Technology rules. Yeah, for about five minutes--then natural instincts take over. Are you stupid enough to fight Mamma Nature? Well go ahead and rewrite the rules if you can, cause the Big Mamma knows one thing. She's tried and tested it all, and if you want to play by her kooky rules she is willing to teach you a thing or two.
The question is, are you willing to learn?
Do You Pay in Advance?
Notice how big a brand Red Bull is today? Notice how insignificant their advertising is? Red Bull shuns print advertising and has never done a triple back flip on a web campaign. Yet it has found roots in over 50 countries, and has cemented its loyalty in the fickle land of teenagers.
So what's Red Bull's big secret?
It's called GIVING.
Their strategy was simple: They enticed students with free cases of Red Bull if they threw a party. Guess how many students need an excuse to have a party? With a simple act of giving away free cases to the right target audience in the right universities, Red Bull became a very Rich Red Bull.
Yet Where Are Most Marketing Plans Aimed?
Too often marketing is aimed solely at getting. Look at all those marketing plans, those numerous advertisements blaring away on the radio and TV. It's get, get, and get, all the way!
Yet Nature pooh poohs the stuff. Putting its carrot (not cart) before the horse, nature works on the giving part first. In it's own little marketing and advertising scenario, a flower works contrary to most marketers. Using the bait of color, pollen and nectar, it draws the bees, knowing full well that its very existence depends on giving.
Wander down the supermarket and you'll know what I mean. Fifty thousand brands stare at you, screaming at you to buy them. Then the little ol' lady offers you a sample of a product. Fifteen seconds into your tasting session, she gives you another sample. Then for no apparent reason, a bottle or two of the product finds itself in your cart. Are you sold? You betcha!
Giving away works for a simple reason. Nature hates imbalance. If the deer get faster, so do the cheetah. It's a classic system to keep things in check, which effectively means that to create an "imbalance" in marketing in your favor, you've got to give first.
Are You Ready To Do the 1-2-3 and Cha-Cha-Cha?
Do you play the dating game? Or do you rush in to conquer most of the time? Mamma Nature knows that haste makes waste. Yet marketers think nothing of blowing up squillions of dollars on some hair-brained, get rich quick scheme that achieves far less than its potential.
Harley Davidson has been to hog hell and back. Just in time to save its bacon, it decided to work on the cha-cha-cha instead of the wham, bam method. The reward has manifested itself in thousands of die-hard Harley fans that would go all the way on their Harleys. Even today despite being in an enviable position, Harley still finds time to wine and dine its customers while thumbing its nose at traditional media.
Another good example of cha-cha-cha marketing is how the British operated in the 19th century. Instead of slamming their way into conquering new lands, they often went as traders. Whether history likes it or not, they maximized their potential in a systematic and natural marketing manner.
What Happens When Nature Goofs Up
Even nature loses out when it fails to obey its own rules. As long as it sticks to its spring, summer, autumn, winter routine we go along with the "relationship." Yet every time it does the 60-second prime time TV spot on us, we absolutely hate it. Oh sure, there's great color, drama and pizzazz in a whirling tornado, but there's zero empathy and a whole lot of defiance.
Turn on the music, move those feet. This isn't some behemoth CRM program we're talking about. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but flowers arouse less suspicion. Do the cha-cha-cha and the getting to know your customer. It's cheaper, it follows steps, and it works.
Is Your Target Audience "Everyone?"
Nature would laugh at you and laugh heartily. Are you setting yourself up for disaster or what? Even a pimple-ridden 13 year old knows exactly who is her knight in shining armor. While the concept of being in the company of 20 gorgeous men would set her eyes alight, her brain knows better.
