Do you do anything unusual?

[mike@engagemarketing]

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I was watching the Dark Night last night and i got thinking about the Joker using the joker playing card as his symbol to the world.

Im interested to know if any of you do anything a little unusual and creative in marketing your business?

[Ric Willmot]

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1. We are totally honest
2. Never make outrageous claims
3. Provide exceptional value through the free resources on our website and blog
4. Develop sensational relationships with clients
5. Create wonderful relationships with centres of influence
6. Continually “give” to our community, philanthropically

Unusual?
Probably not for the quality people belonging to this forum.

But amazingly unusual for the majority in the marketplace at the moment.
So much so, that even the Brisbane media (not instantly recognised for their journalistic talent), have started reporting about the outlandish and dishonest claims being made by marketers in this rough economic climate.

Rgds,
Ric

[LeelaCosgrove]

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Every Christmas my best clients get hampers from me … but not just boring food hampers … instead, I have a supplier who puts these together for me … I send her their Bio and she puts together a hamper based on their specific interests … so one client will get squash glasses, a travel necessities pack, non-allergenic wine and vegan food. While another will get personalised Golf Balls, a mini Zen garden and baby stuff …

I get phone calls EVERY Christmas from these clients with grateful thanks … because it’s one thing to send a hamper … another to say “I know you … here’s some stuff you’ll really like and that will be really useful to you”.

We also like to send a bottle of wine (or chocolate for our non-wine drinkers) at the completion of a project … just a thanks for working with us …

I like to do stuff that is personal to the client … so I suppose that’s what’s really unusual … I don’t send them stuff that’s to do with me and my business – but to do with them and their interests. Which really goes to underpin the whole ethos of the company … we like people (well, we like the people who don’t suck … and they are the ONLY ones we take on as clients) … we like to make friends … we like to do stuff for the people we like …

[MCards]

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An acquaintance of mine has got a collection of comic characters to market his business

http://www.superinvestor.com.au/comic/

I think it’s some how different from other traditional methods.

mike@engagemarketing, post: 6067 wrote:

I was watching the Dark Night last night and i got thinking about the Joker using the joker playing card as his symbol to the world.

Im interested to know if any of you do anything a little unusual and creative in marketing your business?

[morgwnshaw]

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I print Sudoku, crossword puzzles and word games on my slightly oversized business cards. With business cards shrinking and becoming redundant, I thought, why not give the client something they can actually use…

I change the puzzles regularly and just assume that my card will end up in the bin. If a person remembers it, yay, but I’m sure that people use email contacts and signatures for details more than an old rolodex…

Morgwn
http://www.digitalartscience.com.au

[mike@engagemarketing]

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Wow. Good to hear that there are some creative and personal ideas being used by people on the forum!

[10110]

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One idea that I’d like to get started with is a website mascot, and keep that consistent theme across my business cards, letterheads, etc.

I’d then like to have an education section on my site that breaks down my products and processes, the instructor of these educational video / articles will be the mascot.

The reason why I’ve not yet committed to doing this is becuase I’m not sure how to measure the success of it yet (i haven’t really put any thought behind it though). Is it worth spending my limited money on creating this theme, or is money better spent on other measurable marketing methods.

I’ve gone for other marketing methods. But the other idea is constantly in the back of my mind.

[Chrissie]

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MCards, post: 6115 wrote:

An acquaintance of mine has got a collection of comic characters to market his business

http://www.superinvestor.com.au/comic/

I think it’s some how different from other traditional methods.

HA! That is brilliant, it’s so cleverly done that it’s really effective! Definite props to your friend, that’s one of the best things I’ve seen all day! I will definitely be remembering the name SuperInvestor now.

Do you know if he publishes those anywhere, as advertisements or anything? Or does he just use them on his website?

[Leisa D]

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I offer half-price graphic design services to charities, including Red Cross, Gordoncare for Children, and soon the Starlight Foundation.

[DesignLanguage]

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Yes, Just like Leisa above, we do graphic and website design for non-profits.

Each year the three of us pick one non-profit each and we build (or has been the case of late, rebuild their website – for free. Our difference is that we focus on the small community groups – the one’s that get looked over by everyone, community centres, Camera Clubs, community radio etc.

We feel that lending a hand to these groups – all run by volunteers, builds value to the communities we each live in and the community realises that we are here for them as much as us.

[CrashIT]

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I think marketing or doing something different really depends on a lot of things and most only what you want to achieve.

For instance, I don’t believe clever marketing or gimics really work in the I.T industry. Particularly for what we do, nobody is going to call an I.T company and hand over a corporate network, based on a smart yellow pages ad or gimic. But thats pre sales/sales.

However, on the customer relationship side then yes, I believe good marketing is well spent. We put together hampers last year, that we personally put together and gave them to our clients.

When prospecting and getting a warm response or at least an opportunity that may lead somewhere. A thank you letter with a scratchy works.

I am also trying to make a list of client birthdays and send out birthday cards.

I have a finance broker of mine who sends birthday cards out every year.

but again, good effective marketing I guess always comes down to the almighty $$.

[ddddyyyy]

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I agree with mike@engagemarketing

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[SheInspires]

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I think you’re right to believe that most here are doing something special to look after customers and build business.

For me with my online marketing I find online competitions and online sales to be very useful for both my online women’s magazine and my online jewellery store.

I also find email newsletter marketing – both in mine and others – with graphics and text to be really successful.

As for offline, I find being able to quickly change over earring hooks to clips on findings makes for very happy customers, especially as it suddenly gives a big range of choice for earrings that clipon customers usually don’t have (they usually have only 2 – 3 earrings to choose from). But that’s probably more about service than marketing itself. My signage offering the service works well.

All the best,
Belinda

[kathiemt]

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Like a couple of others here, I provide free support to some not-for-profits. I choose one a year to add to the group and provide free webhosting and free websites. For 12 months I also donated 10% of my membership fees received (I run a membership based network) to a charity that runs a home for orphaned children in South Africa.

I did have mention of that house on my site but I’ve never (till now) mentioned the support I give to some not-for-profits – I simply decide when I come across one I feel connected to, that I want to help them.

[Author]

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