Okay, here are 2 great marketing tips from the real world:
Example # 1
Play the clip below for a kid called Andrew on one of those talent shows.
# 1: He's in front of the right target market. # 2: He has a story that resonates with the audience and gets them onside - being bullied. # 3: He delivers something totally unexpected - a different sort of song that you wouldn't expect from a 13 yo. # 4: The whole package is something that gets noticed and talked about.
Perfect marketing.
Example # 2:
Here are 2 brilliant PR strategies that have result in tremendous coverage and benefits.
The first one is in the case of the Carla Bruni nude photo being sold for $US91,000.
The photographer then promised to donate the money to a charity.
But like the intended recipient says "The idea behind this gift was to get publicity for the auction and the photographer. "It was a way of using us."
So they used right back in a brilliant way.
The intended recipient refused the donation.
The Story Has Flipped
Now instead of the story being about the donation and what a wonderful fellow the donor is, the story has suddenly become a story on how the donor exploits naked women and how the intended charity has taken a stand - it's all about them now. Read here for the full story.
Erin Loves A Cockatoo
The next example is simply classic marketing. Absolutely the perfect example of getting attention.
Step 1: Hire a well known model to promote your wine - called Cockatoo Ridge. Step 2: Do something offensive - the main print ad had a picture of Erin with a cockatoo on her shoulder. The caption read "She Loves A Cockatoo". Step 3: Wait for the media outrage. Step 4: Have the model tearfully say she didn't know the advertising was going to be so rude. Step 5: (This one is my favourite) Have one of the company's directors (Peter Perrin) come out and deny the line was meant to be what everyone has taken it to mean.
Ha! That's a good one Peter!
I think that denial was a mistake. I don't think anyone actually believes the director and that kind of dilutes the impact of their very aggressive and bold positioning in the market.
That's great - using his profile to help a good cause.
But here's the thing - Glenn drives a Hummer.
Yep, a Hummer. The gas guzzling, planet destroying monstrosity of a car.
Glenn has no credibility to promote carbon offset programs.
He doesn't fit the program.
He's not authentic or credible in any way when he talks about carbon offsets because of this.
He's not 'keeping it real'.
And it's all because of perception - the Hummer is perceived as a gas guzzling, planet destroying car by many. I'm not sure if that's entirely true, but that's the perception.
It's amazing how easy things are when you have the right tools.
A friend's daughter is learning to read better than ever before now she has the right tools and information.
My friend did the usual mum things, but once she got some specific learn to read info it was a whole lot easier.
Having The Right Tools
It got me thinking about a lot of things we do. Much of our expertise is related to having the right tools - software, equipment, experience, etc - and using them.
One of the big stories here in the last week has been the hilarious going ons of a teenage jerk off/slimeball/white trash/genius called Corey Worthington.
Corey is a 16 yo kid from a Melbourne suburb who has brilliantly encapsulated a lot of the success of modern marketing.
You see, he held a party.
He advertised his party of MySpace.
500 kids turned up.
They drank and got drunk.
They then annoyed the neighbours.
The cops were called.
It emerged that Corey had been left home alone.
Then the outrage started.
The media has pounced on this story to give oldies a forum to vent about "the youth of today".
Then something unexpected happened.
Corey showed he was smart. Or at least that he understands modern media.
He was different.
He was outrageous (so he was noticed - he cut through the clutter).
He leverage social media.
He branded himself (yep, those yellow sunglasses that he refuses to take off).
The Classic Answer
The classic answer was to the question from the "outraged" current affairs show host.
"What do you say to other kids thinking of having parties whilst their parents are away?"
I think the host was expecting a contrite "Ooooh, don't do it."
Instead Corey comes out with "Get me to do it for you."
Then she comes out with "I suggest you take a good long hard look at yourself....."
Corey says: "I have. Everyone has. They love it."
Ha!
He's managed the media brilliantly. And the media have managed the story brilliantly to cultivate the sense of outrage.
(And still, there are people who simply don't understand that the media are there to get the highest ratings possible, so they'll keep hammering away with this false sense of outrage to make this story run and run and run.)
