Jun
16
2008
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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.
Apr
15
2008
There is no better, faster, lower cost way to build a business than establishing a proactive method of getting your existing customers to refer your business to their friends and families.
Nathan from restaurantrevolution.com sent me news of this great new product and I believe it is one of the best systems I have come across in a long time.
Without me blathering on about it, check it out for yourself at www.ripcard.com
Mar
26
2008
During a recent stay in a hotel I discovered a “Pillow Menu” in my room.
As a long time neck sufferer (My wife terms me as a pain in the neck) It was a very welcome value added service.
A quick Google proved it is a service offered by many service oriented hotels, but it got me thinking how easy it would be for most businesses to offer similar “value added services” at their point of delivery.
Things like, choice of chairs, cutlery, binding of documents, packaging etc. etc. The point is, the simple act of offering such a choice is a clear indication to your customers that you care and regard them as individuals with unique wants and needs.
Mar
25
2008
The key to Advertising any products unique qualities is to use photography to clearly show what it can do for its target customers.
So, if you wanted to tell Chefs that you manufacture knives that are made of high quality materials and are extremely sharp…
Well, you judge for yourself, how well this set of advertisements achieves this…
The million dollar question now is…
How can you show how good your product or service is (from your customers perspective) in a photo?
Mar
12
2008
I was recently sent this little gem.
It’s very clever, sure to be noticed, and the public service message will avoid it being dismissed as an unwanted intrusion.
All you have to do to add some self promotion, is add a coupon on the back that gives the reader a powerful self serving reason to visit your establishment.
Dec
20
2007
Now let’s get this perfectly straight before I say how good it is…
I think people who torture their bodies with all this silly running around and sweating stuff are a couple of bricks short of the full barrow load.
I don’t really mind how they choose to waste their precious spare time, but I get really pissed off when I’m standing outside (bloody new legislation!) having a quiet cigarette, and they ponce past disrupting the peace with the constant pond pound pound of their stupidly expensive runners (made by child labour in third world countries) and their sickeningly smug superiority.
After all, where are they running to? The same emergency ward as me, where we will have to compete for attention? Shouldn’t all sports equipment carry a health warning too?
Anyway, all this is just my rambling way of saying: The photos above are a clever way of promoting Nike (as if they need my disdainful approval)
Now how about a few signs for smokers!!!! We are addictive consumers as well.
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Dec
18
2007
The world Wild Life Fund wanted to show everyone that bad environmental decisions ultimately catchup with us, and lead to self destruction.
I reckon they succeeded in getting their message across, what do you think?
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Nov
29
2007
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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Nov
26
2007
What a great low cost way to draw attention to a fashion sale and draw people from all around a city to your store.
i particularly like this type of promotion because it’s the sort of thing that can be got up and running fast. You don’t have to organize an army of screenwriters and display people, just get a few flyer’s printed at the local quick print shop, grab some old or surplus stock and you have an instant promotion.
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Nov
21
2007
Here’s a clever idea I read about recently…
Purchase a whole bundle of very cheap wallets direct from an importer, into them, put some coupons for whatever you wish to promote along with a letter that explains: that to reward their honesty you offering them … your offer…
drop these wallets arounfd your community in high traffic locations, ensuring more are dropped as required. It’s a fun way to get your message across get potential customers involved in your promotion.
It’s obviously not going to work (economically) for low ticket items, but would make a great letter box drop for real estate agents and car dealers looking for something a little different to break through the monotonous clutter.
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