Like thousands of other women, I too was one of the first in line to see the Sex and the City movie last weekend. After years of paying for HBO subscriptions just to glimpse a 30-minute encounter with Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte, I couldn’t wait to see how it was all supposed to end.
What I didn’t expect was a front row ticket to a strategic marketing and PR endeavor that would also having me thinking of how to incorporate similar elements into targeted campaigns. For the show that made Manolo Blahnik a household name, and had thousands of women across the country ordering cosmopolitans and wondering when their “Mr. Big” would find them, product placement had always been a key element. From Dolce & Gabbana to Louis Vuitton, the show had always managed to combine strong storylines with even stronger designer clothing lines.
Of course, those we had always assumed were out of reach for a lesser-known, lesser-funded company – that is, until Carrie’s new assistant, played by Jennifer Hudson whipped out her new Louis bag, giving significant credit to an almost-unknown website: Bag, Borrow or Steal. If I wasn’t already entrenched in the movie at that point, I certainly perked up. Imagine, owning a $$$$ bag at an editorial assistant’s salary?!?! And not only did I remember the name of the site for myself (key: it’s catchy, easy to remember, and spelled as you would expect) I started thinking about how others of a similar size and budget could produce the kinds of results that this website would expect to see.
What you should take from the story is the strategy. An unknown service provider places their name in front of a targeted audience, promoted by a credible spokesperson, and backed up by quality products to meet the market’s need. They add inventory to meet the (assumed) immediate demand, cross-marketing in the form of online promotional tie-ins and exclusive merchandise, and continue to provide the same high quality service as promised. The site even manages to rank on page one of Google organic rankings within a few days for “sex & the city bags”. While I still don’t buy into the theory that a New York-based Editorial Assistant can afford to rent a bag at close to $100/week, I think it will prove to be a successful campaign for the intended audience.
So the question is: how do you re-create this model for your business?
It’s simple: Find Your Carrie Bradshaw — depending on your business, this could be:
* your loyal group of existing customers/clients
* the past customers/clients you’ve helped to make successful
* your partners
* your vendors
* your distributors
* even your own staff
Many of these people belong to some type of social networking group, whether it be online, offline, or a combination of both. Find the opinion leaders in your team, the ones who everyone goes to for advice, and ask them to help promote you. They could talk about you on their blog, link to you from their website, promote you on their Facebook, LinkedIn, or MySpace profile, or hand out your business card with a referral at their next group gathering.
If you have a service or product worth promoting, a well-defined target audience, and a strong relationship with the “Carrie Bradshaw’s” of your organization, they will help you to succeed. All you need to do is ask.
The Discovery Communications Group is an award-winning, fully-integrated marketing agency located in Salem, NH, that specializes in web design, search engine optimization, and social media marketing services. DCG also provides printing and mailing services to meet every advertising need, servicing clients throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Written by: Rebecca
Rebecca is the Digital Marketing Specialist at the Discovery Communications Group, and focuses on search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing strategy. Prior to joining the Discovery Communications Group, Rebecca worked as a Human Resources executive at companies such as Sokolove Law, LLC, Staples, Inc. and Dunkin’ Brand. Her passion for technology and using inbound marketing techniques for talent acquisition and employee engagement was the catalyst for her career change into digital marketing. Rebecca is a Hubspot Inbound Marketing Certified Professional and holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature from Simmons College. You can reach Rebecca at RebeccaS@discoverycomm.com or call her direct at 603-685-2918, and be sure to follow her on Twitter @RebeccaSlosberg.
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