If I read one more article about "guerilla
marketing tactics" and how you can "set
yourself apart" or "get your name out there"
with some off-the-wall stunt that is more
likely to get you laughed at than subscribed
to (think Balloon Boy)...
WARNING: INCOMING CLICHÉ
Everyone wants to "think outside the
box." (It's over. You can relax now.) These
people--including professional marketers--are
constantly trying to come up with new and
exciting ways to market their businesses, to
stand out from the crowd, to be heard above
the noise.
You can't blame them, I suppose. The
competition for attention and dollars is
fierce. And everyone wants a piece of the
action. To get it, sometimes they do silly
things.
Snapple, for example, wanted to promote a new
line of frozen treats. It opted to produce a
25-foot, 17.5-ton popsicle in the middle of
New York City--in 80-degree heat. Union
Square was
soon flooded with sticky goo and firefighters
had to close off streets to hose down the
asphalt.
In 1926, a Berlin company dropped
foil-wrapped chocolates on people to
advertise their services. People were
injured. (Remember the WKRP episode where
they dropped Thanksgiving turkeys on the city
because the marketing department thought they
could fly?)
Instead of silly stunts, why not deliver
extraordinary products and services as a way
to stand out? If you are truly extraordinary,
you can count on that being a real
differentiator.
For example, if you own a hamburger stand,
forget about dreaming up new hamburger
variations (chocolate, honey-dipped, etc.).
Instead, deliver normal--but
extraordinary--hamburgers. Prepare them as if
they are five-star dinners. To you, they are!
Make them faster, hotter, better!
Here's another example: If you run a
non-profit organization that deals with the
public, you could focus on creating
outstanding service standards, such as
one-hour response times. Be the very best at
what you are currently doing and you will
stand out.
