ADVERTISE THE SWEEPSTAKES Make sure you're promoting the giveaway in all your solicitation. The chance to win a new 2012 Focus is a big draw – and you get the names and addresses of all entries after the Event. OIL CHANGES BRING PEOPLE IN It's a giveaway at the Focus Premiere Night Event. It's a reason to attend. It's both. What is it? It's a discounted oil change. Many successful dealers use them to their advantage: If you think you can't handle the traffic, you can always give away coupons for discounted oil changes after the Focus Premiere Night Event. Promoting free oil changes for drawings during the Event is a great giveaway and a perfect way to bring people back to the store. TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS A good way to make this a memorable Event for your attendees is to take their picture and e-mail it to them. There are expensive ways to do this (hire a photographer who can put it on a website for downloading) and inexpensive ways (get someone from your store who has a good digital camera and simply e-mail it to them). You can take pictures of your customers: With celebrities who are at your store. Standing next to the new Focus. With the Focus and your dealer logo. HAVE SOMETHING FOR THE KIDS Parents are at your Event to look at Ford cars and not to look out for their kids. Many dealers have plenty of activities for kids – and put it in their solicitation materials. Here are just a few ideas: Petting zoo Kids games Crafts Pony rides Face painting Clowns LEVERAGE YOUR RADIO SPENDING Radio station remotes are events where a station broadcasts live from a site away from their studio. If you're spending money with a radio station, leverage that money by getting one of them to come to your store during the day of your Event and broadcast live from your store. To increase traffic, you'll want to have the remote not only during the Focus Premiere Night Event, but also a few hours prior to the start. 18 of 31 TIE-IN WITH A CHARITY You may have one or more charities that you currently sponsor. Be creative, and find a way to help that charity at your Event. Donate to the charity for each demo drive. One successful dealer cooked steaks at their Event, charged the attendees $1 for the entire steak dinner, and then donated the proceeds to a local charity. Give a local charity a small tent to promote their activities. They'll probably wind up inviting people to the Event. MAKE THINGS MUSICAL Liven things up with some live music at your Event. The type of music can be anything from Taylor Swift to ZZ Top to Mozart. Include this in your solicitation, and you'll wind up giving your Event a lot more energy. LOCAL HEROES If you're close to a military base, make sure to invite them. Or, you can make this Event a salute to other public workers – like Law Enforcement or Fire Departments. GO HEAD TO HEAD WITH THE COMPETITION No other manufacturer can beat the new Focus. If your store has strong competition nearby, rent a competitor (like Cruze) and put it next to the 2012 Focus. Have one of your Sales Consultants knowledgeable on the competitor and where the Focus is better – this will make a unique station for customers to see. VALET PARKING Might we suggest you clear out some of your vehicles for customer parking? The last thing you want to have happen is for people to show but quickly leave due to no parking. If you're cramped for space, consider having valet parking for the night. A HOT IDEA One consumer Event dealer sponsored a chili cook-off and invited the top chili cooks / restaurants in town. Food was cooked during the day at the store, and the winner was named at 6pm for a prize. Of course, the food served at the Event was chili and attendees got to taste from any and all of the recipes. ON-HOLD MESSAGES You may want to customize your "on-hold" telephone message a few weeks before the Event. Give out the date, time, food and prizes for the Event – plus a big mention of the sweepstakes for a free 2012 Focus. GET CREATIVE We know you'll come up with ideas we haven't thought of – like a dealer who offered free back massages at the Event! Talk it up at your weekly Sales Meetings to generate more ideas and make your Focus Premiere Night Event unique. 19 of 31 THEME BEST PRACTICES The theme of the Focus Premiere Night Event is "Start More Than A Car" – celebrating the arrival of the all- new 2012 Ford Focus. The 2012 Focus is unlike the previous Focus in just about every way. This is a great opportunity for your store to hit the C-Car demographic hard and win over new customers. But, of course, you can do some things to localize the Event. Here are some suggestions. Charity Partnership ----- One store during a 2009 F-150 Event Tour offered $10 oil changes throughout the day, with the proceeds of this going to a local Children's Home – they also donated a percentage of every new vehicle sold during the Event to charity. Open House ----- Many successful dealers theme the Event as a thank-you / open-house to their current customers, as well as a chance to look at the new cars. Check out other activities and tie something in with them. Baseball (Local pro team / college / high school teams / Little League) Guest appearance by one or more players / managers / former players Signage of the team around the store Baseball related games Prizes of team related apparel, equipment, etc. Local interests Salute to the city where the store is located NASCAR Hometown heroes Fire fighters and / or law enforcement Military To theme the Event, you'll want to consider additional decorations and prizes around the theme. Food and beverage can also match the theme. 20 of 31 FOOD AND BEVERAGE BEST PRACTICES People don't generally come to your Event just for the food, but it's an important part of their satisfaction with the Event and their perception of your store. You don't have to sink a lot of money into food, but one key piece of advice is to keep the food local. Also, you don't always need to have a full, sit-down meal. Successful dealers have had everything from pig roasts to cookouts to bringing in Chic-fil-A! Whatever you think will draw people in and fits your budget should work. If you're going to go all out on food, make sure to include it in your solicitation. If you're having a big crowd, try to have 2 serving lines to keep things moving. One dealer cooked steaks, charged people $1 for a full-steak meal and then donated the proceeds to a local charity (the local charity helped promote the Event). If you hire a local restaurant for the catering, make sure they promote the Focus Premiere Night Event by putting up flyers in their restaurant. And if they're well known, you can promote their name in your solicitation. One dealer hired a local pizza shop to cater the Event – but made them attach their Focus Premiere Night Event flyer to every pizza box two weeks before the Event. In other words, leverage the company from whom you're getting the food! Since summer will soon be upon us, you could even hire an ice cream truck to be at the Event for the entire two hours. Food and Beverage Checklist - Here's what you need to think through for food and beverage... Choose the type of food (if possible, make it local). Decide whether you'll hire a caterer or restaurant to provide the food – or just do it yourself. Think of where the food stations should be at the Focus Premiere Night Event (if you can, make them come through the showroom to get to the food!) Will the food be served or will it be a buffet? Getting It Done - Here's a quick checklist once you've decided on food... Tables / tablecloths / table decorations (if any) Plates / glasses / utensils Power requirements Setup and teardown Area for caterer's vehicles to load in Containers for trash 21 of 31 GIVEAWAYS BEST PRACTICES Having giveaways every 20 – 30 minutes will add a lot of energy to your Event. Since registration for the sweepstakes will be done electronically, you'll need to set up tickets that can be given away to everyone