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Stickers - you find them everywhere, promoting everything under the sun. You may also have printed stickers at some point of time or the other, promoting your services or promoting specific products. You may have stuck them on your car, asked friends to stick them on their cars and two wheelers, and got them stuck at various points in your locality. Nothing new with stickers as a marketing and promotional technique.
Think "hatke" to make the humble sticker a big brand builder
What's different is that some businesses really apply their minds to create innovative stickers which build fantastic recall for their brands / products. The sticker and where it is stuck - both are important for a humble sticker to become a crowd puller for you. Here are just a couple of great examples to demonstrate what we are talking about.
Take a look at the images below. The first image looks at first glance to be pictures of 2 beer mugs. Look at the second image and you'll figure out that the stickers have actually been stuck behind door handles, with the door handles looking like beer mug handles.
When Tyskie beer sticks these stickers behind handles of any glass door that it comes across with similar looking handles, would this not create an instant recall for the brand? Every time somebody opens that door, would he or she not notice the sticker? Would it not put a small little smile on their face for a clever idea well executed? Would the beer brand not be remembered far more now? An ordinary beer mug sticker has suddenly become a major brand recall factor for this clever beer company!
Another "hatke" idea
Here's another smart piece of work. Axe deos portray an image of males becoming irresistible to women, once they use Axe deos. Check out what they did with small little stickers.
The first sticker in itself does not make too much of an impact - it just shows women running. The trick is where this sticker is placed. When this sticker is placed alongside a humble exit / staircase sticker that you find everywhere - in malls, multiplexes etc, suddenly, there is a compelling story being told, which is exactly the story that the brand wants to keep reminding you about.
If you were looking for a staircase exit sign in a mall and came across the Axe sticker next to the one you expect to see, what is the impression that your mind will carry? Smart work? Great idea? And, will your mind be reminded once again of the Axe brand promise? Has this clever piece of work done its job?
But how is this relevant for the "serious" business of financial advice?
How can you as an advisor create impact and recall using such ideas? Are these only good for products like beer and deo sprays, but not really relevant for the "serious" service called financial advice? Maybe its time to shake out of our "seriousness" and try something different. Now, we don't claim to be experts in marketing ideas, but here's one thought - which should hopefully get you thinking of far better ideas.
What you see below are images that are seen all across the country, on just about every truck that passes in and out of your city or town. All of us know the phrase "Horn OK Please", which is often accompanied by the "kalash" - a symbol of prosperity.
What if you were to make a sticker that looks very similar to what you see on the trucks above, with just one little change. Let the text say "Plan OK Please" and leave the rest the same. Insert the name of your firm "XYZ Wealth" and leave your contact number and website url. Put a large sticker on your car - say across the doors so that it catches attention - and encourage as many people as you know to put it on their cars too. If you have some more money to spend, strike a deal with taxis in your locality to carry this sticker on their cabs. Think this will create a buzz? Think this will build recall for your brand?
This may not be the most innovative adaptation of what we learnt from Axe and Tyskie beer. But hopefully, it will get you thinking about how you can popularize your brand, your proposition in simple and cost effective ways.
Think for example of speed limit signs on roads that say 40. You can perhaps find them in several places around your city. Now, 40 is an age when an individual better start planning for his retirement, if he hasn't done this already. Can you think of something smart that you can say and put it below the "40" speed limit sign? If you can think of something catchy or witty, you can perhaps speak with the road traffic police and offer to put up these speed limit signs with your little message everywhere they want.
Have you attempted something smart - like what Tyskie beer and Axe deos did so effectively? Do share your ideas and experiences - lets all collectively learn from smart marketing ideas, executed well. Share your thoughts by posting your comments in the box below - its YOUR forum!
All content in Marketing Wiz is created by Wealth Forum and should not be construed as views of Kotak MF.
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Marketing Wiz is a joint initiative between Kotak Mutual Fund and Wealth Forum, where we share insights on how distributors and advisors can accelerate their business growth by understanding and applying essential marketing concepts and practices. Marketing is often seen as a relatively weak link in an IFA's practice, and therefore offers high potential to deliver growth, if leveraged intelligently. It will be the endeavour of Marketing Wiz to help you strengthen your marketing capabilities, connect better with clients and prospects, serve clients better and thus enhance your own business growth.