Do your customers do your marketing for you? Do they have any motive to tell your story?
Recently, I wrote about Bucketfeet, a company who has built their marketing story into every pair of sneakers they sell. A community of artists creates the design and those chosen get a sneaker made with their original artwork. It is as if they have created a new canvas for artists to explore.
After my post, I got a pair of their sneakers from the company. So I decided to do a little marketing experiment.
I would wear their sneakers on one day and to see if anyone notices them. On the next day, I work my regular sneaker from Nike.
On Thursday, when I wore the Bucketfeet, seven people stopped me and asked, “where did you get those sneakers”? Or they asked, “what’s the story with those sneakers”? I told each of them the story of Bucketfeet. I talked about Marka27, an artist from Brooklyn who came up with the design for my MiniGod sneakers.
On Friday, when I wore the Nikes, no one asked me about my sneakers. Zero. Zip. No one.
Word of Mouth by Design
The Bucketfeet sneakers have a built-in story to tell. It is easy to see and simple to communicate. People notice the original design and were unusually curious. I can’t remember the last time someone asked me about my shoes or sneakers.
Ideas to Consider While Lacing Up Your Sneakers
- Does your product have a remarkable story that people naturally remark on?
- Is there a simple way that you could bring a community (artists, veterans, firefighters) into the picture, so there is an organic audience to help spread the word?
- Can you crowdsource some aspect of your product to your community to engage them and get them excited about your new products?
- Do you understand what customers say about your product to their friends? Is it the message you want them sharing or is it off-brand?
- How could artists, musicians or designers play a role in helping you go from blah to Bravo?
- If you started from scratch, how could you reinvent your brand, product line or business so that a story gets baked into each and every sale?
- What are the hurdles you face to having a product that is astonishing, stunning and a complete change from the others in your category?
Why isn’t anyone writing a blog post about your products? Are they boring and without their fascinating storyline? Maybe it is time to think of novelists so that you product or services has its story to tell.
Bucketfeet: Once upon a time there was an artist or drew on his friends sneakers. Together they decided to build a business where a community of artists could express themselves in a new medium. And with every sneaker sold, a story was told.
The end.
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Would you like some ideas to help you get customer’s to tell your story? For a remarkable discussion, contact me.
Photos credit: Jeffrey Slater
