In marketing, there are many ways to gain awareness for your product and business. There are traditional marketing methods such as TV commercials and billboards, and there are very advanced online marketing tactics that include: SEO, email marketing, PPC advertising, to name just a few.
Every marketing niche has its experts. When you need PPC advertising, you go to someone who specializes in that. When you need email marketing automation, you find an agency that has built its reputation in that field.
But marketing is evolving. And the marketing world needs to keep up with it or risk being left behind by companies that are more open-minded and willing to take risks to stay ahead of their competition. Marketing tactics shouldn't be limited by what you can pay for but how innovative you want your company's marketing strategy to be.
Out-Of-The-Box Marketing
Out-of-the-box marketing isn't a new concept, but many still think it is risky because it is not a cookie-cutter approach and might not have enough data.
But if we look around us – especially at the companies who have succeeded where others have failed – we'll find an important commonality: these campaigns were based on combining offline and online marketing tactics—combining the personal touch with the viral community outreach.
One example that successfully demonstrates the effectiveness of out-of-the-box marketing has been created by one of the most talented people I work with, Yoel Israel, Founder and CEO of WadiDigtial, one of Israel's leading B2B marketing agencies.
Yoel has decided to create a customized bobblehead figure for all the leading LinkedIn influencers in his network, including legendary Tech Marketer Hillel Fuld and Whatify's Founder and CEO Liam Galin.
Literally an outside-of-the box marketing tactic.
Yoel ensured they all get the bobbleheads on the same day, knowing it will create a buzz: "We have the best clients, so we wanted to get them the best gifts. This personalized gift reflects our personal relationship with them. When people receive gifts, they share them on LinkedIn. As Israeli's leading LinkedIn Agency, we wanted to ensure that we dominated everyone's LinkedIn feed by having all bobblehead dolls sent out within a 2-3 day span. I understand the LinkedIn algorithm and how people consume content on LinkedIn better than anyone else, so we took full advantage to serve our clients and elevate our brand."
Hillel Fuld's Bobble Figure, Liam Galin Bobble Figure, Yael Beeri's Bobble Figure
What happened, later on, was jaw-dropping spectacular; the whole LinkedIn feed of Israeli tech individuals was lighted up by posts of LinkedIn influencers sharing their customized bobblehead, acknowledging and tagging Yoel Israel, and his agency WadiDigital for the wonderful present.
This created an explosive brand awareness effect.
The marketing approach was an ingenious marketing tactic that harnessed influencers' power and organic reach to create a buzz around Yoel Israel's marketing agency.
Some Analytics:
For three straight days, Yoel captured the attention of Israel's tech ecosystem, which translated into excellent marketing analytics, as he saw a +391% increase in profile views, as well as having WadiDigital's LinkedIn company page increase +400% for two days in a row.
The company also captured essential leads for business development purposes and managed to establish relationships with senior marketers in Israel's tech industry that would have otherwise been unattainable.
Yoel Israel, Founder & CEO, WadiDigital
How Oreo Has Benefited From Out-Of-The-Box Tactics
In 2015, Oreo wanted to make snacking on cookies an art form. The company created a few short videos and asked users to share their own recipes for using Oreos as ingredients in other treats such as cakes, pies, ice cream sundaes, or just by themselves with milk.
The campaign encouraged creativity by giving people the opportunity to share something they love in a way that has not been done before, and this was just what Oreo wanted.
CPG Trends attributes some of why these videos were effective at engaging viewers because, through humor, it allowed them to feel comfortable sharing unique ways in which they enjoy snacking on an already delicious treat like an oreo cookie.
This strategy worked because people started sharing pictures of these new creations via social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, which helped boost sales dramatically among the millennial generation who highly engaged with the #MyOreoCreation hashtag campaign.
In this way, young snackers have been introduced "to many ways beyond dunking Oreos In milk" that they can enjoy Oreos in their original way.
The result of all the creative marketing campaigns was a success. The campaign increased sales and product interest among viewers, which is exactly what Oreo set out to do.
Using Out-Of-The-Box Marketing For Your Company
To become an industry leader, you should think about ways to innovate your marketing strategies and tactics. Thinking outside of the box and taking risks can help take your company's product or service to the next level.
Some tactics that you can try out, or expand from, are:
- Partner with influencers to market your products/services.
- Create a podcast in your niche and interview prospects, industry leaders, and partners. This will raise your company's profile while also help to build relationships with future clients and opinion leaders.
- Include marketing within the day-to-day activity of your employees, so they become brand ambassadors for their own personal use in casual conversations at work or home when networking, meeting new people, etc.
- Organize virtual conferences and events. Invite key leaders to talk.
- Write informative infographics to help present case studies and industry reports.