who registers for the sweepstakes and have someone to host this area. Use a PA system (if you have one, or rent if you can), so everyone can hear the giveaway taking place. Do they need to be present to win? That's your call! Make sure to promote the giveaways in your solicitation materials. The type of giveaway is totally up to you. Oil changes from the store have been the best-received giveaway – and they'll bring these people back to your store. Many dealers have a goodie bag that each customer gets. Inside are small items – many with the dealer's name and logo. Here are some other suggestions (you decide the dollar amount of the prize). Local restaurant gift card Other retailer gift card (Best Buy, Home Depot, etc.) Visa gift card with your store logo on it Movie theater gift cards Vacation / trip package Gasoline card Ford branded apparel Thumb drive with the Ford or your dealer's logo Besides giveaways, you can also choose to provide door prizes for everyone who comes. Here are some ideas that can also be used as a draw to help in solicitation. Oil Change --- Everyone who attends the Event is offered a discounted or free oil-change coupon. Exterior Car Wash --- An area of the store could be made for a free exterior car wash – using the store's existing personnel and supplies. Dollars Off Coupon On A New Car --- For everyone who comes to the Event, a coupon for $XXX off a new 2011/2012 Ford car can be given. Reward For Coming To The Event In A Focus --- Another idea is to encourage people who drive the featured car to come to the Focus Premiere Night Event. If they drive to your store in one of these vehicles, they get a prize 22 of 31 Checklists To Get Things Done Here's a step-by-step checklist to help get your Focus Premiere Night Event done. We've broken it down by weeks so it doesn't seem overwhelming. FIVE WEEKS OUT Make sure you've registered online Appoint a coordinator Begin thinking of how you'll get your sales team enthused during weekly sales meetings Begin laying out your solicitation plan FOUR WEEKS OUT Start working on the layout of your Event Decide on food and beverage and book caterer (if needed) Determine staffing / notify personnel Get Sales Consultants to make initial phone calls to their customers Produce solicitation materials Order / purchase prizes and giveaways 23 of 31 Send out an internal notice to all areas of your store 24 of 31 In your weekly Sales Meeting, get your sales team informed about their responsibilities and enthused about the Event TWO WEEKS OUT Review Event layout with your Service Dept. In your weekly Sales Meeting, get your sales team informed about their responsibilities and enthused about the Event Hold an internal staffing meeting on everyone's responsibilities Go full bore on your solicitation plan ONE WEEK OUT In your weekly Sales Meeting, get your sales team informed about their responsibilities and enthused about the Event Hold an internal staffing meeting on everyone's responsibilities Check status of prizes and giveaways 25 of 31 26 of 31 Determine which vehicles (including Focus) you'll have for display versus demo drives (If Applicable) Determine your demo drive route (If Applicable) WEEK OF THE EVENT Check on responses to solicitation and determine your expected attendance Notify your caterer on the expected attendance Have Sales Consultants make follow-up calls to people who've said they'll be coming the Event Pick up prizes / giveaways DAY BEFORE THE EVENT Internal staffing meeting Sales Consultant follow-up calls continue EVENING BEFORE THE EVENT Make room in the showroom for the Focus 27 of 31 Clear area for demo drive staging 28 of 31 Move any Focus Premiere Night Event signage into place MORNING OF THE EVENT Move Focus into the showroom, get it detailed and put on the car cover Move store vehicles to allow for Focus Premiere Night parking Prep area for food and beverage AFTERNOON OF THE EVENT Set up food and beverage Get prizes into position AFTER THE EVENT Have Sales Consultants follow-up on attendees 29 of 31 NOTES 30 of 31 NOTES 31 of 31
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A method and apparatus for vending a containerized fluid includes placing a machine-readable indicia on the container identifying the base fluid. The container may be filled and then distributed or distributed prior to filling through various distribution channels to consumers. When a consumer wishes to fill or re-fill the container, the consumer places the container adjacent a reader that interprets the indicia to identify the base fluid to be dispensed. A dispenser then fills the container through a movable fill probe that elevates as the liquid within the container rises. In some embodiments, and prior to filling, the dispenser apparatus may also query the consumer about options are provided at the time of dispensing for further dispensing various optional ingredients, including scents, flavors, colors, nutritional supplements or other additives together with the base product. In further embodiments, the dispenser may also print discount tickets or coupons that may discount the purchase of the containerized fluid or other promotional merchandise. The machine-readable indicia may include affiliate codes that permit crediting or compensating various affiliates in relation to the container filling.
1. A method of vending a fluid product comprising the steps of:
labeling a container with machine-readable indicia indicative of said fluid product;
distributing an original container for said fluid product;
dispensing said fluid product into said original container;
refilling said original container; and
producing a promotional coupon responsive to said dispensing of said fluid product into said container.
2. The method of
selectively vending a plurality of containerized fluid products respectively into a plurality of original refillable containers from a single dispensing station, each of said plurality of fluid products having been originally vended in an original refillable container having machine-readable indicia thereon indicative of the fluid product in said original refillable container and the original sales price thereof prior to the first refilling thereof; and
dispensing a discount coupon for each refilling of ones of said plurality of original refillable containers with the matching fluid product which may be presented together with the matching refilled container.
3. The method of
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11. Apparatus for vending a containerized liquid product to a vendee utilizing an original container for said liquid product and, after said original container has been emptied of said liquid product, then vending multiple refillings of said liquid product in said original container, said container having machine-readable indicia thereon indicative of said liquid product and the original sales price of said container as filled with said liquid product prior to the first refilling thereof, and for each refilling of said container, dispensing to the refill vendee a discount coupon to be presented to the vendor's check-out, together with the refilled container, whereby the price charged to said vendee for said refilled container equals said original sales price less the value of said discount coupon, said apparatus comprising:
a) a vertically-oriented liquid filling pipe having a discharge port at the bottom thereof and positioned over and in register with a filling opening in said original container, said container being positioned within a chamber with said machine-readable indicia oriented to be in register with indicia reading means;
b) at least one bulk supply of liquid, and means controlled by said indicia reading means for initiating the transfer of fluid from said bulk supply of fluid to said liquid filling pipe and thence to said container; and
c) means for sensing the complete filling of said container and for terminating said transfer of fluid, and for dispensing said discount coupon.