The Benefits To Corey
The benefits to Corey are numerous.
He'll get a girlfriend(s)
He'll make some money.
He'll have his 15 minutes of fame.
If he was smart he could leverage it into a whole career, but I'm not sure he's that smart.
The Lessons For Any Business
Get noticed.
Brand yourself so that you stand for something in everybody's eyes (but big yellow sunglasses are already taken).
My kids have just written up their wishlist for Christmas.
They make a list of about 10 things that they want and, with a bit of luck and a fair wind, receive 1 or 2 of the things on the list.
My son Harry's # 1 is a Enzo Ferrari (the car) - worth $1 million plus.
He aims high that kid!
Can You Bring This Santa?
Jack has done his list - it's on the fridge - and sure enough, just like I predicted in the Robbie McEwen post below, Predictor Lotto Team Kit/Jersey is on it.
Jack's obviously not going to buy a rival team's kit because that would be devaluing his 'connection' with Robbie.
As you might know, I'm pretty close to Santa and will have a word in his ear - that's Santa and I (he's the one with the beard!) on the left a few years back.
Jack's not the only one who gets his picture taken with famous people :o)
.........if you don't want the calls that come in from that ad?
My garage door opener has broken.
I did a search online to find a garage door opener repairer but had no luck.
I went to the Yellow Pages phone book.
I looked at the ads.
I found a repairer to call.
I called him.
He promised someone would call me back this morning to arrange a time to come and fix the opener.
It's 12.37 pm.
No one has called.
This guy's ad would have cost him at least $2,000. He would have made, at a guess, $100 off me.
Business Is Hard, Get Your Processes Right
Business is hard. If you're missing deadlines and/or commitments you need to review your processes to see how you can get better.
It's not a great idea to spend $2,000 on an ad and then ignore the leads that come in. $2,000 is a lot of money and would be much better in your pocket than some huge corporation.
You see, the drinks station judged to be the best at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon wins $1,000 - and the Palm Beach Scouts had the responsibility for one of the drinks station.
Mel was after that $1,000 for the Scouts.
A Marketer's Strategy
I don't think Mel realises it but she's a terrific marketer - what she did was this:
she benchmarked against the competition (she found out what people had done in the past)
she reviewed how to positively influence key people (i.e. the runners) (do a great job with the drinks, be organised, be colourful and be very supportive)
she sought to understand the choice influences on the guy who decides the winner
Here's a great example of something she did.
A Japanese Perspective
Mel looked at the runner profile.
She saw that 1,200 Japanese athletes fly into the Gold Coast for the marathon. Mel knows that the Japanese market is a tremendously important target market for race organisers.
So she knew Race Organisers would be impressed with a focus on these athletes.
So this was part of Mel's strategy:
Encouraging signs written in Japanese leading up to and away from the drinks station
Laura (our daughter - that's her in the photo above on the left) speaks Japanese - she trained the drinks station team of 22 people basic Japanese phrases to yell out in encouragement to Japanese athletes
Mel and her team came 2nd. Great effort that contributes $250 to help the Scouts get equipment and training.
Fantastic stuff.
Mel's already plotting next year - she's trying to find out what the winner did to impress the judge!
Brendon
P.S: Of course the other things she did was ensure the team stood out (colourful clothing, colourful wigs, sprayed hair, etc) and very noisy - inspirational music, yelling and cheering.
After all, you have to grab the attention of your target market.
Look, I don't mean to be harsh, but a constant I get when I help people with their marketing is "Oh, that stuff might work with others, but it doesn't influence me."
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Here in Australia we have a well known ex-sportsman called Glenn McGrath.
I've written about this before, but here's some more evidence regarding the importance of reviews on your web site about your product or service.
Just goes to show that you can sell anything to anyone!
This is marketing in action - Jack now has an emotional investment in Robbie McEwen because of Robbie taking the time to chat and have a photo taken.
You see, the drinks station judged to be the best at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon wins $1,000 - and the Palm Beach Scouts had the responsibility for one of the drinks station.
Jacqui Oatley (left) will be the first woman commentator in the 43 year history of the show.
One of the world's greatest musicians
