Stealing ideas and getting them wrong Why it is better to pay a consultant to get it right Building the Band Brand mall style

There are companies that call in consultants or conduct job interviews just to steal ideas for free. There are many companies that steal ideas from various sources, but most don’t get it right.

On July 5 I blogged, Shopping mall owners developers operators
Maximum profitability via $6-billion market
Building the Band Brand malls style

In this blog I wrote, Here are some tips for you – first – big screen television! You don’t need to spend $35-million to get the Dallas Cowboy’s screen, but you’re passing up clients without a big screen TV area in your mall. Of course you’re showing ESPN on that screen. You won’t get me that way, but you’re going to get a lot more men in your mall. Men with $$$$.

A local Arizona mall chain owned by a Los Angeles company recently (middle of August, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt) installed large screen TVs in their food court throughout their chain. They show teen-oriented videos. They missed the whole point of my July 5 blog, even though they stole the idea and never hired me to consult with them.

They got it completely wrong, too, missing a great marketing opportunity.

I’ve had situations like this in the past. When you confront a company or a person, nine times out of 10 their reply is, No, we didn’t steal the idea. It was in our plans. We already had the TVs ordered. We didn’t even see that July 5 blog. Same thing happens in music, movies and television. Everybody steals ideas. Why don’t we have a portable music player? We’ll call it Zune! No, what is iTune? Never heard of it. Ironic both products end in une.

So instead of having television screens in a lounge area, this indoor desert mall empire put it in the food court. The food court is noisy. No one comes to watch music videos. The mall managers who saw my blog missed the point. You have a special section of your mall, put in cushy chairs, couches and coffee tables. You show ESPN and other sports shows. Those pay-per-view fights. You make it a destination, not an accessory.

Also, the Grove in Los Angeles is going crazy with bringing in acts. They’ve had Ashley Tisdale, Mitchel Musso and Miley Cyrus together, Michelle Branch. Wish I could say they stole my idea, but they are an outside mall and I admire their marketing chief David Swift. Top of his game.

Now why isn’t the local desert mall chain owned by an L.A. business doing the same? Bands while people avoid the record breaking heat this summer; making it a destination. Bringing in television game shows looking for national contestants. Soccer and Little League teams as the sports season heats up.

After reading this, they will have entertainment in two months, but again, that was already in the plans. Again they’ll get it wrong.