Here's an interesting marketing experiment. A Burger King decided to see what would happen if they discontinued the Whopper. The Whopper was taken off the menu for a day and customers were told that it was discontinued forever.
The response was fascinating. Of course most were confused and upset. Many also started reminiscing and waxing nostalgic about their first Whopper and instances where they went to great lengths to get a Whopper.
The net effect was to make people appreciate the product more by forcing them to acknowledge their feelings about it consciously. I guess it's true, "absence makes the heart grow fonder".
The promotional value of the marketing experiment/prank goes farther than a single store. At the moment it's among the most popular vids on YouTube and the search term "Whopper Freakout" is among the top five on Google.
Hmmmm... maybe Cartman really had something on the South Park episode where he wouldn't let anyone into his amusement park. If you want to create buzz for your product, don't let anyone have it.
Full Screen Video available at WhopperFreakOut.com
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Showing posts with label Colorado springs News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colorado springs News. Show all posts
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Small Event Marketing
You may think that getting a booth at a local event is something that only venders and large companies should do. Actually, local events create great networking and marketing opportunities for any business.
Consider the cost/benefit analysis. You need a table, a chair, some promotional material (which you probably already have on hand), maybe have an employee staff the booth, and some refreshments for the employee.
Assuming the event is 4 hours long, you may have to pay the employee something like $50. The booth space itself is going to vary, but most small events will give you an "information only" booth for around $100 or less. Maybe you spring for some new promotional material to the tune of $300. Total cost: around $500.
Now some adjustments to our cost total: Any undistributed promotional material can be used another day. Anything that was distributed was obviously worth the trip. Your real cost, over and above what you would have spent anyways, is more like $150. Now the only question is, how much business will your company's appearance generate?
If the day's efforts result in a single new customer, for most businesses, that's certainly worth $150. You have to consider how much business a new customer will do over the life of the account, not just the initial purchase. Maybe you'll generate renewed interest from a past customer. Maybe you'll meet a new, valuable contact. In any case you'll increase awareness of your business, which helps make all of your other marketing efforts more effective.
You're also generating goodwill. Most small events benefit a local charity or non-profit in some way or another. Your support will be appreciated by the organizers as well as many attendees.
The next time your Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Events Organization, PTA or other organ ization puts on an event where you can expect 500 or more people in attendance, consider taking advantage of the opportunity. You can even split the cost by going in on a table or booth with a network partner, or two, or three.
Consider the cost/benefit analysis. You need a table, a chair, some promotional material (which you probably already have on hand), maybe have an employee staff the booth, and some refreshments for the employee.
Assuming the event is 4 hours long, you may have to pay the employee something like $50. The booth space itself is going to vary, but most small events will give you an "information only" booth for around $100 or less. Maybe you spring for some new promotional material to the tune of $300. Total cost: around $500.
Now some adjustments to our cost total: Any undistributed promotional material can be used another day. Anything that was distributed was obviously worth the trip. Your real cost, over and above what you would have spent anyways, is more like $150. Now the only question is, how much business will your company's appearance generate?
If the day's efforts result in a single new customer, for most businesses, that's certainly worth $150. You have to consider how much business a new customer will do over the life of the account, not just the initial purchase. Maybe you'll generate renewed interest from a past customer. Maybe you'll meet a new, valuable contact. In any case you'll increase awareness of your business, which helps make all of your other marketing efforts more effective.
You're also generating goodwill. Most small events benefit a local charity or non-profit in some way or another. Your support will be appreciated by the organizers as well as many attendees.
The next time your Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Events Organization, PTA or other organ ization puts on an event where you can expect 500 or more people in attendance, consider taking advantage of the opportunity. You can even split the cost by going in on a table or booth with a network partner, or two, or three.
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