Novel Is The Way

Recently, an IIT Kharagpur student, after getting rejected from Flipkart decided to upload his CV on the e-commerce website. The idea being a bizarre one caught the fancy of many and he started trending on social media. Soon he was flooded with numerous offers that he could not even think of. A simple idea changed his fortunes overnight.

The IITian has managed to pull off a brilliant marketing campaign which can be a learning lesson for many marketing strategists. It was a novel and never tried before method, that led to his success. It didn’t cost him a penny and it worked wonders. The major reason behind him grabbing eyeballs was that he took an unconventional route. A small idea can place you right on the top of your domain and get you the desired exposure. This is one of the many reasons why organisations are now recruiting students not necessarily who have good academic qualifications but those who can bring innovation to the workplace. Recently E&Y removed its academic criteria for the recruitment application process. There is now a greater emphasis on generating ideas which will set an organisation apart.

Any campaign laid out, should focus on having a strong impact on its target audience. This is what exactly happened in the above case and a similar incidence occurred when Lay’s created a frenzy across social media when they rolled out a campaign challenging customers to create a new flavor of Lays potato chips, with the chance of winning $1 million. The campaign boosted the sales by 12 percent and the company left an astounding effect on its customers. Apart from boosting the sales, they now have loyal customers, which was their ultimate goal.

You might have a great product but it has to reach the right people, otherwise it would fail its purpose. One of the biggest challenges marketers face is getting word out to the audience that is most likely to become their customer.

The fundamental goal of marketing is to “Get the right message, to the right audience, at the right time.”

How successful are you in doing that?