17KB
Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful — Chapter-12: Sampling Some Really Outrageous Ideas
- Source: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/source-file.epub
- EPUB items: text/part0019.html
- Image note: Embedded images were extracted to the book's images folder; OCR is included beside image markers when text was recognized.
OUTRAGEOUS ADVERTISING that’s outrageously successful
- Sampling Some Really OUTRAGEOUS Ideas
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00008.jpeg] [No readable text recognized; consult the extracted image asset.]
What if a gorilla wearing a gold bow tie, a gold vest, and a gold top hat brought you a package? Would you accept it and open it? Okay, let’s say it was a courier wearing a gorilla suit, not a real gorilla. Would you accept it and open it then?
Kellene Bishop dispatched a coordinated set of such gorilla couriers one afternoon in Atlanta, proving that these techniques translate into all markets—even those that deal with people who deal with more affluent customers or with large transaction sizes.
Kellene, you see, arranges financing for multi-million-dollar commercial real estate purchases, and once she got into the business, she realized there was a huge opportunity for many people just like her.
She knew how to do it. So she started teaching classes—seminars really—on how to take advantage of the huge market, which is $1 trillion in commercial real estate that NEEDS to be refinanced in the next three years. It was a big, open market.
Kellene knew that she could teach smaller lenders how to think big and become big lenders and make big money in the process. That is, they’d make big money, and she’d make big money teaching them.
So she used a number of techniques to get her message out, but my favorite was one she used in Atlanta in 2006 when she sent out the gorillas.
She realized that the $1 trillion that needed to be refinanced was like an 800-pound gorilla in the room. Thus, the gorilla suits.
It actually turned into a bit of a publicity stunt that received free coverage in local media, bringing even more success to her promotion.
Of course, it wasn’t easy. There was a lot of coordination that went into it, including acquiring the proper gifts for the gift boxes that the gorillas presented, getting the couriers to agree to wear gorilla suits in Atlanta’s scorching hot weather, and handwriting an individual sales letter to each prospective client.
She was selling a $10,000 seminar and promising that if they followed her program they would earn at least $700,000. It was OUTRAGEOUS on all counts, and the gorilla certainly proved the point.
no limit to how OUTRAGEOUS you want to be?
OUTRAGEOUS doesn’t mean offensive.
However, OUTRAGEOUS sometimes can be offensive to some. If you dare walk that line, just remember that it’s a steep fall off of the wrong end. And yet, it certainly can draw attention.
Of course, it is important to know your audience and also their limits. This is not demographic rocket science. It is just ordinary smart guesswork—and using your good OUTRAGEOUS instinct for what’s funny versus what’s potentially offensive, and to whom.
Although you do need to be warned about being offensive, you need to equally and perhaps doubly be warned against being timid or boring. Your advertising NEEDS to be noticed … remember, people are receiving thousands of advertising messages every week, and just about all of them are boring (and forgettable).
So, how OUTRAGEOUS do you want to be? Enough to GUARANTEE that you will be noticed!
OUTRAGEOUS … OUTRAGEOUS ideas
No, that headline is not from the Department of Redundancy Department. It means that everything I teach is OUTRAGEOUS advertising, but some of those ideas are outrageous even in the realm of OUTRAGEOUS.
Some of them you’ve already seen in this book. For instance, in chapter 4, I described a few crazy mailers such as the coconut mailer and the garbage can mailer. Those were outrageous OUTRAGEOUS ideas.
Here are some more.
the wizmark interactive urinal communicator
There are certain places where you can get a captive audience.
I wrote in chapter 8 about an advertisement on the wall of a dentist’s office directly in view of where a patient looks when he or she is being treated. That’s a captive audience.
Another is a men’s urinal. Yes, a men’s urinal can be a good place to advertise. You wouldn’t think of it, would you?
And yet, someone has figured out the whole “captive audience” thing and designed a urinal deodorizer that is, well, activated by fluid hitting it. And that “action” then triggers a flashing light or a message running across it.
Who would use such a thing? I know of an attorney who uses it to great success in bars where he advertises for DWI clients. I also know of a professional speaker who uses it at seminars to encourage attendees to come to his session.
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00157.jpeg] [OCR from embedded image; verify layout in the extracted image asset.] WIEMARR -LNDLAR *A3007 (S roctiveUrinolCommunicalor MARK THEWORLDSFIRST&ONLY.- ITISNCHIVETALAINGMEYSROOMADTETISING Coehae io yre sd sidr slaang iagnile pe ccey sih
Wizmark Interactive Urinal Communicator. You can see this in full color when you claim your FREE CD of all of the exhibits in this book by using the form on page 312.
If you are a man, you might laugh when you’re standing in front of a urinal, but you’re not going anywhere until you finish what you came in to accomplish (said with political correctness).