12. The apparatus of
13. The apparatus of
14. A method of distributing merchandise which benefits merchants through wider product distribution and beneficial association with another organization and which additionally benefits said organization, comprising the steps of:
generating a unique machine-readable code for said organization;
labeling a product container for said merchandise with said unique machine-readable code;
distributing said labeled product container to a member of said organization;
reading said machine-readable code;
filling said labeled product container; and
compensating said organization responsive to said reading step.
15. The method of
providing said labeled product container to a contact within said organization; and
disbursing said labeled product container from said contact to said organization members.
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[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/396,574 filed Sep. 15, 1999, the contents which are incorporated herein by reference in entirety.
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention pertains to dispensers generally, and more particularly to dispensers that are controlled responsive to indicia upon a fluid receptacle to dispense a particular product mixture.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Various commercial establishments, including supermarkets and many other diverse outlets, sell a wide variety of fluid products in various containers. A specific example of a fluid product is a liquid laundry detergent sold in relatively large plastic containers having a screw-type cap or closure. Consumers of such liquid products frequently discard the containers after using the contents. The discarded empty containers then migrate into a waste disposal area such as a landfill.
[0006] If an alternate system were used whereby a customer would bring back the empty original container to the commercial establishment for refilling the container, using a user friendly method as will be described below in connection with the present invention, then the following benefits may be attained:
[0007] 1. The commercial establishment can profitably vend or sell the liquid product for refilling at a price significantly lower than the original sales price. The lower price will financially motivate the customer to return with the empty container for refilling. The commercial establishment will use relatively low-cost bulk quantities of the liquid product for refilling, which helps to maintain a strong profit margin for the commercial establishment.
[0008] 2. Refilling and reuse of containers breaks the cycle of "use and discard", which keeps empty containers out of the landfills with obvious benefit to society.
[0009] 3. Delivery of bulk product directly to consumer illustrated herein requires less handling labor and shipping-type packaging materials than traditional methods, further reducing cost and landfill waste production.
[0010] 4. Bulk packaging reduces the retail shelf space required for display/delivery of product to a customer. Where consumer packaging tends to be relatively inefficient at using precious retail shelf space, bulk dispensers illustrated herein offer space/product ratio improvement.
[0011] 5. Appropriate dispensing options in accord with the present invention enable dispensing a nearly unlimited combination of base and optional ingredients into a consumer's container. The more options presented to a consumer in the traditional prepackaged environment, the more precious retail shelfspace that is required. Consequently, in the prior art the consumer's product choices were extremely limited.
[0012] Thus the present invention provides financial benefits to both commercial establishments/vendors and consumers/customers, while also facilitating a reduction in solid waste as a benefit to society and enabling a broader selection of product choices to meet a particular customer's needs.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,818 to Bradbury, et al., discloses a method and apparatus for vending a containerized product on multiple occasions. In the Bradbury patent, a customer initially purchases a fluid-filled container with a bar code that indicates the price of the container. Upon emptying the container, the customer returns to the store and refills the container at a refill station. The refill station modifies the bar code on the container to indicate that the container has been refilled. Thus, when the customer checks out, he or she is only charged for the refill, and not the container. A major disadvantage of the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,818 is that it does not read the bar code at the time of filling, limiting the Bradbury et al invention to a single product. Nevertheless, it still requires a relatively complex apparatus for modifying the bar code on the container to indicate that the container has been refilled. This complexity has been avoided in the present invention, while simultaneously enabling a much more diverse range of products to be dispensed.
[0014] In broad terms, the present invention provides a method of vending a fluid product to a customer utilizing an original container. Parenthetically, at the time of the original purchase of the original container, the container has thereon a machine-readable indicia such as a bar code or the like indicative of the product and of the original sales price of the container as filled with the product. After the original container has been emptied of the product, then the invention provides for multiple refillings of the product into the original container. The machine-readable indicia on the container is utilized to actuate the refilling of the container and, after each refilling of the container, the method dispenses to the customer a discount coupon to be presented to the vendor's check-out station, together with the refilled container, whereby the price charged to the customer by the vendor is the original sales price associated with the bar code, less the value of the discount coupon.
[0015] Another important aspect of my invention is that the basic concept can be expanded to provide for the vending of a plurality of containerized products respectively into a plurality of original refillable containers from a single dispensing station. For this case, each of the original refillable containers for a plurality of originally vended products, each of which may be of different diameters or shapes, has a unique machine readable indicia thereon indicative of the liquid product in the original refillable container, and the original sales price prior to the first refilling. For each refilling of a selected refillable container with the matching product, a discount coupon is dispensed to the refill customer which may be presented to the vendor's customer checkout station, together with the matching refilled container.
[0016] Another important aspect of my invention is that the fluid refilling method includes a vertically oriented filling pipe or probe having an outlet and being positioned over a filling opening in an original container. The probe is adapted to be vertically moveable with respect to the original container and is sized to freely enter the filling opening. The filling probe is inserted into the refillable container through the opening, until the outlet is adjacent the bottom of the refillable container. Next, the container is filled with a preselected volume of the fluid product, and, most preferably, the dispensing tip is progressively raised as the container is filled. This inventive feature prevents foaming as the container is being filled, since the liquid is not exposed to the air during entry into the container. Potential splashing and the probability for spills are also eliminated. The present invention thereby avoids consumer contact with messy and potentially hazardous substances which might otherwise result from overflow, suds, spills and splashes.
[0017] Yet another important advantage of the present invention is the preservation of brand identity and loyalty with the container, through multiple refills. A consumer cannot fill a container without the original label, nor can the product be scanned at check-out. Consequently, the product within the container is always properly labeled with the original label, thereby ensuring brand identity remains with the container through each refill. Furthermore, the customer has price incentive to maintain brand loyalty, since the refill will always be discounted relative to a new competitor product. Finally, any special instructions, hazards or chemical ingredient lists will also be preserved, in the event of an accidental poisoning or the like, thereby preserving the promotion of safe use of the product.
