A brief followup to the Marketing Doctor’s how to on dynamic and innovative marketing last Friday. 
The Sony Walkman (pictured above) has, like the shopping cart, changed our world so much that we can forget that there was a time when it was classified as a long shot (did you know the product launch fell flat?).  Why?  Because the Walkman was so new and so groundbreaking that the target market had to be “retrained” to accept it.

And here’s the secret for the day: the most effective form of promotion is sampling!  Unfortunately, it is the most expensive as well, but sometimes the expense is really worth it!  I can remember Joe and John’s Pizza when they first opened in the neighborhood in the mid sixties.  What did they do opening night: free pizza for everyone!  There were lines around the block!  Joe and John knew some marketing basics (the place is still around!) and so did Sony!

How did the folks at Sony use sampling to pull this one off?  They played on the Walkman’s strengths by innovative, hands-on marketing.  The Walkman offered revolutionary sound quality in a portable device, so the marketing and publicity department headed out onto the streets, parks and subways of Tokyo to get people to listen!  They realized that the product itself was the best advertisement.  There were other creative things involved (see here for more history), but getting people to try the product was the cornerstone of the entire campaign.  Soon the Walkman was flying off the shelves!

The point from this history is simple: sometimes figuring out how to get your target market to experience your product or service first hand should be your top marketing priority.  In the Walkman’s case, advertisements would have been pointless in the early stages!

And, remember, it’s always easier if you keep marketing in mind!