Page 80 - 101 Ways to Market Your Business

TRY A FEW UNUSUAL IDEAS

20 Get behind a wacky promotion

One of the greatest ideas I have heard about recently was
a farmer in England who sold advertising on his cows.
A local ice-cream company approached the farmer. They
made up blanket-like banners for the cows to wear featuring
the message: ‘Our main ingredient comes from here’
(or something similar to this). The farm was located next to
one of England’s busiest highways, which meant that tens
of thousands of people saw these ‘cows with signs’ every day.

That was the small part. The advertising cows were so
unusual they were featured on television around the world.
The ice-cream company received incredible exposure and
the cost of the promotion was minimal when you consider
the interest it generated.

This is a very clever idea with lots of applications to
anyone in business. Every once in a while you may be
approached to get involved in some bizarre promotion,
such as a kissing competition. We often write these ideas
off as being too far from planet earth—well guess again.

Crazy sporting events like Extreme Games are viewed by
250 million people around the world. People love crazy—
the top rating television shows include Funniest Home
Videos, Cops, The World’s Craziest People and Ripley’s Believe
It Or Not.

Most of the time when people approach you about
getting involved in promotions like this they are after
donations of products or time. Don’t write these ideas off.
Get behind them and make sure that your company name
is all over the promotion.

Why don’t you be the one to come up with the idea?
Make sure it is obtainable and try to get a few people
involved in the planning stages to make sure you keep your
feet on the ground. The worst that can happen is that you
have a lot of fun.

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