The next post on startup blog will talk more about this whole ‘free advertising’ on the internet stuff: In the interim, here’s the latest episode in rentoid.com free advertising. Which is pretty funny.
By the way, it took 15 minutes and zero dollars and was a great deal of fun after lunch. (and yes, I am on the bike)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1J9EIhCV-k]
Here’s an example of why creativity beats a big budget every time. A very well executed ‘idea’ – I wont say campaign, or viral marketing ‘yet’. Sure, it’s gone viral, but I’m not yet convinced it is marketing…..which we’ll have a little chat about after you read the attached visuals:
Clearly, this is some very clever and funny work. Engaging, entertaining and creates strong curiosity.
Yep, it’s gone viral, but is it marketing? I’d say not yet. Simply because effective marketing has to create a change in behavior, a call to some form of action, which this hasn’t done yet.
I can’t help but think that any added brand addendum in part 2 of the campaign will make it lose credibility almost instantaneously. To me it could work if it was Craig’s list – which would make sense, or maybe ‘Craig’ the local comedian doing some nice street level brand awareness bootstrapping. It will be interesting to see what this thing ends up being. It comes from this webpage: http://users.tpg.com.au/morepats/Craig/ – If any one knows be sure to share it with us.
So what’s in it for startups?
This campaign, proves that we can do really cool, engaging stuff for less than $1. in printing costs. It proves that media is ‘free’ for cool stuff. We just need to unlock our imagination.
All cultures differ in terms of what is acceptable commercial behaviour. It’s become clear to me that the US has a stronger lassie-fare attitude when it comes to consumer goods and product claims.
Coke with Vitamins!
The government allows this folly, and then wonders why there is an obesity crisis. More like an Intelligence crisis.
Startups – Don’t just make stuff people will buy, make stuff you can be proud.
Still got a few New York stories up my sleeve.
If anyone had any doubt that mainstream media is ‘still’ the most powerful communication tool, here’s some proof. While in New York we just had to check out the famous ‘Magnolia Bakery’.
The only way I had ever heard of this infamous business was via the TV show ‘Sex in the city’. It wasn’t advertised during the program, but in content. That is, discussed during the show, part of the story. This only ever happens when we have a ‘worthy business’, something worth talking about because it is so cool.On many occasions during my stay the line to get in was all the way down the street. And the cupcakes were tremendously yummy.
And so it proves a few things:
Startups, go make some cool stuff.
It’s no secret I’ve spent some time abroad recently – the tile of recent entries has been a total giveaway.
One of the areas I reckon all entrepreneurs should cut their teeth in is a bit of gardening. The skills required for successful gardening happen to be highly transferable for entrepreneurs. I always keep my my garden in good nick. But this is the condition is was in upon my return.
My beloved box hedges are not very healthy to say the least.
Sure we had some hot weather. But I knew it was the middle of a Melbourne summer which regularly gets temperatures above 40c / 100f . So why didn’t I prepare for the resources to cater for the ‘potential challenges’ the hot weather could present to my garden? It’s pretty simple really. I assumed it would be OK for a few weeks. I assumed that things would progress as normal and we wouldn’t have the hottest temperatures on record – which we did.
I failed to prepare for the worst case scenario. Actually I failed to have an infrastructure set up so things would not only continue in my absence, but have the ability to respond to extraneous circumstances. The net result is business failure. Dead garden. Which means that my garden business is still a sole trader, a side interest or maybe just a hobby.
We only have a business when we can be absent and;
So the questions we must ask ourselves as entrepreneurs, is how we are building an infrastructure which doesn’t rely on us? It’s only once this is in place, that we actually have a business.
I stumbled across this fast food place – good food quicky place in New York. It’s called Dogmatic, and they serve really nice gourmet sausages in bread. Really that’s all they do. Oh, and some some home made sodas.
What I really like is how simple the back end of their outlet is:
Not only is the consumer end a great single minded proposition, the back end is too. Something few startups ever really recognize the benefits of.
Consumers only have 2 choices to make – Sausage type, and sauce flavour…. which are of the ilk of Pesto & Garlic – you get he picture. And so did I, so here they are:
This is the type of food idea with has a replicable formula. And it doesn’t have to be in a major populous like New York to work. It could work in pretty much any city.
Here’s our latest bit of fun to promote rentoid.
The net cost of this was a Saturday afternoon of filming. Classic startup, bootstrapping. If it spreads we’ll be stoked, if it doesn’t we’ll have learned something. And before you ask – the only objective of the adv below is ‘Awareness’.
We’d be stoked if we got 10,000 views on youtube. We’ll keep you updated.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_nQsSTM6eM&feature=channel_page]