Think about it! This is OUTRAGEOUS advertising that you will remember, which is the point of advertising. In fact, I’ll bet that when you leave the men’s room, you’ll tell everyone else about the experience you just had and why all of the other males that are with you have to go and check it out.
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00023.jpeg] [No readable text recognized; consult the extracted image asset.]
OUTRAGEOUS resource
You can find information about Wizmark Interactive Urinals at www.wizmark.com.
And now, I’ll change the subject. You’re welcome.
the b2b “foot in the door” mailer
When you are in sales, especially in B2B sales, what are you trying to do? You are trying to get your “foot in the door.” Right?
Well, of course you are.
So why not specifically say so?
In fact, why not just send a foot? You know … to the door … or in the mail.
No, really. Why not?
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00158.jpeg] [OCR from embedded image; verify layout in the extracted image asset.] BillGlazer President Insider'sCircle Towson,MD 21286 Phone:410.825 Fac4108253
Foot In The Door Mailing. You can see this in full color when you claim your FREE CD of all of the exhibits in this book by using the form on page 312.
After all, one of the biggest struggles of all salespeople is simply getting in to see the decision maker. So, this campaign allows you to send a box in the mail that is opened up and accompanied by the foot with your business card wedged between two of the toes and a letter that begins, “You’re probably wondering why I am sending you this rubber foot in the mail. Well, I’m trying to get ‘my’ foot in the door” to see you.
It’s OUTRAGEOUS, and it works!
the payroll pro cruiser
I’m a big believer in looking for opportunities in your business where you can grab attention with OUTRAGEOUS advertising. For example, earlier in the book I wrote about how you can use pre-recorded testimonials on your “on-hold” message or how a dentist’s office can place a sign in its operatories to promote new patient referrals.
Well, if you have a business where you have vehicles on the street that travel around a lot, why not place an OUTRAGEOUS sign on them to grab attention?
In fact, why not just drive a sign? They do it in NASCAR; why can’t you?
That’s what David Reckford thought, and so he paid to have his car wrapped in his logo to promote his business.
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00159.jpeg] [OCR from embedded image; verify layout in the extracted image asset.] Payroll Pro （805)683-8888 First Month Free! wwthepayrolipro.com einblefas3
Payroll Pro wrapped vehicle. You can see this in full color when you claim your FREE CD of all of the exhibits in this book by using the form on page 312.
And now, whenever his vehicle parks to drop off a business’s payroll or drives around town, it is an OUTRAGEOUS moving message. And best of all, once you have this down, it’s like the Energizer Bunny … it keeps on working and working and working and working!!!!
the half-birthday campaign
We all know that birthdays are just about always observed, but how many people older than the age of nine celebrate half birthdays?
Not many, right?
And that’s exactly why Dean Killingbeck decided to use that concept as an OUTRAGEOUS promotion. Killingbeck, as you may recall from chapter 9, is a master marketer who has used demographic and birthday lists to great advantage for the turnkey systems he has put in place for many businesses.
So he also took it a step further.
Once he saw the extraordinary success his clients had with using his turnkey mailings for birthdays, he realized he could get twice the results by also developing mailings for half birthdays. Of course, he does it in an OUTRAGEOUS manner.
After all, a half-birthday celebration for an adult is OUTRAGEOUS in itself. But what really made it special was the approach. There was half an envelope with half a letter.
Connecting the OUTRAGEOUS dots in an OUTRAGEOUS way made this campaign OUTRAGEOUSLY successful.
And inside the half envelope, there was of course a half letter from the business owner with the half-birthday offer.
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00160.jpeg] [OCR from embedded image; verify layout in the extracted image asset.] H5bN.ColoradoAv BruSh,Co80123 Taylor Fizourald 123Anu$+t cituy,st 12345
Half Birthday Envelope. You can see this in full color when you claim your FREE CD of all of the exhibits in this book by using the form on page 312.
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00161.jpeg] [OCR from embedded image; verify layout in the extracted image asset.] Taylor... Happy 1/2 Birthday FromDiggersDinerll TaslorFitogerald 123 Any Sereet City, ST 1234S Heppy Birthday Toylor! Would you believe that sbx months have passed sinoe yourbireday?Technicaly,thatwouldmake this month your L2 birthday montht So, in onderto celebrate, we'se sending you this 1/2 letter giving you a special offer. Bring in this letter anytimebeforeJuly31st and recelve50%off any sntrfe! RealytThat's1/2 ofl anyenttis.ofyour.choice, GuaranfeediAter all, syour1/2birthdasymonthand you'respecialto us,so we want toTHANKYOUforbeing agvat customer,But hury, this ofler Expires on July31,2007 See you soon, Jeff & Tawnie Maroas P.S, Bring in this lener and necelve 1/2 of any entree of your cholce! P.P.5., Remember, this offer epirns July 31, 200171 P.P.P.5, Bring aloeg 3 or *
Half Birthday Letter. You can see this in full color when you claim your FREE CD of all of the exhibits in this book by using the form on page 312.
