Sometimes Simply Taking Chances Is Your Best Marketing Effort

24 April 2007 Written By: Jim KukralComments: Comments

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Case in point, look at how the media picks up on simple stories like this.

SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Ryan Fitzgerald is unemployed, lives with his father and has a little bit of time on his hands. So, he decided to offer his ear, to anyone who wants to call.

After posting a video with his cell phone number on YouTube on Friday, the 20-year-old told The Boston Globe he has received more than 5,000 calls and text messages.

Fitzgerald said he wanted to “be there,” for anyone who needed to talk. “I never met you, but I do care,” a spiky-haired Fitzgerald said into the camera on his YouTube posting.

Now, I doubt this kid will be able to leverage this for any cashola, but… what he could do is leverage his “fame” into a new blog or something. All from a silly idea that was a bit risky.

Do you take chances with your marketing?

I HIGHLY suggest reading Marketing Outrageously. You know my offer. Buy it, and if you didn’t love it, send it to me and I’ll give you the cash for it and and give it to one of my friends.

Last point. This guy wasn’t the first to do it either. See below. Why point this out?

Just because someone has done it once, does NOT mean it can’t be done again. It’s all about hitting the right message to the media.

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  • I've saw that his little phone experiment was something HUGE after all. Every new website wrote about this, and it was very viral.

    I would like to know Jim what can you say about the psychology behind this. And why people were so interested in this story.

    Thanks
  • Hi Michael,

    Well, I think there's two factors here. Number one, why the media likes it, and number two, why the rest of us like it.

    The media like stories about real people, doing real things. You know how many sales pitches they get a day? They try to weed through those and find the real, to give to us.

    As for non-media people, I think we all like to see people "fall into success". It's interesting to see how accidents or crazy ideas can blossom, because it gives us all hope that maybe it will happen to us.

    That is the major difference between entrepreneurs and regular folks. Those that try, and those that don't. Most of us wont' try, but love to hear about people that did.
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