Look at this piece of utter hackery at left. It breaks every rule of good marketing communications. It’s unfocused. It’s ugly. It has giant freaking dollar sign, for chrissakes. Blecch.
And yet…
I find it interesting that humble brands – local restaurants, obscure b-to-b specialists, retailers like this one – seem better able to embrace the “Content Marketing” ethos than their advertising-addicted counterparts.
I look at this primitive execution – unfocused, horribly designed, e-mail based, etc. – and can’t help but admire the way it’s rooted in the belief that the best way to sell is to inform and empower.
And you know what? This stuff works. It’s arguably the best of two worlds, combining pull-worthy content with push-enabled reach. That would certainly explain Constant Contact’s lofty growth and impressive market cap.
While I of course believe that a dose of “professional marketing” could make something like this a lot more effective, I think there’s much to be learned from it by me and my fellow Big-Time Brand Folk.
Look again. What do you see?
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I see an opportunity to join a localized community of like-minded individuals with similar interests and essentially attend a party. It's also an opportunity to learn more about a hobby directly from the Glenfiddich rep, that isn't available that often. Kind of like how people flock to LaunchCamp Boston to hear you speak, kind sir. ;-).
You think that's primitive? You should see the advertising for the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Annual Saltwater Fishing Show (http://www.nesaltwatershow.com) And yet they probably pack a good 7 to 10 thousand people a day through there for 3 days. This community is bonded by a common passion of fishing for stripers, which is cultivated during the year by print media in the form of localized fishing magazines On The Water and InFisherman as well as on the web by online fishing communities StripersOnline.com and Striped-Bass.com.
This liquor store should continue its simplicity and create a Facebook Group page which is fairly low tech and continue the camaraderie of its wine and scotch afficiados online without having to go to the expense and effort of hosting events. It will further create a sense of belonging, which is the third layer of Maslow's heirarchy of needs, which is why social networks have taken off. People can be alone on a computer, but yet feel belonging by socializing and networking online.
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