[0018] Another aspect of my invention is to provide an additional marketing function in connection with either single product or multiple product dispensers discussed herein, by dispensing to the refill customer, at the time of dispensing a discount coupon, at least one additional coupon or promotional message.
[0019] Another advantage of the present invention is that it can be linked to an inventory control management system whereby data is collected on the volume, on a product-by product basis, of sales of fluid products to permit a supplier to automatically restock products at the appropriate time, and/or permit the retailer to automatically order from the supplier at the appropriate time.
[0020] Yet another advantage of the present invention is the ability to include affiliate codes on the container label, for crediting or compensating an affiliated entity with refills associated in some way with that affiliate.
[0021] A further advantage of the present invention is the ability to provide custom scents, flavors, nutritional supplements and the like to an otherwise standard product, without detriment to the functionality of the product and with only slightly greater complexity and space required within the dispensing machine.
[0022] Yet a further advantage is the increased visibility obtained by a product packaged and sold through the novel dispenser, since the monitor is substantially more visible with display screen when contrasted to the many bottles along a store shelf. Consequently, precious visual attraction at a retail location is obtained by the preferred embodiment over conventional packaging.
[0023] Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention can be understood and appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which
[0024]FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a refill station designed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
[0025]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refill station cabinet designed in accord with the teachings of the present invention.
[0026]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an inventory control system that may be used in conjunction with the present invention.
[0027]FIG. 4 is a partial view of the refill station of FIG. 1, with the filling pipe or probe 30 moved down and into container AA.
[0028]FIG. 5 is a view of an expanded refill station showing a total of six liquid storage containers for use, in one embodiment, with the apparatus of FIG. 1.
[0029]FIGS. 1 and 2 depict an apparatus for vending at least one fluid product, such as a liquid cleaning product. Other types of products are contemplated herein, including but not limited to shampoos, conditioners, hand soaps, lotions, water based beverages, water, "smart foods" that include custom blends of nutritional supplements within the food or beverage, and the like. In fact, any material which is sufficiently fluent, whether solid, liquid or gaseous, may be dispensed through an apparatus such as refill station 130, provided each of the components described herein below are designed to accommodate the material.
[0030] Self-service refill station 130 is designed to reduce cost and waste by reusing a consumer's bottle or other fluid container AA. It should be understood that the concepts of the present invention are applicable for vending two or more different proprietary fluid products, as will be explained herein below. Thus, for one vending scenario, a consumer purchases one often different proprietary cleaning products. When container AA is empty, the consumer brings it to a store that has a refill station 130. Container AA is inserted in chamber 12 and refill station 130 reads a code 20 on the label to identify the type and quantity of cleaner. Refill station 130 then blends and dispenses the same product that is identified by code 20. For this scenario, the products consist of one of five different concentrates dispensed selectively in full concentration or mixed with varying quantities of filtered water.
[0031] Container AA is preferably manufactured from a durable translucent plastic with a removable cover, though the specific construction, materials and geometry of container AA is not critical to the performance of the invention. The shape of container AA is however selected most preferably to facilitate proper centering and orientation within fill chamber 12. Additional considerations are that code or indicia 20 be durable, colorfast, and positionable correctly and consistently toward code reader 22, to enable accurate readings to be taken. The footprint and diameter of varying capacity containers is preferably similar enough so as to facilitate centering under a fill-spout such as fill-probe 31. The mouth of container AA must be sufficiently wide for ease of receiving fill-probe 31.
[0032] One implementation for the foregoing that provides simple product handling by the consumer is to provide a turntable within fill chamber 12 to support container AA. The turntable may then be automatically rotated after the consumer has closed chamber 12, allowing container AA to be scanned for bar codes irrespective of orientation. Where container AA is round, such a turntable can be round and have concentric circles to help center varying sizes of bottles, while allowing a central drain. Other shapes and configurations will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the present disclosure.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 2, a refilling cabinet is depicted as a floor-supported refill station 130 having a front panel 10 and a side panel 11. Fill chamber 12 extends inwardly from a midsection of front panel 10 and has a perforated bottom or drain shelf 13 for receiving and supporting an empty bottle or container AA. Door 14 may preferably be provided for closing chamber 12 to prevent a customer or operator from accidentally interfering with the operation of refill station 130. In this case, a door latch and interlock 14A on front panel 10 holds or retains door 14 and also is an element of the filling control circuit. A start button 15, discount coupon dispensing means 18 and one or more visual message means 16 and 17 of various or appropriate size and electronic construct, such as LED, LCD, CRT or other known display or messaging devices are also provided on the front panel 10 of the cabinet.
[0034] In an alternative embodiment to the use of start button 15, and preferred for many consumer applications, door latch and interlock 14A is used instead of start button 15. In this embodiment, the initiation of refill station 130 occurs immediately upon closure of door 14. In such case, appropriate logical control is provided to ensure proper sequential checks prior to dispensing, including but not limited to the closure of interlock 14A, the detection of a container having appropriate label, and determination that container AA is not already full.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 1, the chamber 12 is depicted as having a lower surface 12′ with its integral perforated section 13 and an upper or top surface 12″. Empty container AA is depicted positioned resting on surface 13 with a neck-down portion 24 terminating in an opening 26 at the top thereof. An overfill sensor 27 is fixed to chamber 12 and is positioned adjacent top 26 of container AA.
[0036] Container AA has machine-readable indicia 20 thereon. For an example as depicted, there are four separate indicia marks 20 which are adapted to be sensed by four sensors 22 attached to the chamber 12 for the purpose of identifying the type and quantity of the liquid product originally vended in container AA. Nevertheless, a myriad of known machine-readable indicia and sensors are known and contemplated herein, including but not limited to bar code readers and other optical sensors, magnetic sensors, and so forth.
[0037] Fill-probe 30 is vertically positioned above container AA and is adapted in preparation for a fill cycle to be moved vertically from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 4, with the spout of discharge end 31 of probe 30 as shown in FIG. 4 adjacent to the bottom of container AA. Thus, fill-probe 30 has an outside diameter preselected to permit insertion through top opening 26 of container AA and thence downwardly in. This arrangement facilitates refilling container AA with a minimum of foaming. In the preferred embodiment fill probe 30 will be raised up during dispensing, through a continuous motion, series of timed steps, or other suitable control to thereby ensure that only the tip of fill-probe 30 is contacting the liquid as the liquid level rises within container AA.
