Sangsang Tie worked previously for
Nielsen Media Research as a senior account executive where she
developed media market research reports for clients clients and
sought new business opportunities with potential clients. She has
also conducted market research and business model design for media
companies. Sangsang Tie holds a BA specializing in Advertising in
China and an MBA from Webster University. She lives and works in
Shanghai, China.
I just got 2 event invitations on Facebook from Bob,
founder and teacher of Salsa Shanghai Dancing Group, a private
dancing school. One invitation is a weekend salsa party at a
popular Latin bar. With a SSDG membership card, you can get discount
drinks and free snacks. Another one is the wedding party of two SSDG
members. They met each other on the salsa class and became lovers,
and now, they are getting married.
I met Bob at a free SSDG salsa
class 2 years ago. At that time SSDG was only a small dancing
studio. I was working at the online marketing department of a consumer
product review magazine. Bob wanted to buy a small advertisment for
new dancing classes on the magazine but had no budget. Finally we
had a barter exchange deal; they gave employees and readers of the
magazine some free salsa class, discount and gift cards for standard
class and we put a small piece of advertorial on the next magazine.
I
was quickly attracted by salsa on that free class and spent ￥1200
(about USD170)to become their member. All members can have unlimited
class and invited by all kinds or salsa party(drinks not
included).Since then I started receiving all kinds of email about
salsa dance, like different style of salsa, new party even after the
dancing class, weekend party even at bar, or latest contest
information in China. I talked to Bob every time I went to the class
and believe he did really well with online marketing.
Bob said
he met his wife on a salsa class. After they got married they both
quit their jobs and started running SSDG. He wants SSDG become not
only a dancing school but also a community that connects all people
that have a passion for salsa together and enjoy a new dancing and
even life style. “Salsa is not only a kind of dance, it can be a
bridge between people, can be a way to express, can be a life style.
Learning the dance itself is not the purpose, we want our members
come here to get know others and express themselves by body language
and enjoy life.”
He said a budget is the biggest block on the road of branding and promotion, and the only free resource is less than 200 members’ email list. By sending email to members and launching BBS on their website, it is easier to link people together because they all like salsa, they are or they believe they are young and want have fun.
Bob negotiated with local Latin bars to give SSDG members extra discount by bring them there. Party information was sent out by email, sms and BBS, and now Facebook. Bob said he didn't expect the information to be dispersed so quickly. Emails have been forwarded thousand of times and members bring their friends to the party and finally become members. "A lot of people here in the city don't know where to release stress, we give them one."
Now SSDG has more than 4000 members and it is one of the largest salsa dancing schools in China. People come here become close friends, even lovers. The wedding I was invited to is the third wedding between SSDG members. Bob said he is going to make use of Facebook more to enhance communication among members, and the most exciting thing is you don't have to pay a penny.
