Twelve Years Ago Today

In the summer of ’98 I got my first media hit ever when I owned the North Vancouver franchise for The Rubbish Boys (now a Vancouver Junk Franchise). Earlier that summer I tried to get covered by the North Shore News, and later that summer I ran into the Reporter at Starbucks and told him I strapped a couch to my bug. It worked. And I booked several jobs from driving my ‘Junk Bug’ around town.

Another first that summer was our guerrilla marketing stunt. I teamed up with the West Vancouver Franchise Partner and we gathered about fifteen of our friends by Lost Lagoon in Vancouver.  We then walked along the Stanley Park Causeway with sandwich boards made out of 986-JUNK lawn signs all the way over the Lions Gate Bridge.  I called the media during our march. They drove by but didn’t cover the event. However we did get a lot of honkers and supporters, and definitely booked jobs from our captive audience.

This all definitely sparked something in me.

Increase Repeat Visitors

San Francisco web hosting company Laughing Squid has built a huge geek following with their blog, often posting simple things like these Star Wars cupcakes. As a result people tweet about their blog findings, which increases repeat traffic.

More companies than ever are blogging, but most corporate blogs are about boring corporate happenings.  And while in-house content may impress management and die-hard clients, there’s no compelling reason for  new visitors to return.

Most organizations likely don’t blog to appeal to a greater audience because they don’t feel they have the manpower or content to do so.  That isn’t true.  It doesn’t have to be that far removed from the company Kool-Aid, but enough that it entertains people enough to come back.

What makes your IT department laugh? What is the coolest thing you’ve done as a company recently?  Can you film the car in front of the fire hydrant getting towed, blog about it, then tell the car owner? What about a two-week snap a shot of the COO’s mismatching wardrobe ensembles? How did your customers score big by using your service?

Let your company’s cultural voice be heard. It will empower staff, encourage creativity, and absolutely increase website traffic.

Competitors Can Increase Exposure

Both the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt electric cars launched to the public this week. If just one had launched months ago, they wouldn’t get as much attention from consumers and the media.

The competition shows potential buys that there’s a growing market for this – that they’re not way out on a limb with some weird car.

This strategy can be used in any business (Nissan and Chevy didn’t join forces, but were both at an electric car conference).  Consider teaming up with a competitor to announce something you’re doing that’s similar.  The media EAT UP covering trends in a common industry.

pic & stats: CrunchGear

Sensual News Surfing

ABC’s beautiful iPad news app has been downloaded over 140,000 times in the first six days.

It works like a spinning ball – as if all news content comes out of some all-knowing sphere.  And while the news is mostly negative, I check this app daily just because it’s so fun to play with.

The iPad’s new interface rapidly changes the marketing game for brands.  Like the iPhone, some companies will experience hyper-growth because  people are drawn to their easy to use, well thought out iPad apps.

Good apps are an effective marketing strategy, so don’t be late to the game.

Middle of the Road Appeal

Ford released pics of the 2011 Explorer today. It’s fine looking, but nothing startling, overly exciting or controversial at all.

And for that reason it will again become one of the best selling vehicles in North America.

Marketing to the middle of the road is big: The Gap, Subway, top 40 artists and cars like the Accord and Camry do it all day long.  Volkswagen just announced their US growth plans include more watered down designs.

This strategy excites almost nobody, but the payoff is massive.

Marketers and PR folks (me included) too often look for the crazy, outlandish controversy to work with.  And while those are exciting, the big bucks are made catering to the unwashed masses with average stuff.

Enhanced Actor Reaction

When scouting for someone to be thrown around in the new Subaru WRX, why pick a normal person when people will laugh more at a ditzy bimbo lovely, frightened young lady?

Absurdity Pays Off

There’s a growing breed of Yaletown people who don’t want kids but treat their dogs very very similarly.

Enter the K99, a London ice cream truck for dogs. And all proceeds go to a London search & rescue dogs group.

Many will find this absolutely ridiculous, which is often the premise for a thriving new business model.

Vancouver, be warned.

via PSFK

Simple Is So In

At lunch today my friend and SEO expert Carlos mentioned that the new iPad commercial is full of great slogans.

The best line in the ad: “You already know how to use it.”

Their theme of simplicity has caught on. Sayings from the iPad’s campaign are obviously spreading virally. My 64yr old dad, who has always refused to even check out the internet now wants an iPad.

Ridiculously simple is currently fashionable in every industry.

Detail Oriented Delight

Sylvester Stallone could just launch his new ‘The Expendables’ movie as the cheesy action movie of the summer, but it would fall right into that exact category.

Instead he’s showing people behind the scenes before the movie’s launch, so fans can appreciate what went truly into it. Like that they used actual MMA fighters as communist soldiers, not just Brazilian models, and that production required working three long, hard shifts per day.

Every product launch or new campaign has a story behind it. Revealing the detail of that story makes people appreciate the final product more.

Crisis Communication Win

Apple started their conference addressing the iPhone 4 antenna whiners with this beautiful video.

Hopefully this proves that lame corporate overly-worded statements addressing a problem are dead.  Nice one Apple.  And I can’t wait for Telus to catch up to US carriers so I can buy an Android phone.
via TechCrunch