Posts Tagged ‘Irish Dragons’
Dragons’ Den returns tonight, 9:30pm on RTE 1.
20th February 2011
Dragons’ Den returns tonight, 9:30pm on RTE 1. Be warned – in the first few minutes there is a blood bath between three of us. I cross swords with Niall O’Farrell and our new feisty female Dragon, Norah Casey. Norah settled into being a Dragon instantly. First and foremost she is lady but she can be a bitch disguised with a disarming smile. But I love her and, better still, she has brought her cheque book.
First into the Den tonight is John Joyce, an impressive IT specialist who has created an on-line computer game called savvybear.com. Could this be the next big thing? Certainly John did the most fantastic pitch, so the three of us joined battle to invest in his fledgling business. But will John Joyce accept our offer? You will have to wait and see.
There is a new trend in this series which is that promoters not always accepting the offers made to them. That’s because a better calibre of entrepreneur is coming into the Den. Some have invested their redundancy money in their dream while others have left a good job to pursue it. Either way they are not as likely to give away as much equity as in previous years.
I wouldn’t want to be sensitive – I was turned down three or four times! And while I might think at the time they are making a mistake not wanting me on board, sometimes it is a sign of the single mindedness and vision that gets results. This year Dragons’ Den is followed directly by a second series called Dragons’ Den on Tour. Viewers will see, as we revisit people from series 1 & 2, that many of those who failed to get backing from the Dragons have done very nicely, thank you, notwithstanding the recession.
The Dragons have invested more in this series than they have done previously. All business people are under pressure these days and certainly the Dragons are no exception. I can only talk about myself and say that parting with cash is not something done on a whim in these times. But if my fellow Dragons have spent a record amount of money in the Den this year it is because of the high standard of ideas coming on the show.
Interestingly, in the first show tonight you will see that all five dragons make offers for different ideas that will appear. There are a number of offers and deals made in each show this year which has never happened before and it is again reflective of the standard of ideas being presented.
Sean Gallagher has gone a bit soft though. He is madly in love, having recently married. He keeps asking asking boring questions like, “Would that suit my new home?” On the other hand Bobby Kerr is even more abrasive than in previous years when he doesn’t like someone. Niall is as funny as ever. “I love the logo, I love you, and I love the idea, but I am out.” However Niall makes quite a few investments this series with his heart and not his head. And Norah is a formidable, no nonsense business woman, with a great bit of craic about her behind the scenes.
Personally, I always get nervous when the programme returns to air. With its new Sunday night slot after the news, it is going to be bigger than ever, and RTE has been lobbied by educationalists to repeat it, so it also airs each Thursday at 8pm so students can see it and discuss it in business classes on Fridays. No pressure!
A consequence of doing Dragons’ Den is that we five are invariably described as being successful business persons. The truth is I have had many past failures but I have been lucky enough to survive and learn from them. All we are doing, all five of us, in this awful recession, is trying to send out a message that Ireland is still open for business. For without business and the jobs they generate we won’t overcome our nation’s challenges.
If you were watching Friday’s Late Late Show you will have heard about the success of TanOrganic and Dee’s Burgers as a result of Dragons’ Den. I hope their stories are an uplifting antidote for viewers to all the negativity out there.
To RTE and the sponsor, Bank of Ireland, well done on acknowledging small businesses and the part they have to play in our recovery.
Dragons Den Returns Sunday Night
Dragons’ Den returns to our screens this Sunday night at 9.30pm. Season 3 is fantastic! Follow Gavin’s personal insights here on www.gavinduffy.ie and also in Sunday Independent and live commentary on www.allaboutbusiness.ie
Great Weekend at Ideal Homes Show
There is nothing like putting your product in front of customers to find out its true potential. And this was the weekend. A first, the Spring Ideal Homes Show, was staged at the RDS by my good friend, Sean Lemass. Everyone was surprised by the huge turnout. I estimate over 50,000 people attended.
Great that consumers are back looking to shop.
There were still a lot of tyre kickers but the fact that consumers were out looking to shop has to be an encouraging sign for retailers.
As you know I was supposed to be away with my fellow Dragons on the slopes for late ski-ing in Zermatt but we got “volcanoed”. So I was at the show on Saturday. (I couldn’t be there Sunday as I had two nephews playing in the 85th Leinster Rugby Towns Cup Final. They play for Boyne who retained the title in a close fought battle against a gallant Tullamore with my nepew, Bevan Duffy, scoring the winning try with an intercept.)
