How eating a cookie can harm your career…

‘The Australian-born Dr Stephen Duckett, who has been dubbed the "Cookie Monster", left a meeting with health care leaders in Edmonton eating a cookie and refused to talk to waiting media about the health crisis in the Canadian province of Alberta’
(read more here).

Ambush marketing at the World Cup

36 young women stripped down to bright orange mini dresses to promote the Dutch Bavaria Brewery during the Netherlands/Denmark match. They were swiftly escorted out and Fifa is looking into how to take legal action.

.

When everyone wants a piece of the action…

And either there is just not enough to go around, or the price doesn’t stack up for some. But the media crowd is not a ‘giver-upper’. No, they put their creative minds together and find a way: ambush marketing.

You may have heard of the latest stunt by Bavaria Brewery at the Football World Cup.  Watch it here.

On one side there is Fifa, who are ardently trying to protect the advertising rights of the event – rightly so, sponsors fork out a fortune to be part of it (that is part of one of the largest corporate advertising spectacular with the sport element occasionally fading into the background)…

While on the other side there is the challenger brand, Bavaria Brewery, Budweiser’s competitor, who are pulling this stunt the second time around. Yes, they amused us in 2006 with the ‘orange lederhosen’… And of course, they are getting a huge amount of publicity for a fraction of the official sponsorship. But can you really, honestly say that you loath their efforts (bar the Budweiser camp of course)? I think they are rather cool…

Photo credit: www.guardian.co.uk
.

Word of mouth

I had a chat with a friend the other day and as the topic of restaurants came up, I found myself being recommended about 3-4 of them in only a few minutes – all with genuine enthusiasm on her side. And that covers the definition of word of mouth, which is ‘traditionally achieved by creating products, services and customer experiences that generate conversation-worthy "buzz" naturally’ (Wikipedia).

Of course there are some people who recommend often and with ease. As for the rest, they need to be convinced by the product or service and what they are getting makes them feel.

The challenge? Not to get more people talking. Well yes, that, too. But first, to create an outstanding product or service. Positive word of mouth will follow.

Why? We all know it’s valuable, but here it is in numbers: because, according to a recent study (released by Waggener Edstorm, PR firm) it ranks three times higher in influencing power then standard advertising.
.