[0038] Fill-probe 30 is supported for the aforesaid vertical movement with respect to container AA by a pair of guide-bushings 33 and 34 shown in FIG. 1. The top (as shown in FIG. 1) portion of fill-probe 30 is identified by reference numeral 30′ and has a longitudinally extending rack-gear 30″ which is adapted to be engaged by a pinion gear 36 driven by a motor-slip-clutch means 35. Thus, when motor-slip-clutch 35 is energized in one sense it will cause the rotation of pinion gear 36 so as to drive the rack-gear 30″ and thus fill-probe 30 downwardly as shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 4. A reverse energization of motor-slip-clutch 35 will retract fill-probe 30 to the position shown in FIG. 1.
[0039] Rigidly attached to fill-probe 30 are brackets 40, 45, and 50, on which are mounted suitable valve and flow control means 41, 46 and 51 respectively. Each of the units 41, 46 and 51 have a discharge conduit extending inside of the fill-probe 30. Thus, valve and flow control 41 has a conduit 42 extending into fill-probe and extending down to a discharge opening 42′ adjacent the nozzle 31 of fill-probe 30. In the same manner, units 46 and 51 have conduits 47 and 52, terminating respectively in discharge ports 47′ and 52′ within fill-probe 30.
[0040] Flexible fluid lines 64, 74 and 84 are connected respectively to inlet means of the valve and flow control units 41, 51 and 46. In an alternative embodiment, valve and flow control units 41, 51 and 46 may be eliminated, and timing and level detection by overfill sensor 27 used to control the flow from particular bulk liquid containers such as containers 60, 70, 80. Additional safety may be provided through timing to ensure the machine does not run beyond reasonable limits.
[0041] Suitable pressure switches 43, 53 and 48 are connected to the flexible fluid lines 64, 74 and 84 respectively. The flexible fluid lines 64, 74 and 84 are connected to the output of suitable pumps 62, 72 and 82 respectively, which are associated with bulk liquid containers 60, 70 and 80 respectively.
[0042] The arrangement depicted in FIG. 1 is for a typical scenario where container 61 contains a dish-detergent having a high viscosity, container 71 contains filtered water, and container 81 contains a low-viscosity concentrate. Pump 62 has an inlet conduit 63 extending to the lower portion of container 61. The bottom of conduit 63 is identified by reference numeral 63′. Likewise, pump 72 has a conduit 73 with a lower end 73′, and pump 82 has a conduit 83 with a lower end 83′ extending to near the bottom of containers 71 and 81 respectively.
[0043] Within chamber 12 is a collector 12A concentrically positioned about the lower end 31 of fill-probe 30 that functions to collect any errant fluid that might be on the outer surface of fill-probe 30. Errant fluid is collected, and then removed via a suitable tube 12B, adapted to discharge into a drain pan 12C.
[0044] When container AA is filled to the proper level as sensed by overfill sensor 27 or other flow measuring techniques, then a control system functions to stop pumps 62, 72, 82; to retract fill-probe 30; and to dispense at least one discount coupon at 18 for the customer. In some cases, for marketing reasons as an example, the machine may dispense, in addition to the discount coupon, another coupon relating to another product or promotion, or other marketing-related papers such as cleaning tips or the like to help promote affiliated products. At the time of retraction of fill probe 30, and depending upon the particular configuration of contents that are being dispensed into container AA, it may be desirable to release a very small amount of water to rinse fill probe 30, thus preparing fill probe 30 to dispense other compositions with a minimum of cross-contamination. While this will most preferably be done at the completion of the fill cycle while container AA is still under probe 30, there may also be instances where the customer will first remove container AA and then probe 30 self-cleans.
[0045] As indicated, the scenario depicted in FIG. 1 may be for a single fluid product, such as for exemplary purposes only and without limitation to the scope of the invention, a proprietary-cleaning product. FIG. 5 depicts an expansion of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 where not only the bulk storage containers 60, 70 and 80 have been depicted but, in addition three additional bulk storage containers 90, 100 and 110, containing, respectively, products X, Y and Z. Containers 90, 100 and 110 comprise in part, respectively, pump means 92, 102 and 112. It will be understood that pumps 92, 102 and 112 each would be connected to fill-probe 30 through flexible fluid lines, valve and flow control units, and discharge conduits within fill-probe 30 similar to those associated with pumps 62, 72 and 82.
[0046] Thus, in operation, sensors 22 will respond to indicia 20 on container AA to uniquely identify the type and quantity of cleaner for that specific container. Then a control means, such as but not limited to a micro-controller, microprocessor or the like together with necessary relays or interface, will selectively actuate the appropriate pumps and any valve and flow control means. For the scenario depicted in FIG. 1 pumps 62, 72 and 82 are actuated, as are their respective valve and flow controls 41, 51 and 46. The valve and flow control means are controlled so as to provide the proper blending of the three liquids being pumped through the flexible fluid lines 64, 74 and 84 into fill-probe 30 and thence into container AA.
[0047] For a different proprietary product, e.g., X, the system control would cease utilizing liquid from tank 61, and commence using product from tank 90. While a particular number of tanks are illustrated herein, the invention is not so limited. Further features are contemplated herein, including the dispensing of a wide variety of fluent materials, and not solely limited to liquids. Further, the tanks are not limited to base materials such as detergents, but tanks may be provided containing a variety of scents, colorants, flavorings and nutritional supplements for edible compositions and the like. When optional ingredients are provided, one considered embodiment of the present invention is to use displays such as 16, 17 to poll a customer regarding the inclusion of these options. This may take the form of questions or option lists that determine whether, for exemplary purposes only, a particular cleaner should be unscented, pine, lemon, or the like. Based upon the customer's feedback, through switches, keypads or other known input devices, the particular ingredients may then be calculated and dispensed from each of the appropriate tanks.
