I watched Undercover Boss last night. I know, I know… but trust me, it's research. It was a great opportunity to get a glimpse of management styles and learn about various facets of a company's structure. But even more, last night's episode reminded me of a common theme I have noticed in advertising: Companies want YOUR input and are collecting it in unconventional ways. They are reaching out to alternative sources when designing marketing campaigns. Instead of working only with agencies or consultants, I have noticed a trend in which organizations involve peers, consumers, and co-workers in the design or message of a campaign. By the end of last night's episode, a training manager at a 7-11 bakery was hired as a freelance designer after a positive connection with the convenience store chain's CEO.
Now, this isn't the first time we have seen this (remember, my what's old is new again post?). In 2004, Dove launched the Real Beauty Campaign and in 2006 MasterCard launched a contest for the best Priceless ad. What I have noticed more recently is that companies are launching contests through unconventional methods to get consumers involved, whether it is through reality TV, Facebook or Twitter. These contests are always very powerful because they generate buzz (media loves to promote these "out of box" approaches to advertising), contests can go viral quickly and usually mini-sites are created which inevitably generate more traffic to your main website. Doritos had success with this through their crashthesuperbowl.com contest.
If you are a small business owner, take this approach and modify it to fit your needs. Why not have an in-store contest asking consumers to develop a summer tag or a short series of print ads? Incorporate PR into this tactic and contact your local media informing them of the contest, how many entries you have received and, of course, the outcome. Not only will you expose your business, but media loves stories about local personalities. It is a great combo!
If you want to dream big and take a stab at creating your own national ad, Go Daddy is giving away $100K, $50K, or $25K to groups who come up with the best new, creative spots. Go Daddy is also reaching out to the online social community to award winners in the Community Favorites and Most Shared categories. These winners will receive various computer and camera equipment. Click on the link to learn more and good luck!
Your Chief Inspiration Officer
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