When we do our job really well- our clients get PR for free.
Dan Wolt was another window salesman, who knew the high-pressure business inside and out. He’d been at the top of a huge window mill- with 150 people setting appointments in a pressure cooker- and then he walked away and went solo.
But how to compete? How does a sole practitioner make enough noise to get noticed above the din of one of the most cut-throat industries known to man?
Our solution was “Zen Windows” a brand that was the antithesis of the standard positioning. His new slogan “Relax, window quotes in five minutes” opened a new conversation with customers who had already experienced the grueling three hour sessions of the competition.
So successful is his strategy, that About.com wrote about it. (unfortunately- the link died)
Replacement Windows - Profile of Zen Windows - Replacement Window Company
Zen Windows - Doing Replacement Windows Differently
If you think your business can’t compete with the Goliaths of your industry- consider what is accepted practice- and think about how you can differentiate yourself. BMW motorcycle dealers are different because they let customers ride demo bikes. Apple built it’s own network of Apple stores- that are as much an experience as a retail environment. Target asked it’s vendors to help them differentiate the product offering with high design products at a reasonable price. What makes your business different?
Can an ad agency like The Next Wave help? Ask Dan Wolt for a reference.
If you are looking for guerrilla marketing ideas, GoGorillaMedia wants to be your source. They’ve got a ton of great ideas on their site- all, tried, tested and true, but the site doesn’t search at all as you can see by the following test from Google that only returns 2 pages:
If there is one thing that is imperative in any guerrilla campaign it’s a great website- one that if you type Go Guerrilla Media, or Go Guerrilla Marketing, you should be able to find GoGorillaMedia instead of The Next Wave. Having a showcase of stuff to buy to spread the word is great- having a website that people can find is even better. We only found them because they spent big money on an ad in MediaWeek (not exactly a showcase of Guerrilla Marketing skills, huh?).
We do guerrilla marketing in the Midwest, with lower overhead than the Gorilla’s in NYC. If you are interested in putting some buzz on the street, you’ve found the right place. And if you have questions about how to build a site that will get you more hits in Google- try our Websitetology Seminar.
Working with small clients, doing great work is what got Fallon, McElligot Rice started in Minneapolis when most big clients thought they had to work with a NYC, Chicago or LA agency. We view work with independent local restaurants as part of keeping our city unique, interesting and fun. It’s also nice when a national publication includes examples of our work as part of a how to differentiate your small business to compete with the big chains.
Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory will never sell more pizza than Domino’s, Papa Johns, Donato’s or California Pizza Kitchen, but, they will have a loyal following and leave every customer smiling.
New Rule #3 Surprise people (and they may surprise you)
Nothing gets customers buzzing like a surprise. Sometimes it’s a new product, or even a stunt.
“Target does great word-of-mouth stunts,” says Andy Sernovitz, CEO of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. “They didn’t have a store in Manhattan, but they brought a truck of $99 window-unit air conditioners, parked them in Union Square and sold them off the back of the truck.
“The Drury Inn hotel chain gives you an hour of free long distance for every guest every day. It costs them nothing, but the first thing you do when you pick up the phone is to say, ‘Can you believe there’s a hotel with free long distance?’”
Even your humblest item can offer a surprise, says David Esrati, chief creative officer of ad agency The Next Wave in Dayton, Ohio. Like the pizza box he designed for Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory. The front of the box reads, “Smile! Your pizza’s here,” while the bottom says, “If you can read this, it’s time to reorder.” Says Esrati, “Everything you do in a restaurant is an advertisement.”
Unique service also gets people talking, says McConnell. At Cyrus, a fine-dining establishment in Sonoma, California, the hostess alerted the kitchen to a new guest’s arrival. Once seated, a cart came up with champagne and caviar. “It’s an experience I’ve talked about hundreds of times,” McConnell says.
Another gossip-starter is to offer dishes that aren’t on the menu but can be requested by people in the know. California’s In-N-Out Burger has a cult following for its “secret menu,” with burgers like the Animal Style, Protein Style, Flying Dutchman and 4×4. Jamba Juice has a similar reputation for smoothies, with unofficial concoctions like White Gummi Bear, Strawberry Shortcake and Peanut Butter and Jelly.
