An Internet Viral Marketing Venue?
The benefit gained by the Blastoff Network of Prepaid Legal’s 400,000 person sales force is obvious but what is the benefit of Prepaid Legal’s new alliance with Blastoff, an internet startup billing itself as the next big thing that’s going to change the whole internet?
Let’s Start With A Brief Review Of Prepaid Legal Services, Inc.
Prepaid Legal Services, Inc is the brainchild of Harland Stonecipher who founded the company back in 1972 after a devastating automobile accident that occurred in 1969 left him with huge legal fees when the person responsible for the accident had the audacity to sue him!
Because Stonecipher had medical insurance as well as automobile insurance, the financial impact from the accident was minimal. However, Stonecipher had no insurance to cover the cost of the subsequent frivolous lawsuit, a lawsuit he eventually won. The out-of-pocket costs associated with defending himself were born by him personally and left him financially devastated.
The pre-eminent provider of legal expense plans in the country with upwards of 1.5 million members, Prepaid Legal is a New York Stock Exchange listed company and boasts a sales force of more than 400,000 independent representatives who market its various legal expense plans and identity theft program through a multi-level marketing program.
What is it that attracted a solid and stalwart legal services company like PrePaid Legal to want to join forces with the equivalent to a home shopping network on the internet?
The Answer May Lie In Blastoff And Its Marketing Strategy
Blastoff comes to us from William Rodgers and his two partners Scott Berman & Adam Smith. It is the intention of the Blastoff Network to merge online shopping with such big brand names as iTunes, The Gap, WalMart, Target and as many as 400 more online retailers with a cashback or rebate online shopping experience. Consumers are encouraged to sign up with Blastoff for free and invite others to do the same. This network will then pay members overrides on other’s purchases.
According to Harland Stonecipher, CEO/Chairman of the Board/President/Director of Pre-Paid Legal, “When you combine the rewards-based, ‘viral’ nature of the Blastoff platform with the large, well-developed and powerful direct selling organization of Pre-Paid Legal Services, it’s a combination that offers incredible potential.”
Pre-Paid Legal will be the only Network Marketing/MLM Company to be part of the Blastoff network and Pre-Paid and its legal services membership plan will be prominently featured with a link on the Blastoff home page. The partnership of Prepaid Legal and the Blastoff Network provides Prepaid with a link on the Blastoff homepage advertising Prepaid’s legal expense plan membership where anyone can sign up to become a member and owner of a Prepaid Legal membership plan.
How Much Does Prepaid Legal Stand To Gain?
It makes sense that both companies have the potential for significant market exposure as a result of the others marketing strategies. Combining direct sales with a viral marketing strategy could be all it takes to push Prepaid’s membership totals beyond the 2 million member mark! Only time will tell though!
Will the Prepaid Legal sales force jump in to boost sales of its legal membership plan past its current 1.5 million members or will they sit back and wait to see how many more sales will be generated passively simply by consumers finding their link on a homepage and signing up? That’s the big question here!
A Financial Windfall For Prepaid Legal Reps?
As for Pre-Paid Legal representatives without an already significant downline organization, will they make any significant passive or residual income from Blastoff?
This writer believes that after the initial burst of excitement about this new alliance between Prepaid and Blastoff wears off, nothing much will have changed. Prepaid should make some new membership sales from the partnership but reps with Prepaid should probably take their excitement and re-direct it toward building their PPL downline organization since that is where the money is!
Network Marketers Are Already Best At Viral Marketing
The Network Marketing profession has always be one of hype and exaggeration my opinion. Not that hype and exaggeration are not present in other industries or businesses but they seem to be a staple in MLM. Sorting thru the hype and having some real down-to-earth expectations of the effects of viral marketing will go a long ways towards producing solid and lasting results with Prepaid Legal and the Blastoff Network.
To learn more about viral marketing and MLM, be sure to read “Viral Marketing Puts MLM On Autopilot” by clicking on the link below.
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