Michael Campbell has released the latest issue of ‘Internet Marketing Secrets’ # 141. The featured article is titled “When Product Launches = Fail.” [Newsletter]


Michael Campbell has released the latest issue of:

‘When Product Launches = Fail’

When Product Launches = Fail

In the… emperor’s new clothes… boy who cried wolf… sky is falling… fool some of the people some of the time… there’s a “customer” born ever minute… department.

I’ve got nothing against “event based” advertising or what some people would call product launches. Every new movie, book, or piece of software needs them, if they hope to gain any sort of media buzz and traction in the mind of the consumer. But it’s important to understand how event based advertising works, in comparison to “institutional” style ads.

With event based ads you have the traditional hype, scarcity (real or implied), urgency (real or implied) and gimmicks, which range from complimentary hotdogs to a giant pink inflatable gorillas on the roof. The only trouble is, you can only hit the “panic button” or adrenaline gland so many times before it stops working.

Now… there are some circumstances that require event based advertising. Things like rock concerts, sporting events and the circus come to mind. There’s natural urgency and scarcity built in, because there are only so many seats available, and the whole thing packs up and moves to the next town after the show is over.

Where event based advertising doesn’t work, is when you keep relaunching yourself as a product that everyone already knows about. You’ve all heard the ads, “We’re overstocked! All inventory must be sold. Huge blowout.” Yawn, it’s just noise.

Every time you hit the panic button to advertise an event, your bonuses must get bigger. Once you’ve thrown in the incentives, hot dogs, rides for the kids AND the giant pink inflatable gorilla on the roof… what do you do next time?

Add search lights and a precision jump team? (May as well call in a precision air strike and just get it over with. 😉

You get the idea. If this was a car dealership in your town, it would be out of business in less than three years. Smart companies – building business reputations for the long term – use institutional style advertising instead.

For example, if I was setting up a training system for entrepreneurs, the tone of the ad might be something like…

“When you’re discontented with your current lifestyle, the boss, the commute, the 9-5 cubicle and ready for change, come and see us. There’s no rush or hurry. Take your time with this important decision. We’ll be here waiting for you.”

“Phone us and talk with our counselors at any time. We’ll let you know if entrepreneurship is right for you. We’ll also design a custom curriculum based on your core competencies and the financial goals that you wish to achieve.”

Well, you get the idea. Institutional ads certainly sound a lot different than event based ads offering bonuses, hype, incentives and blow out prices.

So if you’re launching a NEW product, service, idea or ticket event (like a concert or circus), event based advertising makes sense, so long as you don’t go too over the top (pink gorillas). But if you’re trying to build a sustainable business, maintain subscribers, students or memberships, try institutional style advertising instead. Your business will stay in business and your customers will stay around a lot longer if you do.

(If you’d like social proof, here’s a post on Rick Butts’ blog with over 140 comments (at the time of this writing), that demonstrates how using the wrong method of advertising can backfire and result in damage to the reputation of the business.)

Michael Campbell

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