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00015.jpeg] [No readable text recognized; consult the extracted image asset.]
OUTRAGEOUS resource
Dean Killingbeck’s company, New Customers Now, offers a turnkey service to mail half-birthday mailings as a terrific strategy to attract existing customers/clients/patients or “new” customers to your business. You can contact his company at www.newcustomersnow.net.
scent mailing
Scratch and sniff?
How about scent and sell!!!
That’s exactly what ScentiSphere has done. They have created dozens of different scents that your printer can add to anything you mail in order to add another sense to your mailing.
So you no longer just read it. Now you read and also smell it. Best of all, the possibilities are endless. Here’s a partial list of the different scents you can add to your mailings:
Apple Pie
Latte
Asphalt
Marijuana
Banana
Lemon
Buttered Popcorn
Leather
Cherry
Mint
Chocolate
New Car Smell
Christmas Tree
Orchid
Clean Cotton
Peach
Coffee
Peppermint
Daisy
Pineapple
Dill Pickle
Red Licorice
Fireplace Smoke
Stinky Cheese
French Fries
Suntan Lotion
Gingerbread
Tulips
Grass
Vanilla
Green Apple
Watermelon
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00162.jpeg] [OCR from embedded image; verify layout in the extracted image asset.] It'sRosesfora"Scent.” Call usandwewillsendrosesinaplainboxtomend,to thank,toexpresssympathy,oranyexpressionyoumay wishto send. Call 316.555.9787 Rosesfora"Scent” (We may even save amamiage) Didyouknowaboutaprinting companyrighthereinWichitathat haswonawardsfortheirclientsin NationalMarketsbecauseoftheir “Outof theBoxThinking
Scent Mailing Example. You can see this in full color when you claim your FREE CD of all of the exhibits in this book by using the form on page 312.
That’s the idea of the scent mailing; it can send an actual aroma through the mail—aromas as diverse as the smell of a new car for an automobile dealership to the smell of marijuana for someone who sells plant food. Yes, that would be OUTRAGEOUS!
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00023.jpeg] [No readable text recognized; consult the extracted image asset.]
OUTRAGEOUS resource
You can find information about ScentiSphere at www.scentisphere.com.
your own postal stamp
The US Postal Service will now let you put almost any image you want on a stamp. You’ve probably seen Elvis and all the celebrities, but one of our Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle members, Bob Battle, an attorney, sent out a mailing with his own face on the stamp and above it the slogan, “In Bob We Trust.”
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00163.jpeg] [OCR from embedded image; verify layout in the extracted image asset.] InBobWeTrust 39
Bob Battle’s postage stamp. You can see this in full color when you claim your FREE CD of all of the exhibits in the book by using the form on page 312.
Obviously this is a very smart way to increase the open rate of your mailings when the recipients are already familiar with you. They’re going to say, “What is your picture doing on the stamp? I’ve just gotta open this up and find out what this is all about.”
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00020.jpeg] [No readable text recognized; consult the extracted image asset.]
OUTRAGEOUS resource
You can find information about customized stamps at photo.stamps.com.
fortune cookie
Here is an OUTRAGEOUS idea: advertise inside of food.
That’s what you can do if you try the fortune cookie advertisement. There are a lot of uses for this as you can print anything you want on the message inside of the fortune cookie.
For example, at my menswear stores I once ran a promotion where I sent out a postcard with a picture of a fortune cookie on it and told my customers to bring in the postcard to redeem it for a fortune cookie to discover how they could save a fortune with the discount inside the cookie when they opened it up.
These are really fun to do because as the casinos have taught us … just about everybody loves “games of chance.”
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00164.jpeg] [OCR from embedded image; verify layout in the extracted image asset.] Dowhat cveryonee cvrryoneelsegets Call 866-99)
The Gage Fortune Cookie Postcard. You can see this in full color when you claim your FREE CD of all of the exhibits in this book by using the form on page 312.
I’ve seen this fortune cookie approach applied to numerous businesses, typically with great success. In fact, in many cases an actual fortune cookie was delivered in the mail with headlines along the lines of:
“Here’s The Secret To Making Your FORTUNE In ___________” “There a FORTUNE in Your Future” “You Save A FORTUNE When You _______________”
[Embedded image: /library/Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful/images/00026.jpeg] [No readable text recognized; consult the extracted image asset.]
Sizzling Outrageous Summation
-
More OUTRAGEOUS gets more attention.
-
Know your audience; don’t be offensive but never be boring.
-
You can advertise really OUTRAGEOUSLY in some really OUTRAGEOUS places.
-
You can be really OUTRAGEOUS without spending a lot of money by identifying opportunities you already have such as a message on hold, vehicles, signs, etc.
-
You can be really OUTRAGEOUS by using the senses of hearing, seeing, feeling, and even smelling.