Laughter is the Best Medicine - and Marketing

Lots of companies are asking us what they should do about marketing themselves effectively in these tough times. I heard a fantastic no-cost example of great marketing yesterday. John Ulcar of Crosslink Technology (www.crosslinktech.com) was telling me about a product his company makes for utilities and telephone companies that helps them deal with holes created by woodpeckers in utility poles. It’s a problem that costs utilities millions in pole replacement costs annually.

And Crosslink has the solution – it’s a compound that, when cured, mimics the flexibility and hardness of wood, so it can be poured into the holes and repair the poles at a much lower cost than replacing them.

And how did Crosslink market this product? Very simply, and very humorously. Rather than giving the product a boring name like wc-6361, they came up with something funny and provocative. Pecker Patch™. That gets a laugh, and the attention, of customers. Add to that the obvious cost-saving and quality benefits of the product, and you have great, cost-effective marketing.

You can read about Pecker Patch™ at http://www.crosslinktech.com/Pecker%20Patch/Pole%20Repair%20Brochure%20EnglishRev4.pdf

The lesson: have some fun with your marketing. In times like these, we could all use a laugh.