Summer is well underway on this side of the globe, and consumers are flooding public spaces to party and chill out. Businesses are also taking to the streets in order to execute marketing campaigns for the coming period. It is a race to see who can put out the most creative marketing performance. And if you haven’t been inspired lately, chances are that you don’t have a summer marketing plan in place. There is no cause for panic just yet, however, because we are here to help you out. What we can offer are a list of fun, unorthodox, but highly effective marketing ideas you can use to woo the summer crowd. Some would say these are outside-the-box marketing ideas, that a Top SEO Company should know. Check them out below, and prepare for the hottest summer yet.
1. Host Virtual Events With AR Marketing Strategy
The media buzz surrounding augmented reality (AR) has died down in recent years, but consumer fascination with the tech is still strong. This means that your trend-chasing competitors are not as likely to be using AR for promotion, so now is the perfect moment to try using it yourself. AR works by projecting a virtual layer onto everyday objects and locations, creating a new context for interacting with consumers. To leverage the power of AR for marketing, you could create a virtual event where consumers can engage with your brand in novel ways. For example, you can turn your event into a game where attendees have to complete objectives by using a phone AR app.
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2. Take To The Skies With Drone Advertising
Man’s fascination with flight has produced many inventions, the most recent one by the flying drone. The ability to own remote-controlled flying vehicles once seemed like a dream, but today it is a reality. These machines lend themselves to all manner of uses, including marketing. A quick n dirty marketing strategy involving drones would be to attach a simple banner ad to a drone, a fly it around a crowded spot. More elaborate strategies involving drone-mounted sound systems, light panels, and smoke dispensers are also possible, the only limit is your imagination (and the size of your wallet).
3. Tag People With Temporary Tattoos
You don’t need advanced technology to promote your business. In fact, eschewing technology altogether is a perfectly valid marketing strategy. A great way to leave an impression on people using nothing but neolithic methods is to tag people with temporary tattoos at entertainment events. In exchange for livening up the party with creative visuals, you will acquire an army of influencers for the duration of the event. And if your company logo has sufficient aesthetic appeal, some of these temporary promoters might decide to get a permanent version of the tattoo later.
4. Commission Street Art
Another way to leverage art for advertising purposes is to sponsor artists to create murals, graffiti, and other forms of street art. This approach will garner you street cred, as well as support from the local community, provided you make an effort to create something truly outstanding. Street art is extremely popular with tourists, and with the popularity of image-sharing apps such as Instagram, you are guaranteed to reach a wide audience. If you want to be particularly creative, you can include a QR code or a URL in the art to make online sharing that much easier.
5. Put Up Banners And Stands At Unusual Locations
Banner ads have been a marketing staple for centuries, so their inclusion in this list can strike some as odd. While it is true that putting up an ad stand is not the most original method of advertising, this doesn’t mean that you can’t use banner ads in more creative ways. One way of making banner ads fresh is by putting them up at obscure locations. For instance, if your home city has a lookout point with telescopes, you can take note of the direction people tend to look at often, and place a banner ad at that location. The surprise factor alone will ensure that your ad will be remembered for a long time.
6. Create A Contest In Public
People love a good challenge, especially when they stand to gain something from it. You can exploit this psychological quirk by hosting contests in public and handing out branded rewards. The best thing about hosting contests is that you can accomplish multiple marketing goals at the same time. You can ask people to volunteer information about their buying habits as part of the context, which you can later use to create more personalized marketing campaigns. You can raise brand engagement by proposing fun challenges. Crowdsource content for your digital marketing operation. The possibilities are truly endless.
7. Set Up A Funny Cut-Out Photo Booth
Nothing beats humor as an engagement tool. People love to laugh, and if you are the one making the joke, they will associate your brand with the positive feelings they are experiencing. An easy way to tickle someone’s funny bone is to create a cut-out of a photo booth. All you have to do is come up with a funny situation involving people, paint it on a piece of cardboard, and place the latter in a prominent location. People will line up to snap photos, and all you will have to do is sit around and watch as your brand awareness expands.
8. Create Custom Rolling Papers
This marketing trick can only work in specific circumstances, namely if your state has legalized the recreational use of marijuana. The idea is to create custom graphics to be printed on sheets of rolling paper in order to leave an impression on toking enthusiasts. It is easy to get a laugh out of individuals with clouded sense, and contrary to popular belief, they won’t have trouble memorizing your image if it makes them laugh. You will need to get in touch with a local rolling paper manufacturer to get this kind of campaign up and running, but you will gain access to a fairly sizable demographic in the process.
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Outside The Box Marketing Ideas Conclusion
In an age where digital marketing reigns supreme, a lot of focus is placed on the scale of your marketing operation, the assumption being that bigger numbers mean better marketing results. While this may be the case for certain types of marketing, for a lot of others creativity is what actually counts. So, for your next summer marketing campaign, try using your imagination to come up with a strategy that will surprise, engage, and entertain your prospects, instead of chasing the biggest possible audience through generic means. And if you’re not sure where to start, you can use the items from our outside-the-box marketing ideas list as inspiration.
Video Synopsis Of Outside The Box Marketing Strategies By Matchbox Design Group
Guest Author Bio
Michael Deane is one of the editors of Qeedle, a small business magazine. When not blogging (or working), he can usually be spotted on the track, doing his laps, or with his nose deep in the latest John Grisham.