“The Dream Team”
The Dragons’ Den Dream Team, that’s what they called themselves, of Noelle O’Connor, TanOrganic, Mark O’Loughlin of HidBin and Herbie Porsche of Toilet Pipe Cover were all there on one stand which created a big impact in the hall. It was by far the busiest stand at the show from what I could see.
A Few Learning Points.
Having said that, as people are following this blog to get some marketing and sales insights I would have a few criticisms of the stand. There was no video. People don’t walk straight up to a stand. They stay outside what we call the “grab-zone”. They observe you first from about 20 feet. That’s why you need 50″ screens showing them your product and announcing a special show offer and anything for “FREE”. Your stand has cost you thousands but using video you have quadrupled the square meterage. The video shouldn’t depend on audio but must have clear legible graphics spelling out your offer and invite. (Also some shows don’t allow audio.)
I can’t believe that my three colleagues who have been on Dragons’ Den did not have one bit of footage from the show playing on their stand. Now as it turns out they were busy enough anyway but there is great room for improvement.
Herbie needs to brush up on his sales technique, Mark missed an opportunity and Noelle underestimated the demand.
My good friend Herbie’s sales technique needs brushing up. On a few occasions I heard him say to a potential customer, “yes check it out on line”. That is sending a customer away. Even if somebody says my toilet goes into the wall not the floor, you do two things. “MayI have your name and address so we can tell you when the wall mounting is available?” And then ask them, “Surely you have a friend who’d you love to buy this for them it is only a fiver here at the show?” At another trade event I attended with Herbie a man told us he never, ever orders at such shows but only when he goes home. But I managed to get on his wavelength and he placed a large order there and then. Selling is about turning objections into opportunities and closing the sale.
The HidBin not having before and after footage on a 50″ screen – well what can I say? Missed opportunity.
Noelle running out of product on the last day of the show. Yes that is great news and proves the demand for TanOrganic but it also means we lost sales opportunities.
Am I just a whinging old you know what. No I hope not. I always like to encourage but I just like things to be done to their maximum potential.
Next Blog; Friday Morning.
The Final Curtain
I was so disappointed tonight. I think it is the first time I have been caught on camera looking really annoyed. I made a hash of it. I loved Grab Radio but said I was out. But I was deploying an unusual tactic. If you are out but another Dragon makes an offer and it is not accepted and a negotiation starts you can come back in. It has not been used as a tactic in the Irish Den but it is used in the Dens in both Canada and New Zealand quite a bit. Aonghos O’ nEocha grabbed the offer and I was blown out. Good enough for me. You can be too smart assed for your own good at times and this was one such occasion.
I do hope Susan has stuck with Seka Cosmetics but it needed work.
Now you know my views on golf, but, I was very interested in Cathal Boyle’s Easi Croc. I hate the name, I like the idea however in the end it just didn’t grab me enough.
David & Cathal’s Dabble appeared to have really irritated us. It is the luck of the draw. We start filming at 7am and by 7pm you can be very impatient. Sorry guys.
The Dragons will try anything. Seeing us there in the Nosey Rosie hats, what were we like?
Alan Rudden didnt ever get my interest. I just don’t see a r.o.i. in landscaping.
What a great way to end the series.
Daithí O’Regan was brilliant and he really pressed Sarah about her committment to manufacturing in Ireland. By the way all the women on crew on the set thought he was really handsome. Daithí thanks I still have your presentation hurley at home above our mantlepiece. Good luck to both Sarah and Daithí.
Herbie, Noelle and Mark in the RDS this weekend.
Don’t miss this weekend’s Spring Ideal Homes Show in the RDS, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. My investments, Herbie Porsche and his Toilet Pipe Cover, Noelle O’Connor and TanOrganic and Mark O’Loughlin of HidBin are all there on a big stand so please go along and say hello. Sean Lemass of SDL Exhibitions has been very good to us. He was so keen to have the guys along so Sean a big THANK YOU!.
Alright I am going to sign off.
Next Blog Monday Morning – Bye!
Any Marketing Geniuses out there?
Good morning what a fantastic Monday morning.
If you have just caught up with us recently, I blog twice a week. Thursday nights, 11:15pm, after Dragons’ Den is broadcast and Monday mornings. They are two definite updates but of course as you have seen I will also go in and update from time to time.
