The year is 2011, advertising, marketing and communications agencies are beside themselves with the array of channels from which to promote and publicise their clients’ products and services. TV, radio, print, Twitter, Facebook, mobile and the list goes on.
Armed with a new brief, the client calls up the agency and gets them to craft some ideas and applications that will undoubtedly make an impact on relevant target markets. Hours upon hours of research go into finding the perfect time and medium to place an advert or message, and once in a while the outcome is less than satisfactory.
The point I am making here is that, with all the tools we have at our disposal, why do we still get it wrong? This thought has sparked off another train of thinking. Who are the best and most up-to-date marketers around? Massive multinational companies perhaps, or could it be the smaller consultancies that have a more personal and hands-on approach? My answer, you will find, is very different but not inaccurate. The true marketing mavens at the moment, in my opinion, are the gents on the side of the road who sell you seemingly pointless merchandise. The guys who are there from 9-5 actively offering an assortment of goods that you can’t do without.
These mavens I speak of roam the most popular intersections day in, day out flaunting flags, caps, mobile phone chargers and much, much more. As annoying and often aggressive as these chaps are, there is something truly remarkable about them; their ability to sell the most relevant merchandise around. They don’t have masses of information stored on hard drives on tap, they don’t have access to streams of tweets or Facebook pages, yet somehow their products are always relevant to the day. Think about it, during the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup not only could you get a soccer jersey (original or otherwise) but it would be for the team playing a few hours later.
If that example is not evidence enough, how about the heap of Rugby World Cup memorabilia continually being sold at the moment. Now, for an agency to get hold of such items the day before an event is not only a mammoth task, but requires days even weeks of planning, yet somehow these thinkers are somehow able to wrangle merchandise up at the blink of an eye.
The offerings are not limited to sports though; the rainy season is upon us, so they will inevitably have a range of umbrellas that suit your outfit and car. When national sport activity is low and the need for specific goods is no longer there, be sure you can always find a mobile phone charger, super glue for when it (the charger) breaks and a licence disk holder to keep that Metro cop at bay for another day.
The roadside-shopping list extends to some of these well-known products:
– Bobble head
– Mobile phone charger
– Pen with retractable calendar
– USB memory stick
– The latest DVD
– Sunglasses
Jack of all trades? I’d say so. And masters of all.
*Disclaimer: I in no way promote the selling of forged, stolen and/or pirated goods. This is merely an opinion as seen through the eyes of a daily observer.
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