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 If this arrived in your mail do you think you might notice it and also, then show a few of your workmates, friends, and family members?

Very clever and very effective.

What could you send to potential customers to grab their attention in such a memorable way?

Just imagine the reaction…

When your customer opens their mail to find a a bright colorful ball with an appropriate (or if you are a little daring, a lightheartedly inappropriate) pun printed on it thanking them for their custom and inviting them back soon.

At least it’s going to be remembered long after an expensive color brochure packed full of brag and boast highly polished promo speak.

Leslie Allison-Seei, Partner of Robust Promotions fame sent me this idea that she has been working on with a new business appropriately named Send A Ball where you can find all the details on this clever alternative to boring brochures and flowers.

It may not be immediately obvious… because it’s not meant to be.

The whole idea is for kids to be able to play their Sony PSP’s in class. Oh c’mon, don’t get all morally indignant about it, it’s not a serious attempt to subvert your “near and dear” it’s not really going to fool anybody… or if it does, I don’t want them teaching my kids.

It’s another one of those gimmicks that all the kids will talk about and want to get their hands on, but never use. Ii is a great way for a company to share a joke and motivate “word of mouth” Advertising from its existing customers to their friends.

I have used this same “Laugh at yourself” technique for a major accounting company by sending out bags of jelly beans along with a letter with the headline “Some people think we are merely Bean Counters…”

Demonstrating you have the maturity to laugh at yourself helps you to build stronger relationships with both existing and potential customers.

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This is a great example of creating a Direct Mail device that grabs attention, illustrates the benefit a customer will receive by using your service.

This promotion includes each of the essential steps:

• 1. The device is clever and grabs your attention.
• 2. The  attached label explains clearly the benefit YOU will receive.
• 3. You are offered a discount to act NOW.

What low cost item could you send to your potential customers that would work this way? 

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What if you could say things in your Advertising that excited your customers so much they came running to your business with open check books?

What is you could write things that made customers realize you are the only business in your field worthy of their custom ?

What if I stopped all the questions and told you what I’m on about.

The other night I was sitting at my computer doing blogy stuff, when I noticed an email from the UK, from a lady called Carol Bentley.

She was inquiring about the use of my FREE ebook on creating signs. A couple of emails later I discovered she wanted to use parts of it for one of her clients, which being the shameless self promoter I am, was more than OK by me.

Being the “nosey parker” I am, I followed the link on her email to her new blog, and I really do mean NEW, in fact, then, only two postings old.

Carol Bentley is a copy writer, and from what Ive seen so far, a damn good one.

I like to think I know a bit about Direct Mail writing, but after reading her two most recent posts, I realized some people, a very few, have a really great talent and knack of teaching this copy writing stuff very clearly, to us mere mortals.

Carol’s two most recent posts “What if…” (yes that’s where I stole this posts heading from) and

“Here’s 8 elements for a powerful sales letter…” will teach you how to start writing letters and copy that will work. the reason I’m suggesting you get on over to her site and register your email right now is: If you follow her easy steps, within a very short time you too will be writing copy that generates sales. Your adds will be read, and more importantly, your adds will be acted upon.

The bottom line is: If you are spending your hard earned dollars on any form of Advertising, you MUST learn how to produce copy that works. Don’t rely on anybody in the Advertising sales section of printers, newspapers, sign writers etc. to know this stuff, they don’t, and their advice is based on their needs, not yours. You need to have a good knowledge of copy writing yourself, it’s the accelerator pedal of your business.

Because Carol is in the early stages of the development of her site, you will benefit by being able to learn all the basic building blocks that are essential. Her site is well worth a visit, I’m getting her email notifications of new posts each day, and have found everyone of them has taught me something I will use everyday.

Here’s the link to Carol Bentley’s site again, just in case you missed it.

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Some pictures really are equal to, or even greater than the legendary 1000 words, not many, but this one certainly is…

Just think how many words of “brag and boast” Advertising it would have taken to get this concept across without the picture, and if they had used only words, I doubt if they would have communicated this message, this quickly and this clearly.

This brilliant piece of creativity would work as: A TV add, a newspaper add, a billboard, as a Direct Mail piece, with the real objects, and on their stationary.

WHY IS THIS SO EFFECTIVE? 

It gives the viewer one of those pleasant little “Aha, I GET IT!” moments. These moments are extremely difficult to create and provide pure rocket fuel to the results.

I often prattle on about the power of creating Advertising messages that highlight either: a problem the consumer  wants solved, or, the benefit the consumer will get by using the product or service, This gem is a text book example of the latter.

And all for the cost of a couple of balloons, no expensive models, props, computer generated effects, just two simple balloons.

CREATE YOUR OWN…. 

Next time you are near a party shop, or one of those bulk “stuff from China” stores, rummage around in the kids section looking for an item that would  illustrate the benefit your business provides to its customers. Maybe its play money, a dolls dinner set, a toy car, a play set of builders toys, a lego scene… (wait for it, here comes the nauseating cliche) the opportunities are endless.

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This is so cheeky and clever it should win an award, in fact I’m sure it did…

But better still, I bet it sold a whole lot of new cars and drove awareness of the company through the roof.

Just imagine arriving back to car to find this clever iconic device attached to it, along with an invitation for a free test drive.

It just shows what can be achieved when you step away from the mundane, and use a little creative thought.

It’s always a great idea to put a smile on the face of your potential customers before you deliver your offer.

Here’s a fun way to generate some low cost “Word of Mouth” publicity for your Hair Salon.

The day you launch it, don’t forget to hire a local celebrity to model your new concept for the local media, how could they resist the photo opportunity. to maximize the publicity and customer follow up, take a photo of each customer, get their email address and send them a copy of the photo. in one slightly sneaky step you have promoted your business and compiled a “Permission Based” mailing list.

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The above photos don’t need any additional explanation from me…

What a superb piece of communication delivered in a manner that would thrill every recipient.

Just think, — It’s not often, we are grateful to receive advertisements.

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Yesterday, I received something in the mail that really grabbed my attention… an EAR.

At first I wondered if it was some “not too subtle” message from “The Godfather” but it turned out to be a very clever mailing piece from one of my clients.

The envelope included a large plastic ear, the type you find in party supply stores, and a letter.

The accompanying letter read like this: Continue Reading »