Looking for Great Marketing Ideas
There are now thousands of people following this blog. I am flattered especially by so many overseas friends from around the globe. This is a big resource and I want to use it.
So please check out www.TanOrganic.com and www.Hidbin.ie
I want your advice on how we should best market these two products. Gives us your views on both or which ever one takes your fancy.
Let me give you a bit of a steer. For Tanorganic, the 100% natural, organic, anti-aging, healthy, sunless tan-lotion I am looking to really grab the Irish public’s attention when it is launched mid to late May. I am thinking of billboards around the cities of Ireland and a large prize for the most beautiful tanned woman to appear actually live on the billboard and wave at people as they go by. Please don’t involve yourself if you think it is sexist or demeaning of women etc. It is a beauty product aimed at women and also it is a bit of summer fun. If you can’t get your head around that you are wasting your own and our time. Don’t restrict yourself. Let your imagination runawy with itself. Please submit your ideas for this one to info@tanorganic.com Now don’t restrict them to the billboard concept I just want you to know what I am thinking.
Hidbin, as you know is a synthetic screen hedging that neatly hides your ugly wheeliebins. “Making the unsightly unseen.” It costs €99 for a one bin unit and €179 for a two bin unit. Can you think of any guerrilla marketing tactics for this concept. Please send your best ideas to info@hidbin.ie
Our Last Show This Thursday
Thursday’s show is the last in the series and I genuinely believed they have saved the best to last. I am actually going to be out of the country with all the Dragons, well actually Sean can’t make it now. We are going on a late season ski trip to Zermatt. It is all down to Sarah’s great generosity. I am not the facebook type but I will ask Sarah for her permission to report from there and her wonderful chalet, www.chaletgrace.comI am told it is literally out of this world, so Bobby, Niall and myself are really looking forward to a few days ski-ing and crack with the hostess with the mostess.
Great Ideas and a number of Investments
The show on Thursday, and I will be blogging at 11:15pm directly after the show, features some really interesting pitches including an Irish developed, I-Phone App’ and you will also get to see just how bad Sean Gallagher is at hurling. If you are a Dragons’ Den regular and you followed last year’s first series I’d like to know why you think this was even better? I say it is better because the ratings are even higher. During the series the programme had a bigger audience than the main evening 9 o’clock news (Programme 6). That’s a large audience for 10:15pm and the viewers stay right until the end until well after 11pm.
Desperate Housewives twinned with Dragons’ Den
Also we are informed there was a very large number of female viewers. In fact the programme was “diaried” and “twinned”, we are told by the media buyers in the advertising agencies. That means about 125,000 women had two favourite shows per week, that they definitely would NOT miss. Desperate Housewives on Tuesday and Dragons’ Den on Thursday. Sean says he knows why, he claims it is his sex appeal. I argue his most endearing quality is his modesty. But if anything, I believe, it is down to the humour. Niall O’Farrell was just so funny at times this year. For example when he held up the Feel Good energy boost cocoa ball and said “It looks like something you’d find behind the couch,” I cracked up. Bobby can be so brilliant at giving fantastic advice to the point and succinctly and then the next minute he can crack a great joke. And all the audience research tells us women are fascinated by our Sarah. I feel privileged to be in such great talented company.
Eugenia Cooney Producer
Sadly not coming away on our little Dragons’ Den trip, though we did everything to twist their arms, are Larry Bass and Eugenia Cooney. Larry, the Executive Producer, is at the TV festival in Cannes this week. By the way that’s where he bumped into Mark Burnett in a lift in 2004 and that led to him acquiring the rights to both the Apprentice and Dragons’ Den. Both were invented by the genius of Burnett.
But the genius behind our Dragons’ Den is, Producer, Eugenia. She and hubby Ed’ are attending a family wedding this weekend and couldn’t join us. I would have dropped my family to go to Chalet Grace but Eugenia is a good Dundalk woman and they value family not like us south Louth, Drogheda types who eat their young, well that’s what they say about us in Dundalk.
600,000 Viewers
The success of the programme, and the almost 600,000 viewers a week is down to Eugenia who takes it from people applying to come on, vetting them, accepting a fraction to come to studio, recordings for weeks, editing down 120 hours to about 7 hours in total for the full eight shows of the series and she is across every item until the last credits roll this Thursday night.
We have been honoured to work with such a great leader.
I will talk to you on Thursday night.
Bye for now.