Buzz Marketing

Nothing beats a strong marketing buzz to help sales really take off. The prepublicity and anticipation for a particular product or service can be so great that orders "fly off the shelves" once it is available.

It can happen online or off. When it is happening it is usually pretty evident.

Since I follow Internet Marketing trends closely, I can usually spot 3 or 4 "big buzz" events a year. I am sure you may have been exposed to them also.

Whether it was Mark Joyners "Farewell Package" or perhaps Steven Pierce's "Whole Truth" ebook, the buzz created around these internet only item can boost sales tremendously.

Sometimes it is smart to look “outside the box” for inspiration now and then.

For example, take a look at an offline example of a strong marketing buzz. There are some lessons which can be applied directly online from it...

A Donut By Any Other Name

There is a phenomenon that is surrounding a donut shop in the United States right now. If you live in the U.S. you may already know which one I am referring to.

The business is “Krispy Kreme” donuts and the buzz surrounding their shops is truly remarkable.

I live on the north east portion of the United States. Until recently there wasn't a Krispy Kreme donut shop to be found.

My mother first told me about them.

She returned home from a trip to Arizona and she gave me a 5 minute testimonial to how good they were.

…fast forward to a few months ago…

Newspapers started "reporting" that one of the first Krispy Kreme shops was opening up near me. The preopening publicity climaxed with "coverage" of opening day.

The donut shop had lines out the door and around the building.

They hired two police officers for crowd control.

They had lines at 11 o'clock at night.

All for a donut shop!

Then it happened. A friend of mine brought a box up and I will have to admit, it was the best donut I've ever had. I am not a big donut connoisseur but I admit it was excellent.

Last I heard, they were still lining up late at night...

Creating The Buzz

There are several factors that play into Krispy Kreme's marketing buzz. Some of these are worth noting as they could be applied to online products as well.

Let's take a look at the various factors they successfully bring in to play. There is a little comparison after each tactic as to the online equivalent.

“The Experience”

You don't just go to a Krispy Kreme, you experience it.

The restaurant has a retro 1950's feel with a lot of thought gone into "the experience" of going there.

The donuts are made right in front of you as you wait. When a new batch is about to come out, a big red light comes on announcing the next batch is ready. This has several very desirable effects:

• It is entertaining for the whole family. Benefit = the kids want to go back for more and you don’t mind waiting in line.
• Some people actually get excited when the next batch is coming out. This ties emotion into the experience. This is a very powerful tactic.
• The fact that the donuts are fresh is reinforced right before your eyes. Benefit = higher prices are justified for quality.
• It increases their revenues because it makes people even hungrier. Benefit = more sales.
• The donuts are packaged lovingly in boxes to preserve their look. They aren't just tossed into a bag to get all flattened together. This reminds you of the quality message they are trying to portray. Benefit = higher perceived value to justify the premium price they charge.

Obviously a lot of thought has gone into the "whole experience" of being there. They are able to reinforce the notion of quality and freshness while keeping you coming back for more. There are definitely some concepts worth thinking about.

Outside Marketing

Krispy Kreme's excellent marketing strategy extends beyond the store experience. Let's put things in terms of analogies to online marketing strategies:

• Affiliate Program

They have the next best thing to an affiliate program.

They go out of their way to offer discounts to charity and fund raising drives. The charities get donuts at a reduced cost which allows Krispy Kreme to:

(1) reach more people

(2)appear to be charitable for a positive corporate image

• Testimonials

Krispy Kreme's word of mouth buzz is very strong. Nothing is a better endorsement than when a friend or family member is raving about how good they are. This only happens with a quality product with satisfied customers.

• Press Releases

For a donut shop? Press releases? Yes, and they work.

Wouldn't you be envious to have the local t.v. stations broadcasting stories about your opening day? Or how about getting a short story on the news about how business is doing so well.

These all come about with some sharp manipulation of the media outlets. It all starts with a press release.

• Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Krispy Kreme's recipe is a closely guarded secret. If you want the Krispy Kreme taste, you need to get it from them. Their competitors don't compare.

• Name Branding Recognition

The name Krispy Kreme itself was a very smart marketing move. It is descriptive of the product yet catches your attention because of the playing on the spelling. Smart!

• Scarcity

They intentionally are not flooding the market with Krispy Kreme shops. For the most part, they are trying to keep them from flooding any particular geographic area. This literally creates the stories of "people driving from miles around" to go there.

All for a donut...

I bet you can think of some recent online ventures where quantities were limited Say to only the first 2,000 customers or so. "Once we've sold 1,000, our price is going up!"

"Hurry while supplies last"...

"This offer not available in stores"...

Scarcity makes a strong selling point and can help overcome resistance.

I'm not sure who is responsible for their marketing concepts but he or she deserves a medal. Some brillant, effective tactics are in place.

Now the question is, how many of these could you apply to your business? They are all applicable online one way or another. Get the combination right and you are going to do very, very well.