Sometimes Marketing Should Whisper

I don’t know about you, but I’m about hoarse from all the yelling I’ve been doing lately.

What with radio, OOH and a bunch of SEM stuff, I’ve been screaming for quite a few weeks now. No complaints: the leads are coming in, but sometimes marketing can be just as effective when we don’ t interrupt people only to yell at them.

Here’s one of my favourite bits of genius from Apple ( see, I do acknowledge it when they get stuff right).

I think these stickers are the smartest damn thing ever. Other than when I behave at the dentist or go to a low-rent business event, I hardly ever get stickers. Yet when I pop open my new Apple toy, there I am with two stickers and absolutely nothing to do with them. I should throw them out. I should give them to  the kids. But I don’t. I eventually find a filing cabinet or a Keebler Elf that needs brightening up and on they go.  Freaking brilliant, if you ask me.

Or how about this great shipping bag from Threadless.

They could send their shirts in a regular old courier bag, but someone had the courage to make the delivery itself a tiny moment of Zen.

When I watch Two and a Half Men reruns I can think of little else other than wondering when it will end and if chewing tin foil will be as unpleasant as watching that show. But I stick it out to the end because I get a glimpse of Chuck Lorre’s brilliant vanity card.

You can see his whole collection here. Be prepared to be unavailablefor a while. 

Canadians who order Cards Against Humanity are treated to some localized content (every bit as horrifying as the American stuff), along with this handy reference card outlining questions delicate Canucks might have difficulty with.

They could play this straight, but they don’t. Thank goodness.

The interesting thing about all these tiny acts is they are entirely optional. iPods will work just fine without the little stickers. T-shirts will arrive in good order in a plain white shipping sleeve. Two and a Half Men will still be funny to pubescent boys without the vanity card, and Canadians will figure out the American references in CAH.

These work precisely because they aren’t expected. They’re delightful, they’re respectful, and, best of all, they’re very, very quiet.

Related Posts:

Brand Longevity Tips from Mick and Keith
Brands Gone Wild

Interesting Things I Found This Week

Well it’s August and that means B2B vacation time is about to come to a crashing end as another fall trade show season bears down. Time to put down the rum punch, wake your event manager and get serious about not sucking at your shows this year. Here is a great post from Southern Shows that will help you think a bit differently about your themes.

What can brand marketers learn from Jamie Oliver? Other than some lovely ideas for leftovers and how to terrorize school cafeteria workers, it seems there is much he can teach us about being a bit more authentic. This post from the always brilliant Bernadette Jiwa explains all.

BizMarketer is Elizabeth Williams
You can reach me at escwilliams@gmail.com
or follow me on Twitter @bizmkter