[0048] It will also be understood that the invention, shown in FIG. 2 as floor supported, may be configured for a support located above a floor such as a counter top, shelf or the like. The specific dimension, geometry or support of refill station 130 is not critical to the performance of the invention, though a preferred embodiment has been illustrated herein as required.
[0049] Another aspect of the invention is schematically shown in FIG. 3 wherein information generated at refill station 130 concerning the quantity of bulk liquids utilized is made available both to retailer 140 and to bulk supplier 150. This information can be very useful and cost effective for purposes of inventory control. In one mode, supplier 150 of bulk liquid products may receive the information from refill station 130 and, pursuant to prior agreement, automatically maintain adequate fluid supplies at refill station 130. Alternately, retailer 140 may maintain control over the ordering of supplies by receiving the information from refill station 130 and then, as appropriate, order from the supplier 150 additional stock for the system.
[0050] Yet another aspect of the invention derives from that illustrated in FIG. 3. Not only can information be exchanged between retailer 140 and bulk supplier 150, but similar information may also be exchanged between affiliated entities. These affiliates may include individuals, businesses and non-profit entities, for example, that may assist in one way or another with the production, promotion or actual sale of bulk products from refill station 130 or containers such as container AA. For example, a school or charitable organization may use either full or empty containers AA in a fund-raising activity. The particular organization is assigned a unique code or indicia 20, such as a combined bar code that identifies not only the desired contents for container AA, but also an affiliate code. Credits, financial or otherwise, are in this embodiment assigned to the affiliate at the time of each filling of container AA. In the case of a fund raising activity, the credits would most likely be financial payments made based upon the numbers and types of fills. Clearly, the application of this technique extends to many inter-organizational activities and affiliations. Sales associates, service bureaus, brand licensors, and others may all be accounted to through the present method.
[0051] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, it will be understood that variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concept. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims.
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WWF King of the Ring
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- Genre:
- Sports > Individual > Combat > Wrestling
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- Eastridge Technology
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text:
"You are so rude to people. How do you ever get boyfriends?" Charlie asks me as two Survivor fans who had been accosting him outside the coat check line at The Ritz wander away. I have trouble seeing the connection, knowing how much young gay men (and straight women) gravitate sexually toward those who ignore them. Charlie's eternal optimism, while very appealing, is not contagious to me, but it does set the old hamster wheel spinning in my head for the rest of the evening as we crush through the crowd at this Hell's Kitchen hotspot.
Earlier, I enjoyed two hours of hilarious racism at a showing of Gran Torino, the story of an old man coming to terms with a younger generation he doesn't understand , only later to find myself surrounded by a sea of unshaven men in skinny ties that I do not understand. Well, maybe that is putting too fine a point on it. Maybe I understand them all too well, in a lather, rinse, repeat sort of way. The beards and the tie/vest combos, a direct rebellion to the clean-shaven, casual Friday 90s, proliferate like the dirty hair and muted plaids of the early 90s that followed the Reagan red tie and shoulder pad suit severity of the 80s. And on it goes.
At JP and Duke's New Year's Eve party, Duke pointed across the way to the windows of a fashionable new apartment building. "Floor after floor of mid-century," Duke commented amid his own 1950s flourishes. When the gays find something they love, they don't so much run with it as sprint at a fevered pace until their hearts explode. I suppose we are all Mad Men in our own way. Later this month on the mall for the inaugural, I have no doubt my mind will wander back to the sea of jean shorts and white Don't Panic t-shirts that remain my sharpest memory of the 1993 March on Washington. It is nice to see that kind of optimism in activism again in our new Obama era, even if I can't transport that same emotion all night to The Ritz like Charlie, awash in the current generation's uniform of change.
After wandering around a bit downstairs with Matty and Joe, waiting for Ben Harvey to arrive, I finally settled in briefly on one of the couches with Charlie, whose snuggle up mode persisted from earlier at Joe's apartment. As we sat together with our arms around each other, Charlie waved across the room to a reasonably attractive man with the kind of severe overbite one only notices while sober or quizzically the next morning when you roll over in bed after a drunken night out on the town. "That's called the 'hi-sies'" Charlie says of his friendly wave. "That's how you meet people." The thought of a blow job from those chompers caused the blood to drain out of my face, and other places. I am all for meeting people, but I still think my more cautious nature is the way to go, especially if you are intoxicated.
However, meeting new people is a volume business. And in the end, Charlie is right, friendly works better than hostile. That was brought home later after Ben Harvey arrived with bandleader Zach. While standing with them Joe's friend Micah, who I only shook hands with earlier in Joe's apartment, made the big approach and tried to start a conversation with me. "You look so familiar," he offered, which I had also initially thought about him, though I chalked it up to his passing resemblance with the charming and upright Brian Ellner, who didn't like me so much anymore after our cab ride together where I refused to wear my seatbelt.
"Fire Island?" Micah asked causing the first in a series of responses that made the moment more and more awkward and less and less sexual. "Oh no. I don't believe in Fire Island. Not like it's a mythical place. I just think it's awful." To say that things went downhill from here is to understate the avalanche nature of the conversation. Micah was a perfectly nice investment banker ("Of course you are") who lives in Chelsea ("Naturally!") and was just trying to be kind and get to know someone. His first mistake was making that someone me.
In an effort to not portray myself as completely rotten, I think I had some nice moments with Chris and Josh, who I met at their Halloween party. Chris and I shared a few laughs at Rob Banning's holiday pretty boy bacchanal and last night at The Ritz, Josh and I had a moment making faces of mock embarrassment at two mid-century gays grinding so intensely on the dance floor I worried their crotches might become fire hazards. I even realized on the train home that Josh and I had met before his Halloween party on the R Family cruise to Canada in July where he was one of Rosie's Broadway Boys and I was the guy at the all-you-can-eat buffet every four hours. So I do have the capacity to make nice to people even with my appalling personality. Though I am fairly certain I kissed Joe's neck six times last night in front of the guy I am pretty sure he was on a date with, and then asked the guy to take our picture together. Eh. Nobody is perfect.
As I was making my good byes and heading for the door, I found Charlie who had left our group to pee, again surrounded by a small cluster of Survivor fans, being asked about Marcus and demanding photos, mere feet from the bathroom door. I rushed up like one of the gang. "I am a huge fan. Can I get a picture with you too?" Charlie laughed at my meanness, but as I tried to hand my camera to one of the real fans, the fan retorted, "We're not done with him yet!" I got that quick picture with him anyway and left him to be devoured by strangers. In moments like that, I relish my anonymity, my lack of politeness and my ability to go to the bathroom whenever I want.
