My friend John was telling me a story so wicked and ingenious that I just have to share.
In case you aren’t familiar, Adopt a Highway is a program that provides funding for cleaner roadways by relying on donations from businesses and individuals.
You won’t believe what my buddy did.
Let’s Hijack Their Business For Cheap
John used to work as a marketing director for an auto group on the east coast. He was tasked with building an Internet department for a large dealership selling hundreds of cars each month. This was the big time.
So it’s funny that John decided to direct marketing funds to a traditional form of advertising.
He spent $1,000 of his budget on an Adopt A Highway sign for his dealership that sat on the corner of a street in front of a competing car dealer. The number of phone calls John got from his direct competitor far outweighed any benefit the damn sign brought into their store.
In case you aren’t in the business, $1,000 is a very reasonable amount of money for a successful auto dealer to spend on a piece of advertising.
If Only We Could Use His Powers For Good
Before you run out to piss of your nearest competitor, let’s examine John’s strategy.
Even if the effort was a wash and no one bought a car because of the move, well, it got plenty of laughs and the owners loved it. But there’s more. You can twist this marketing style for good instead of evil.
Take the local coffee shop with a hugely loyal following and a thousand check ins per month on foursquare. Why aren’t you trying to co-opt this success for yourself? You could try to emulate the hard work they put in, but that takes serious sweat equity.
Why not ask this already cool business to support your business right alongside their popular brand?
Action Step: The local car dealer visits Muddy Waters, or whichever cool coffee cafe operates in their city. You offer their owner something nice in exchange for a tip or recommendation on their door or prominently inside:
“Check out Hometown Autos — the Muddy Crew diggs their mocha [Insert Car Model Here]”
See, the idea is to feel like a benefactor of the business all your potential customers love and get some of it to rub off on you. I’ve gives you a simple message and will bet you can improve upon it.
Bottom Line: People like to buy based on positive reviews and recommendations. Let’s take the positive associations, whether it is Adopt A Highway or a nice java joint, and make it our business ally. Now we’re getting social!