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Don’t be shy about promotions
Written by: Joe GaglianoArticle Overview: The article cites some examples of successful promotions, with the exhortation to execute promotions with gusto and élan.
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Free Download - Convening a focus group for a niche product By Joe Gagliano |
Don’t be shy about promotions
Crass. Gaudy. Common… Don't let the labels deter you. Promotion has a long history of outrageous stunts and often predictable manifestations, but many of these old-fashioned formulas work jus at well today as they did when The Greatest Show on Earth was new. How about a juggler for your next trade show, or salespeople dressed as road runners?
If the only thing holding you back is a sense of propriety, don't. If the approach meets your marketing criteria for delivering your message and reaching your demographics, go for it.
In the 1970s Memorex was pushing its video tape products. At the bi-annual Montreux Conference & Exhibition, in Switzerland, Memorex hired five hostesses who wore sashes emblazoned with the company's name and walked around the large exhibit floors. Memorex's main competitor was 3M, whose exhibit included a fully functional TV recording studio with feeds to all corners of the show. 3M management had to intervene after the Memorex hostesses were interviewed on their stage, by personnel who didn't realize that they were plugging the competition. Sir Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group, has indulged in high profile stunts by going up in balloons and driving monster trucks. Car dealers have been known to organize hoe-downs to draw the public.
The important thing to remember is that once you decide on a course of action, do it with gusto. If you are timorous, your audience will sense it and your efforts will be for naught. Irish company Elave shot a commercial where all the participants - all company personnel, including the CEO - were naked. The stunt drew worldwide attention, and helped place a virtually unknown company that makes skin care products on the map. You don't have to go to such extremes, but the example illustrates the principle: if you're going to promote, don't be shy about it.
Article Tags: exhortation, successful promotions
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About the Author: Joe Gagliano RSS for Joe's articles - Visit Joe's website Joe Gagliano began his career as a communicator with advertising and public relations activities for consumer accounts such as Hotpoint, Concord Electronics, Dodge Dealers Group, and Southern California S & L. In the late sixties he moved to the U.K., where he assumed the position of Advertising & PR Manager, Europe, with UCC subsidiary Computer Instrumentation Ltd. He later joined Memorex Corporation in London, where he had full promotional responsibility for Western Europe and the USSR. After leaving Memorex Joe moved to Interdata, and eventually he formed an advertising and PR agency partnership in London, England, with a clientele that consisted mainly of U.S. high technology companies operating in Europe. After returning to the United States, Joe instituted a PR division at the Sunnyvale, California, advertising agency Imahara & Keep, holding the title of vice president. In 1986, he formed Gagliano Public Relations to serve clients in business-to-business and service industries. After a brief spell as publisher of a lifestyles magazine in Silicon Valley, he returned to high-tech PR and advertising with encryption chip manufacturer Hifn. He currently operates webpr.com. Click here to visit Joe's website Press Release Primer PowerPoint presentations |
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