Unhip.....

Beth was playing jazz vocalist Diana Krall's new CD.

I felt horribly unhip.

I like her work. I just felt unhip because it wasn't an iTune download. It was from a music service -- a modern version of the old "record and tape club".

I looked at the invoice.

"Hey, Beth. You won a certificate for a $5.99 CD." I said excitedly.

"They always do that," she said. "You still have to pay shipping. And this month's deal is better -- unlimited $1.99 CDs."

My wife is so hip.

The $5.99 CD is called a bounce-back. A special offer included with an order to get your next order. Often, you'll get a bounce back with a premium -- like the toys we got as kids that came with coupons for more sugary cereal.

Almost anyone can use a bounce-back. The theory is customers are most likely to buy from you while they're still excited about your brand.

This bounce-back was clever because it looked like something I'd earned or won. Another technique is to make it a thank you with a coupon. And you don't even need to use discounting. A simple announcement of a new product or helpful accessory will do.

I guess I may be unhip to technology, but I am hip to marketing.

(Now that I think about it, even the word hip sounds sadly … unhip.)

-Phil Sasso