Earlier, I had dinner at the Outback Steakhouse in Chelsea with Terry Goldman and his friend Romeo, in the back where the other gays were secretly eating in white trash heaven. We were talking about the choices gay men make, choosing the wrong men, or breaking up with good guys in favor of worse circumstances. "It reminds me of the old story," I told them, "about the cop walking down the sidewalk at night. He sees a man on his hands and knees under a lamppost looking around. 'Did you lose something?' the policeman asks. 'Yes. My keys.' says the man. So the policeman asks where he lost them and the man points further away to a darkened part of the sidewalk. 'If you lost the keys over there, then why are you looking here?' he asks the man, to which the man replies, 'The light is better over here.'" You can find all sorts of things where the light is bright and cheerful, just not necessarily what you are really looking for. In this circumstance, I prefer to be the cop, and just shake my head and keep walking.
I host a GLAAD Award-winning radio show on Sirius XM Radio called "Derek and Romaine". I wrote a book (finally). I star in a video podcast called "The So Real Life" on iTunes. I watch a lot of TV. I drink with my friends. I travel all the time. This is my life.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Ritz Krieg
Posted by Derek Hartley at 1:20 PM
Labels: Ben Harvey, Brian Ellner, Charlie, Duke, Joe, JP, Matthew Kelleher, Terry, The Ritz
1 comment:
You ARE nice in a snarky, impatient, I can't be bothered with you, you peasant, sort of way. Eternal optimists can not be trusted to always give an honest opinion. You and I are both in the Bette Davis, raised eyebrow, you've GOT to be kidding, vein. May it always be so.
- January 5, 2009 at 1:15 AM
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text:
Global Voices | Institute for War and Peace Reporting
Global VoicesJournalists trained by IWPR produce news, analysis, and comment pieces on the issues that affect their countries and communities.
ArmeniaPolice intervention only increased the number of people on the street.
KyrgyzstanCase highlights wider concerns about an executive that seems to be trying to mould the constitutional court into a weak, pliable institution.
SyriaIn government-held areas, people think one thing and do another.
Bosnia and HerzegovinaExhumation of burial site in northwestern Bosnian municipality forms part of new evidence of atrocities.
AzerbaijanOSCE politician says it's a "sad day" when a civil society leader is forced out by his government.
IWPR provides a multilingual platform for journalists who would otherwise have no outlet. Multimedia and text stories cover the themes of IWPR's project activities, from human rights to good governance, conflict to inclusive societies. Story production is an integral part of IWPR's training methodology, as on-the-job mentoring builds massively on formal training courses.
Local reporters contribute to making shows relevant, and "listener groups" help make sure they are.
Europe / Eurasia
Police intervention only increased the number of people on the street.
Displaced family from Srebrenica still dream of finding a permanent home 20 years after the war.
Economic development in Osh seen as way of preventing future conflicts.
Strategic position and porous borders makes Central Asian state ideal location for trading, and smuggling too.
Latin America
As UNESCO event hears of increasing censorship and intimidation across Latin America, Cuban reporters talk about the especially tough environment they work in.
Middle East & North Africa
In government-held areas, people think one thing and do another.
Print Publications
Global Voices
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"IWPR produces fine reports from unstable parts of the world that are too often ignored by the mainstream media — reports that promote understanding in place of entrenched bigotry and prejudice."
Martin Fletcher
The Times
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Photo Gallery
In the Pankisi Gorge, locals call for more action to stop young men going off to fight in Syria.


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Mayline Group Vision Computer Desk
Mayline Group Vision Computer Desk
Weights & Dimensions
|Desk Type: Computer desk
|Base Finish: Metallic Gray
|Top Material: Glass
|Base Material: Metal
|Design: Rectangular desk
|Keyboard Tray: Yes
|Height Adjustable: No
|Drawers Included: No
|Exterior Shelving: Yes
|Cabinets Included: No
|Chair Included: No
|Legs Included: Yes
|Casters Included: No
|Hutch Included: No
|Light Included: No
|Application: Home office
|Country of Manufacture: China
About the ManufacturerEstablished in 1939 as the Engineering Supply Company, Mayline has come a long way from its expertise in drafting tables, blueprint files and straightedges. The war years capitalized on their high quality and precision manufacturing for providing highly accurate navigational and mapping accessories for all branches of the military.
Though still a market leader in manual drawing (they invented the straightedge) and large format filing, Mayline has moved to the forefront of office ergonomics. The Mayline Group now includes Tiffany Industries, Kwik File and Mayline products.
Mayline Group Vision Computer Desk
Questions & Answers (1)
"Hi, what are the measurements of the keyboard tray?" asked by Carolyn
Still have questions about this product? We're here to help
OUR SKU # MY5635Vision Computer Desk is also sometimes listed under the following manufacturer numbers: 972ANT, 972MEC


text:
I used Voolenvine yarn on the Lush base in the Holly Jolly colourway. I love this base it is super soft. I am planning to cast-on the Outlander colourway next.
I also knit up a Barley beanie (baby size) for my second cousin who is due in just over two weeks. I used Madelinetosh Vintage and I lost the ball band and cannot remember the colourway. I have also cast-on a pair of baby socks with the same yarn.
Happy knitting!


text: Pipin' Hot New Moon Pics Lauren Olson (Deiman) | September 29, 2009 1:42 pm Summit Entertainment has just made our Tuesday with a Twi-tastic gift in our inbox: three new one-sheets for New Moon! Each poster features a posse of Twilight in all their glory. Enjoy! View Photo Gallery 0


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Jim's Organic Coffee Whole Bean Together Decaf -- 12 oz
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All natural flavor added to a mellow coffee base.
Whole bean coffee. Exclusively certified organic by the USDA. Jim's Organic Coffee™ is organic, grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Organic coffee improves the ecosystem of the farms and surrounding communities through improved water quality, topsoil retention, and increased biodiversity. These organic coffees (the very finest in 'cup quality') are slowly hand-roasted to deliver you a rich, full and clean cup. You will discover the benefits of Jim's Organic Coffee through the comfort of its organic origin, our personal selection and roast, and in the happiness derived from its delicious taste.
