Maven Marketing The key to successful guerrilla marketing is in embracing not the concept of competition, but the beauty and advantage of cooperation. Blend for fun & profit. One of the most rewarding, inexpensive, underused, and effective methods of marketing is to tie in your marketing efforts with the efforts of others. In the U.S., this used to be known as "tie-ins." A Business Week cover article referred to it as "Collaborative Marketing," In Japan and by guerrillas worldwide, this make-everybody-wealthy marketing tactic is called "fusion marketing." I like to call it "maven marketing". Why? Because a maven is an expert, a connoisseur, a specialist; she knows how to get things done with others the right way, and the most effective way. This way you "blend" your marketing efforts with others, and you both end up winning. And after all, isn't "Win/Win" what life is all about? Maven marketing is the guerrilla saying, "Hey Sara, if you enclose my brochure in your next mailing, I'll enclose your brochure in mine." "Randy, put up a sign for my store in your business; I'll put up a sign for your business in my store." Sara and Randy immediately see the wisdom in the guerrilla's offer. Their marketing exposure has just been expanded. Their marketing costs have just been reduced. Hey, this is a good idea! Of course it is! Why do you think you're watching all those McDonald's commercials which turn into Coca-Cola commercials and end up as Lucas film commercials? Why do you think so many members of frequent flier clubs have learned that their airlines have blended with hotel chains, auto rental companies, even cruise lines? Because there's a whole lot of blending going on. It's happening very visibly among the large businesses, but it's happening more frequently among small businesses. The gas station blends with the video store. The restaurant blends with the clothing store. The sporting goods store blends with the ski area, AND the tennis club AND the golf course. It's happening all over! Many organizations that have leads know that other organizations, marketing different things, have the SAME kinds of leads. So what do guerrilla organizations do? They form Leads Clubs. At the end of each month, they trade leads. Who wins? EVERYONE. Who loses? Nobody. That's why maven marketing is such a HAPPENING guerrilla marketing tactic. And that's why you'll love it so much. The purpose of a maven marketing arrangement: Mutual profitability. Glad we're clear on that one. Realize that almost everyone in your community is a potential maven marketing partner, that almost all of them will see the wisdom in your suggestion of a tie-in together. So why aren't they doing it yet, wise guy? Because YOU haven't suggested it to them. Once you do, you'll see the utter simplicity of SPREADING your marketing wings while REDUCING your marketing costs. OK, so get out there and become a maven already! |
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