Awhile back I heard of an organization called Kars4Kids. It’s a nonprofit charity group that accepts donations of used cars to raise money for disadvantaged children. They will arrange to have your donated car towed from your property. You’ll get rid of the car that you no longer use, receive a tax write-off, and help some kids in the process.
Sounds like a decent organization, right? The description of them I just offered is quite a mouthful, though, so would you like to know how I learned about the group?
“1-877-Kaaars for Kiiiddss …. K-A-R-S Kaaars for Kiiiddss ….”
Annoying, Squeaky-Voice Kid
Imagine that little tune being sung by a squeaky-voiced child (or go to Kars 4 Kids if you’d like to hear it for yourself) and you can see why that little jingle drove me nuts every single time I heard it.
It would get stuck in my head for the rest of the day, and it would strike me at any time in any place. I’d be sitting at my desk working and catch myself humming the tune, or driving my kaaar … er, sorry, car … and wind up tapping the rhythm out on the steering wheel.
The Kars4Kids song drove me crazy to the point that I’d get mad when it was somehow stuck in my head all day.
Marketing Your Product Through Annoyance?
Annoying people to market things is … well, annoying … but it works. Plenty of companies use annoying tactics to do their marketing. Jingles, slogans, logos can all drive you nuts, but you certainly remember them. Remember the Chia Pet? I bet you can sing that song, too.
I’ve seen buildings that are painted the ugliest colors you can imagine (neon orange, hot pink) and their websites or commercials say things like “Find us in the neon orange building on Main Street!” Ugly color, sure, but I certainly remember what the place is when I pass by their outrageous building.
Caving into Annoying Marketing
Before I left for Madrid the second time around, I decided to get rid of my old Mazda instead of put it back in storage. I could have sold it and made a few bucks, but it was an old car so the effort of advertising and dealing with haggling people didn’t sound very appealing. Can you guess the first thing I thought of when I decided that selling the car wasn’t worth it?
That’s right, Kars4Kids.
You might not be willing to sing on your blog, but don’t be afraid to use kitschy logos, silly slogans, and crazy colors on your site. “Annoyance marketing” can work to your benefit. Kars4Kids’ cheesy jingle had gotten into my head and annoyed me … and their message stuck. I wound up doing just what they wanted me to do; they met their goal.
Take Action. Get Results.
Very nice Steve. I never thought of marketing through annoyance, I might give it a try. Thanks for sharing
.-= Dia´s last blog ..How to control your emotions and overcome negative thoughts =-.
While I don’t recommend annoying your audience, sometimes you’d be surprised at how quickly your marketing message gets programmed into the brains of your audience.
I think I am just an annoying person in general, but maybe I can take it up a notch and get some more work for myself. There’s an auto repair shop that looks like a giant dinosaur in the town where I live. If you see it mentioned on the local Bright House commercials, they don’t even call it by name. They call it the Big Dinosaur. Not sure if that’s annoying, but people remember the place because it looks weird.
.-= ShortHairDiva´s last blog ..Social Media Day 2010- Tampa Mashable Meetup =-.
Good point… weirdness or unique things also stand out pretty well. Never thought of that one.
So true! I am constantly annoyed by the balding guy with the how-to DVDs on using computer programs. The woman in the commercials is annoying and he’s annoying. And guess what…clearly annoying enough that I can remember it and tell you about it. How annoying is that!
.-= Yolanda Facio´s last blog ..Marketing Basics- Thank Youuuuuuuu- =-.
Yes, it is pretty annoying but sometimes it actually works. What a world we live in…
Ha ha! I had a nice laugh from this one. Thanks, Steve!
And as the laugh is dying down, I can see what an important lesson I can take back from this story. Thanks again!
Cheers!
Mark
.-= Mark of Success´s last blog ..Announcing the “Challenges -amp Experiments” Series =-.
It’s funny till you realize that you have the world’s most annoying song stuck in your head. Anyway, glad I could give you a chuckle!
Don’t I know it!
There are two that stick out in my mind. One for a furniture outlet place where the guy yells at the end of every radio or tv ad … in the same voice … every time. “10844 McKinley Hwy! IN *O*sceola!”
The other I’m not sure who it’s for but they also say the address at the end and he says “Sssssouth Main, Ssssssouth Bend”
.-= Jeannie @ Take Childbirth Back´s last blog ..On bravery =-.
WOW… those do sound annoying. Do they make you buy their products or does make you so angry that you refuse to do business with them? I’ve found that this something that also happens with marketing that gets annoying.