Profit or Cost?
Is your website a marketing expense? Whilst I’m not an accountant or a tax expert, the answer is usually ‘yes’. However, what if your website earnt you money instead of costing you money? You’d take that offer every day wouldn’t you?
The same applies to the rest of your marketing. Does it need to be an expense? Or, could your marketing pay for itself? Or even better, could people pay you to promote your services? This is the holy grail of marketing – people paying you to promote you!
Sounds like a fairy tale? Maybe, it is easier to do than you think.
Are T-shirts the Holy Grail of Marketing?
I remember years ago walking into Target or Kmart and seeing Fosters Lager and Victoria Bitter t-shirts on sale. (Substitute for your favourite beer) I thought to myself, why would anyone want to buy a t-shirt that is so blatantly advertising for a beer – and pay for the privilege? Now, clearly I’m not a fan of either of these famous Australian beers.
For a long time this idea stayed in my mind. And, now I think I’ve worked it out. A public display like this – wearing a promotional t-shirt – is part of how to create a cult following. It enables the wearer to say ‘This is who I am, this is the group of people I associate with.’ It’s the same as wearing a suit to work, your team’s scarf to go to a football game or wearing one of those crazy fascinators in your hair when you go to the Melbourne Cup. And, this is the key to the holy grail of marketing.
Self-promoting Products
If you can have people use your product in public, then you have an automatic and built-in promotional device. In other words, every time someone uses your product they promote you. Best of all, you can sell them this product.
Here’s some examples:
- T-shirt – people see it when you wear them
- Car – people see it when you drive it
- Postcard – people see it when you post it on your fridge
- Leaf blower – people hear you using it and see your clean yard when you’re done
- Perfume – people smell it when you wear it
- Mobile Phone – people see you carrying it plus see you using it
- Running Shoes – people see your footprints in the mud where you’ve been running
Reaching the Holy Grail
There are two types of here to reach your holy grail.
- The first is when the public display is automatically built into it’s use. For instance a car. Almost every time you use it you do it in public.
- The second is when you can add your brand to a generic item. A t-shirt is a classic example. You can buy a plain one or a branded one. Designers of sunglasses have cleverly incorporated brands into the shape of the finished physical product.
To take advantage of this opportunity have a close look at your current products and ask yourself these questions:
- Which ones are public?
- And, how can you add your brand to a public product?
