Information Your Business Needs RIGHT NOW

William Hung, Marketing Phenomenon.
 

$subst('Recip.FirstName'), do you remember William Hung?

Who could forget the unmistakable sound of William belting out the first verse of the Ricky Martin classic "She Bangs"?  Oddly, before this digest we were having a discussion here in the office about how good old W.H. was a Marketing Phenomenon.

Let's look at the facts: a) He wasn't a very good singer.  b) He wasn't a very good singer.  and c) He made a ton of money.

William grossed nearly $25 million dollars in just his first month after being on American Idol through record deals, endorsements and more.  $25 Million?  How could someone so terrible at what they do make so much money doing it?  A simple marketing concept called Branding.  William Hung had something about him which made him different from the rest and whether knowingly or not, he capitalized on and exploited it to its full extent.  Could I tell you what that was?  No.  But America endeared herself to him almost immediately.  Was it his confidence despite his lack of ability?  Was there a boyish charm in his performance that America couldn't help but love?  Was it that his performance was so ridiculous that you wanted to see for yourself how big of a fool he could make of himself on national tv?  Was it a combination of the above?  Who knows.  The fact remains that no matter how terrible he was, there was something about him that separated him from the pack, 'branded' his act in the minds of everyone who witnessed it, and demanded that you see it.  Even those who were not fortunate enough to catch the act were hearing about it the next day at the water cooler and were hard-pressed not to find a clip of the performance on YouTube™ or Google™ Video later that same night.

Heck, I even found myself slightly tempted to purchase his CD and you probably were too.  That is the power of Branding $subst('Recip.FirstName') and it is a powerful force indeed.

 

Special Guest Articles These professional articles written by industry leaders.  Adlandpro.com has a free article library you can learn from here.
[ Go to Article Archives ]
A Practical Method To Selling Customers What They Want By Abe Cherian Almost all of the marketing and referrals we see is based on a numbers list of what you think prospective customers should care about. This is probably why no one responds. Just in case you can't figure out why the numbers game creates no curiosity, and therefore no response in most cases, is due to poor ads and not targeting your market. Thinking about how you promote your business is the first and foremost objective you should be doing. You must get rid of the illusion that your products, services, or company, or self, are so good that people will be compelled to read about them. The fact of the matter is that no one cares. It is still a mystery to why we are all trained to believe that, because we think we have such wonderful ideas, and the "best company," and so forth, that everyone is concerned. Anyone who has tried to impress someone with bragging knows that is one of the fastest ways to turn people off. Try walking up to a complete total stranger and start the conversation with, "Hi. I just wanted you to know that my company has the best track record over the last three centuries, and that we offer more services than anyone else. As a matter of fact, I have been in the business for three decades, and have won every award my company has How about pulling your checkbook out, and writing me a check for this product". After the person brushed you off, you might have wondered what went wrong. Is that the kind of phrase that gets people to buy? Could it really be that no one wants your company's products or services? Is it possible that your interrupting someone with your pitch was unwelcomed? Can't this person see how important it is to have a proper representative? What other company could possibly help people as much as I can? Not hardly. It might just be your fault. You see, there isn't any law that states that people must think about you, and they won't until they are ready to. So why does everyone send mail, or make calls, or send emails, or run ads that assume prospective customers have been waiting for your pitch? Because that's what you have been taught to believe. For example, have you ever sent out postcards for your product or service that said something like this exterminator said: (Dear Resident, Owning a home is a mixed blessing. It's probably your greatest asset... and your greatest expense. As an experienced exterminator, I can help protect your home's valuable wood and foundations with professional exterminator treatments. With my services, you'll feel more comfortable living in the house you own...) These types of marketing pieces are not affective. Here's why. Because you are assuming that your prospective customers care. Because you are assuming they think like you. Because you are saying nothing different. Because you are bragging about yourself without displaying any empathy. Because you are not attracting attention. Because you are stimulating zero curiosity or interest. Because you are trying to convince people of something they don't believe. If you are interested in getting responses, you might want to try to understand what it is that your prospective customers do think about. Try to get a real handle on what they feel and what they want. About the author Abe Cherian is the founder of Multiple Stream Media, a company that helps online businesses find new prospects and clients, who are anxious to grow their business fast, and without spending a fortune in marketing and automation. http://www.multiplestreammktg.com. Web's #1 site to find "free resources to Plan, Build, Market, and Maintain your website": http://www.multiplestreammktg.com/resources.html   Adland Digest Sponsor Message Your health is worth everything. Start treating it right, and give your body the nutrients needed to support optimal health. Learn all the ways our vitamin nutritionally supports the body Click here to visit Be a sponsor. Place your ad here. (Spot III) William Hung - A Marketing Lesson to Be Learnt? By Alan Cheng The success of William Hung should be studied because there are valuable lessons which we can learn and use for our businesses. Whether you like him or hate him, you have to admit, William Hung is a marketing phenomenon. I can guarantee no one could have predicted this daring guy would become such a hit worldwide. It's unbelievable. So how come? Everyone knows that it was the video of William, that was placed on the internet, which started his path to fame. So many people emailed it to their friends that it became something viral. The amount of hits the website had was amazing. It was so extraordinary that it was reported on TV and in newspapers. People love things which they find interesting and entertaining. Boredom is a killer. Your sales letter or advertisement have to be fun and intriguing. Never bore your customers. Try and entertain and make them find it interesting to deal with you. If a lot of people talk about your product, or it has media exposure, then you're sure to be a winner. Try and create a viral effect or give some reasons for people to talk about your business. Next William went on to release an album. I�m confident in saying I can sing better than him and not many of my friends will disagree with that. But when you're well known and people talk about you, nothing can deter them from buying your products. With your home business, always try and build up your brand name. When you release new products and introduce new ideas, people will flock to buy it because they heard of your name and trust you. Always try and be original and stand out in your market. It makes me so angry sometimes when I see adverts for products that are so boring, it puts me off buying them. The American Idol has proven the point that marketing is as important as the product, if not more important. A product doesn't have to be perfect or outstanding. But if the marketing for it is done well, then people will still buy it. So imagine the amount of sales you will get if the product(s) you are selling with your business is good and useful. With the correct packaging, people will buy anything. This is a valuable lesson. Many people think that if they improve on the product and build a website to sell it, the hard work�s over. How wrong that assumption is. The effectiveness of marketing determines the success or failure of a business. Get a product first, but understand that the true battle is in the advertisement. Although having a bad product is not advisable as you�d expect your customers to be coming back for more. This William Hung example is to show you how effective marketing can be. I�m not telling you to promote something which you wouldn�t buy yourself. One thing we should learn from William is to be bold enough to do what we want and not to worry about what others think. There are many times where people won�t start a business or won�t expand their business due to being afraid of what others think or afraid of failing. Would William achieve as much as he has now if he was shy and afraid of being a failure? On a final note I can�t say it better than him "I�ve tried my best. I have no regrets". Can you say the same with your business? Alan Cheng, is the owner of www.onlinemoneymachine.com the membership site dedicated to help the beginner start a profitable online business. It has all the tools and information you need to profit online with your own website. You can contact Alan at alan@onlinemoneymachine.com
[ Go to Article Archives ]

[ Go Back To Top ]