Great marketing on a budget
February 9, 2015
By Ken Gasque
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Albert Einstein. Imagination is also the best way to differentiate your product or service if you combine it with some guts and a little humor.
There are very few products or services that are unique. The marketer has to create some uniqueness that differentiates them in a meaningful way. One of the ways most marketers choose is advertising. Advertising can create an image in the mind about how the product will add value to your life or bring pleasure. In the 1950’s Charles Revlon used glamour photography of beautiful models. He said, “In the factory, we make cosmetics. In the drug store we sell hope.” ‘Hope’ is probably what we are seeking from a lot of products.
Advertising that gives people a sense of identity, purpose and adventure will capture their attention. All it takes is imagination. One of my favorite examples of this is a company called Dollar Shave Club. Their branding statement is ‘Shave Time. Shave money’. The cost of their razor and 5 blades is $1.00 plus $2.00 shipping. You can contact them at www.dollarshaveclub.com. About a week after you place your order you get a small box in the mail with your razor, blades, a small sample of one of their skin products and a monthly newsletter. The corrugated box is well designed and positions the product well.
How did I find this company? Through their imaginative use of YouTube. They make fun of their competitions marketing and advertising and they don’t take themselves too seriously. It is as if they are saying it is only a razorblade! The CEO is a knock off of Chevy Chase and his YouTube commercials are hysterical. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI . After watching the YouTube video I had to try them just for the experience (adventure).
If you can make razorblades fun you can make anything fun. Fun (an experience or an adventure) sets the product apart, it differentiates, and makes it attention getting. Imagination sells products. Their budget for marketing was miniscule in comparison to what the national brands spend. Their investment was a few videos hosted on YouTube, some clever package design, inexpensive printing on corrugated board and a few signs and bus cards in the Boston area. From that they received word of mouth because their campaign was imaginative.
Another start up company that used their imagination and landed a lot of publicity and a well-known investor is TomandChee. TomandChee is as basic as it gets, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. They claim “TomandChee is the grilled cheese and tomato soup shop for the kid at heart, mixing classic comfort food with fresh ingredients, healthy alternatives, and a flare for the unexpected.” TomandChee offers 25 plus sandwiches which look like they were designed and named by Ben & Jerry. They are unusual to say the least. They also offer fresh salads and three tomato soups.
TomandChee has grown their business from a tiny tent on a public square in Cincinnati to a rapidly expanding franchise. Imagination and an appearance on ABC’s Shark Tank led to the investment and partnership with Barbara Corcoran, businesswoman, investor, speaker, consultant, syndicated columnist, author, and television personality. With the investment and the media exposure they have grown from a tent to twenty locations. Their Grilled Cheese Donut has been featured on ABC’s “The Chew”, Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food Nation” and was named one of America’s best new sandwiches by NBC’s “Today” Show. Their initial investment was tiny (a tent in a park) and imagination enough to be selected to present on Shark Tank.
For more ideas on imagination, creativity and how you can use it to build your brand visit http://www.ittybittyurl.com/Xy5 and enjoy.
© Copyright Ken Gasque 2015 all rights reserved.
About Ken Gasque
Ken Gasque is a brand developer—a professional marketer with a design background. Ken works with small companies and Fortune 500 companies who recognize the need to differentiate their products and services in a cluttered market. Ken is a highly visual, outside-the-box-thinker on advertising, branding and marketing. Ken writes for several blogs and lectures on brand and brand development. To learn more, visit www.gasque.com
