Engaging Consumers on the Go
In my last column, I wrote about the advantages of marketing to consumers in situations where they have some leisure time. Clearly it’s easier to communicate and establish a connection with consumers when they’re relaxing on the beach, attending a state fair, or strolling around a mall than when they’re rushing to get to the office or to catch a train at the end of the workday.
But many clients, seeking to hit the greatest number of people, ask to be out at the height of rush hour, when people are often the least receptive. Obviously it’s a greater challenge to get and keep people’s attention when they are busy. Poorly executed intercept marketing can turn consumers off, leaving them with a negative impression of a brand. Here are some simple rules marketers can follow to successfully engage consumers on the go.
Provide value. My agency frequently receives calls from companies looking to distribute fliers or promotional literature on the street. We advise them that the majority of this stuff will go straight into the trash or, worse, wind up littering the streets. To just stick information in someone’s hand like a relay baton is not a wise investment. At least, we suggest, offer something of value as an incentive. People love freebies! Whether it’s T-shirts, hats, key chains, or bottle openers, premiums are a great way to draw a crowd. And if the giveaway is clever and relevant to the theme of the promotion, now we’re making progress! For example, to create buzz around Fox’s television show “The Jury,” we wrapped coffee carts located outside courthouses across the country and handed out logoed “Jury” cups of coffee. And for HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” we handed out tissue packets branded “Fisher & Diaz Funeral Home,” the name of the funeral home around which the series was set.
Hire the right staff. A major component of any successful campaign is the promotional staff. They are the face of your brand, and it’s essential that they be friendly, outgoing and engaging. I cringe whenever I’m walking around and I see intercept marketers mindlessly yelling out the same phrases over and over (as if they were vendors at a baseball game or hawking newspapers on a street corner). Brand ambassadors should also be appropriate to the brand—the messenger is part of the message.
Make it a game. Rather than just handing out premiums, have people compete for them. It doesn’t matter if it’s a prize wheel, a football toss, or a trivia game, people will wait in line for a chance to win. Be creative and customize the games so that they tie in with your communication. For our Meow Mix events, for example, consumers took part in challenges like the Hairball Toss.
Use a promotional vehicle. Customized vehicles are another great way to attract attention. Whether it’s the Meow Mix Mobile, the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, or a wrapped Mini Cooper, one of the easiest ways to draw a crowd is to park a novelty car in the middle of a high-traffic area and use that as the base for your promotion.
Grab their attention. People in a hurry tend to walk around with blinders on, not paying attention to their surroundings. How do you get them to break out of their routine long enough to stop and take notice? We approach promotions as if they were street theater, and our goal is to entertain as much as influence and educate. “The show” can include live music, wearable video screens, or costumed performers. To generate excitement for the season premiere of HBO’s “Deadwood,” street teams in Wild West wardrobe rode the subway, sat on park benches, and stood in line at Starbucks shops around New York and Los Angeles. Even in two cities where people think they’ve seen everything, we turned a lot of heads!
Just because people are in a hurry doesn’t mean they won’t be receptive to your intercept marketing campaigns. By keeping your promotions fun, creative, and unexpected, you can successfully deliver your brand’s message any time of day.
Matthew Glass is chairman/CEO of Grand Central Marketing, a New York-based event marketing and promotion agency, and pens a monthly column for CHIEF MARKETER.
