Category Archives: Offline Marketing

Offline Marketing, Online Marketing, Random Thoughts

The Effectiveness of Shock Value

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I just got back from seeing Brüno with some friends and while I’m definitely not writing a movie review (…although I thought it was very funny…), what really struck me was how much the audience really loved the ‘shock value’ of what they were seeing. It was a movie that totally pushed the envelope and challenged the limits of what could be said or done.

While I’m sure many people will object and protest to the content of the movie (Note: It’s already banned in Ukraine), I think there is definitely merit in seeing how a little shock can go a long way towards capturing people’s attention.

It really has to make you wonder if we live in a day and age where we are so saturated with media messages that in order to stand out from the crowd your message must be so out-of-the-ordinary that it shocks the audience.

With countless videos available on YouTube, it has to make you wonder how some videos get millions of views and become part of current pop culture overnight. From my experiences, it’s the videos that really shock you, the ones that have you stunned, the ones that you know are going to go insanely viral because it is just has that ‘Wow’ factor.

But, how do you get that ‘Wow’ factor? What is the formula? And, how risky is it to go after because an attempt for ‘Wow’ can become a disaster in a moment?

As someone who speaks to marketers and business owners all the time, I’m always encouraging them to think about the ‘Wow’ factor and how to make it work for them.

I don’t think there is a specific formula. I just think it’s something that requires a little outside-the-box thinking… a little brainstorming…and a little creativity.

Offline Marketing, Online Marketing

Making The Same Service Different > Las Vegas Poker Rooms

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It’s been a few days since I’ve been back from Vegas and each time I talk to one of my friends who was there with me (many of whom are degenerate gamblers!) they are talking about their favourite poker rooms.

This is very interesting to me because one of the things that I always preach to customers is that they have to distinguish themselves from the competition. It’s so important that you can answer the question “what makes us better”.

The poker room conversation with my friends strikes at the heart of this because poker is the same game no matter where you play it. You’ve got chips, cards, a dealer, some chairs and you’re set. Yet, some of my friends loved certain poker rooms and hated others, even when the game is the exact same.

The specific reasons vary from person to person and place to place that they were commenting on. Some of the poker rooms had nice flat screen TVs, more tables, friendlier dealers, special bad beat or “high hand” bonuses, larger variety of games, better decor, more comfortable chairs, and the list goes on.

So, even though it’s the same game being played in every spot, there is a long list of factors that separate one from the other. Each of the poker rooms knows that these factors make a difference and they work hard to make sure their patrons see the differentiating factors of their offering. And, based on how busy some poker rooms are versus others that are dead quite, it is clear that this makes a difference.

While you may not be operating a Las Vegas poker room, the lesson remains that finding out what makes you different and making that apparent to your customers, can go a long way towards separating you from the rest of the pack.

Offline Marketing, Online Marketing

Sales Leads Can Come From Anywhere

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One of the things I always tell customers and our in-house sales staff is that ‘sales leads’ come from all sorts of different places.

They can be the result of a promotion, a networking session, a referral, sales calls, etc, etc.

You never really know where the next big sales lead is going to come from, so you’ve always got to have your eyes peeled.

This is especially true in today’s economy, where no one wants to miss a sale because they were blind to the opportunity.

The reason I mention this is because last night I got a great new sales lead in the strangest of places.

Last night was a playoff game for the hockey team I play on, creatively named the “Bayside Tigers”.

Mid-way through the second period I lined up for a face-off (I play right-wing) and the person on the other team across from me is a guy I used to play hockey with years ago. He remembered I was involved in some ‘internet marketing thing’ (<- Yes, that is the technical name for it!) and asked if I could help him. In about 10 seconds he told me what he needed, I told him how we could help him, and now we’ve got a call scheduled for later in the week.

So, I guess sales leads can come from anywhere…. Even at center ice!

Offline Marketing, Online Marketing, Random Thoughts

Give Thanks… For Your Customer’s “Attention”

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Seth Godin wrote an interesting Thanksgiving post where he thanked his readers for giving them a wonderful gift, their “attention”.

This is a very important concept that many business owners I talk to seemingly overlook. In today’s world there are a million distractions. Between TV, radio, books, billboards, iPods, bus advertisements, web sites, email ads, text messages, cell phones, Blackberry’s…well, the list goes on and on. The point is, there is always something vying for your attention. With only 24 hours in the day, that makes someone’s attention a highly sought after commodity.

Often times I hear business owners say something to the effect of “I don’t understand why my customers didn’t read all the way to the bottom of my email advertising campaign”. Then, I’ll take a look at their email and it appears to contain half the text from the Encyclopedia Britannica! I then ask the business owner if they would have time to read the whole thing, to which the reply is often a hesitant delay (realizing their blunder!) and then the statement “maybe not”. Well, if you won’t give you own content enough attention to get all the way to the bottom, you better believe that your customers are willing to invest a whole lot less than you are!

This is why it’s vital to put the most important pieces of information at the very top of your web page, your email, your hand-written memos, etc. If you assume that people are only willing to give you 15 seconds of their time, then you can strategically approach the way you present your content.

So, this Thanksgiving, while you’re giving thanks, don’t let “attention” slip your mind because if you don’t appreciate your customer’s attention, then it may not be long before you lose it.

I thank you all for reading this =)  […I guess it’d be hypocritical to not say that!]

I’ll close with this quote:
“On Thanksgiving Day all over America, families sit down to dinner at the same moment – halftime.”
— Unknown

Have a great Thanksgiving!