It’s nice to be quoted in the same article as Laura Ries, Jay Levinson and a mention of Crispin Porter Bogusky’s “Subservient Chicken” site- but what was more important is the results Pizza Factory has enjoyed over the years.
We’ve introduced blogs as a tool for our other restaurant clients, Eclipse and Coco’s Bistro, and although they haven’t fully taken advantage of them yet, once again, The Next Wave is on the forefront of Marketing Innovation.
We took to the streets today to promote the Websitetology.com seminar. Downtown Dayton Ohio has the cleanest sidewalks - making this both fun and easy.
Of course some people around here always get their panties in a twist about something - the post in front of the Mead Tower- was poking fun at the “New Page” Corporation- which just announced they are bailing for the ‘burbs-
“A “New Page” is a Websitetology.com”
In front of CityWide Development- we put a message about the realities of our website technology:
We also suggested you can get a great website for less:
“A Great website shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg”
We also reminded people that no one watches TV commercials anymore- which is a good reason for chalk on sidewalks- Guerrilla Marketing-
There were more- including
“I came, I saw! Because I googled”
“I Google, therefore I am”
“Get a PhD in Websitetology for only $79”
We’ll let you know how far $5 of chalk and a couple of hours can get you.
Which is fine- but the question to really answer, is if any ad agency can help Subway sell more sandwiches? And is advertising the answer?
The following is a cheeky review comparing Subway and its fast growing competitor Quizno’s. Neither has good advertising, but in this battle, it might not be advertising that’s needed:
Point is, the Quizno’s-Subway question inspires both competition and passionate discourse, and Munch now feels obligated to interject. “Subway or Quizno’s?” is the “paper or plastic?” of the 21st century. At some point, everybody must answer. So cueing the drum roll at this precise time, Munch will now deliver the verdict.Quizno’s.
Yup, Quizno’s is better.
In fact, it isn’t even close.
Munch came by this decision after one week of careful scrutiny, during which Munch sought opinions from several confidants and promptly dismissed all who dared to contest Quizno’s superiority.
It’s the same reason that Toyota, Honda and Nissan are making money, while GM, Ford, Chrysler and VW are having problems.
Quality.
In today’s world of information empowered consumers- if your product sucks, everyone will know. No matter how good your advertising is.
If you are smart, as VW has been in hiring Crispin Porter + Bogusky, you can distract audiences with entertainment, and making the brand water cooler discussion while you work like mad to fix your quality problems. The thing VW has going for it, unlike Subway or Quizno’s, is that at one time it had good advertising and a great reputation for quality. The brand was at one time a lifestyle brand. People who owned VW’s thought they were special.
About the only thing people can say about eating Subway is that:
It was cheap.
I think I’m eating healthy.
Not exactly a great foundation for an ad strategy.
Quizno’s has had lousy ads. Seriously lousy ads. But, they have a reputation for quality and own a position of “Toasted” in the sub market. Much better foundation to build from, but unfortunately their growth hasn’t caught up with their aspirations for a national ad budget yet, and they’ve continued to try to overreach with painful results.
Quizno’s could benefit from better advertising. Subway needs to reevaluate their value proposition and the offering. “Eat Fresh” as a tag line doesn’t fit with their plastic bagged products and their processed ingredients. By basing their positioning on a statement that most people wouldn’t agree fits, they are hurting themselves. A better strategy might be “Eat cheap”- which is based on an underlying truth.
While many agency types are offering opinons on the attempted “viral” pitch- the fact is not many are offering anything useful in the discussion. We hope that we’ve done our part to help elevate the conversation from talking about agency pitches- to how to solve Subway’s problems.
What would you suggest Subway do to improve sales?
It’s not just advertising that makes the work from Crispin Porter Bogusky interesting- it’s the sites that go with the ads. Not always the best from a search engine standpoint- but always fun.
Here is a partial list from their site of microsites to support campaigns. Almost every ad you see from them has some kind of website to go along with the ad. These links give you insight into the thinking behind each site. CP+B microsites
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