With Jim's Organic Coffee your enjoyment goes beyond taste, and into peace of mind…
Vitacost price: $8.39
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Vitacost price: $8.39


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Who's Wee Dug wrote:Bouncy how would you manage to sooke yir ginger nuts you a contortionist or just flexible.
Bouncy is a red-headed MAN??????
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7. Saturday Night Fever
Right from the opening montage, the Bee Gees hook you in and never let you go. This movie is about life and love and dancing but it's also so much about the music of the time. Disco, despite the protestations of stupid kids like myself back in the 70s, did not suck at all.
8. Purple Rain
Saw this in the movie theater and my jaw was about a foot from the floor throughout, mostly in a "What the hell was Prince thinking?" sort of way. But no matter how god awful this film is, there are musical moments you will never, ever forget.
9. Dazed and Confused
The music in this film is so integral to the feel of the story it should have been given a cast listing. As someone who has drowned out the world by listening to Foghat's "Slow Ride" on her headphones, this ode to late 70s culture felt spot on.
10. Singles
While this ode to grunge hasn't stood the test of time for me, back in the day it was on my most-watched list – not for the contrived plot lines or stilted dialog, but for the music within. "Touch me, I'm Dick."
I know your list is different. At least it probably doesn't have Detroit Rock City on it, but I'm comfortable with my suspect choices. What are your favorite music movies? Maybe we'll revisit this topic again soon.


text:
in town for free camps
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- 2 years 22 weeks
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|23 hours 53 min ago
|Is Texas not an option? Did I
Is Texas not an option? Did I miss something? Is everyone on crazy pills?
|4 days 2 hours ago
|Borges is the OC at San Diego
Borges is the OC at San Diego state. GERG is the DC there too.
|2 weeks 2 hours ago
|Magnus - I would like to hear
Magnus - I would like to hear you on with Brian and Ace - you guys disagree enough to make for an interesting conversation.
|2 weeks 20 hours ago
|Can you clarify (if you know
Can you clarify (if you know or can) - that would mean the following OL would not be here for a fifth year - Kalis, Braden, Bars and Magnuson, who are supposed to be 2 or 3 members of the line this year. It would also leave Dawson, Samuelson and a freshman Bredeson (and if he plays offense a freshman Onwenu) as the only guards on the roster.
|2 weeks 22 hours ago
|McKeon shouldn't be on the
McKeon shouldn't be on the list then either - he visited Michigan's campus, not at a satellite camp.
|2 weeks 5 days ago
|Some of the requirements for
Some of the requirements for Director of Internal Communications and Operations for the Head Football Coach
- Travel with football team and head coach.
Translation - don't rent an apartment, live at Schembechler Hall
|4 weeks 3 days ago
|Also, it is Gregg, not Greg.
Also, it is Gregg, not Greg.
|7 weeks 4 days ago
|How depressing would this
How depressing would this season be if Hoke was back for another year? The darkest timeline....
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|More denard on the front page
More denard on the front page please
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|7 weeks 5 days ago
|Denard posbang!
Denard posbang!
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Is Brian still in a dark room listening to the Smiths? After reading this I think I will join him.
|7 weeks 5 days ago
|8 weeks 1 day ago
|I glanced at the headline and
I glanced at the headline and thought it said Lewis out til mid season. Much happier with the actual headline
|8 weeks 3 days ago
|I just read the thread - they
I just read the thread - they are also greyshirting someone to get up the cap? Not a great look for Urban.
|8 weeks 5 days ago
|Josh Furman was also drafted.
Josh Furman was also drafted.
|9 weeks 3 days ago
|Kentucky guy think Brown
Kentucky guy think Brown might decide as early as today.
|9 weeks 5 days ago
|Well, that is just not true,
Well, that is just not true, I am the most uninformed poster in the Mgocommunity.
Also, aside from Brian's previews, the thing I most enjoy reading before the season is the touch the banner player countdown
|9 weeks 5 days ago
|Agreed - if it is common
Agreed - if it is common knowledge/speculation on the board that Singletary gives info to Sam, I am sure the Department knows and about it and condones it.
|9 weeks 5 days ago
|Then we would get a buckle up
Then we would get a buckle up tweet as opposed to Singletary's bang bang. I like it.
|10 weeks 3 days ago
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I am assuming all the directional Michigan coaches could not RSVP fast enough.
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|Shakey Jake
Shakey Jake statute outside of Schembechler Hall
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Winter. Winter is coming
|11 weeks 4 days ago
|Anyone listen to it live?
Anyone listen to it live? Worth a listen if someone is not that interested in Craig's autograph signing, yarn, or soccer?
|11 weeks 5 days ago
|Secret 1 - I applied to Notre
Secret 1 - I applied to Notre Dame for college.
Secret 2 - If I had gotten in, I would have gone to Notre Dame.
|11 weeks 5 days ago
|Can't believe it took until
Can't believe it took until comment 125 to get to Heinz!
|11 weeks 6 days ago
|Satellite camps
Satellite camps
|12 weeks 4 days ago
|not to mention Jaron Dukes
not to mention Jaron Dukes whose facemask had a nice play on saturday.
|14 weeks 5 days ago
|Man, Pipkins was picked late.
Man, Pipkins was picked late.
|14 weeks 6 days ago
|Is this legit? that is not
Is this legit? that is not Harbaugh's twitter handle...


text:
A little note on the spelling of place names. As best I can, I am going
to try and stick with proper Greenlandic spelling for place names from
now on, but they won't always match what's in your home atlas. This is
possibly down to the simple fact that they don't print a lot of atlases
here. Based on the different books and charts we do have on board there
are often a few different accepted ways of spelling Greenland place
names. Usually though, they will all be pretty close. For example, the
most common spelling I've seen for Kangerlussuaq is Kangerdlugsuaq.
I've also seen Kangerdlussuaq. Simple, right? Feel free to post a
comment if you have a question, or (God forbid) a spelling correction.
By the way, the word, Kangerlussuaq actually means, "big fjord" - a
description I certainly can't argue with.
- Andrew
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