Thoughts on promotion

“Being noticed is not the same as being remarkable. Running down the street naked will get you noticed, but it won’t accomplish much. It’s easy to pull off a stunt, but not useful.”

The Guardian, January 2007

Do I agree? Well, yes and no. Is it important to get noticed – of course and I would say it is also useful to get noticed. If your potential customers have never heard of you, they are never going to buy your products. But, yes, I would agree that running down the street naked is not going to do that job for you.

I would argue though that stunts and indeed any promotional activity, if appropriate to your products / services can be effective in raising your profile and getting press coverage. But the key is making sure that it is relevant. And as with any marketing activity, planning will help to ensure success. Consider what your target audience is interested in, where you are likely to find them and make sure that any communication you send your audience supports what you have sent before. By all means try a (relevant) stunt every now and then if you wish, but don’t rely on them.

I’ll leave you with the thoughts of the Chartered Institute of Marketing:

“Promotion must gain attention, be appealing, tell a consistent message and above all else give the customer a reason to choose your product rather than someone else’s.”