When you come across something so amazing that you just have to tell the world (again)

Welcome to another instalment of the Hugoversity library where we review PR and marketing-related books to help our students learn.

Since seeing fellow North Easterner Geoff Ramm, author of this book, speak at an event a year or so ago, our brand builder Jenn has been dying to hear him again, but has settled for reading one of his three books.

This, the third in the series (following Celebrity Service and OMG) shares some of Geoff’s favourite examples of marketing that will help strike inspiration in you.

What’s it all about?

Making you think. It’s as simple as that.

This isn’t written in a self-help or authoritative style, giving you directions of things to do and actions to take. This is simply Geoff’s musings about exactly what it says on the tin – his observations – that will get your cogs turning about your own brand, marketing and promotions that can take your campaigns from good to great.

The book starts with a big, bold question:

“WHEN THE COMPETITION GOES ONE WAY, DO YOU FOLLOW THEM, OR DO YOU OG EHT REHTO YAW?”

So, do you?

“I’ve only got £10”

While the book features images and stories of campaigns from brands including KLM, Nivea and Heinz, it begins with a story from Geoff’s early career days that takes us back to basics – what do with the smallest of budgets.

There are no spoiler alerts here I’m afraid (I don’t want to give you free ideas!), but what this person did was simple: they did what they do day in, day out. They just found a new way to talk about it. And in doing so, they generated over half a million pounds worth of PR.

Admittedly, that was a while ago and times have changed, but it goes to show that you don’t have to be a big company with huge budgets to create buzz around your brand – you just need a little imagination.

What is an ‘OMG moment’?

Throughout the book, Geoff talks about finding that ‘OMG moment’ – the instant you hit on something that will make your team/board/directors/customers gasp with shock, perhaps be sceptical, but will likely stop them in their tracks.

In the book, these come in the form of small pieces of plastic, risqué toilet door images, and miniature dolls houses – plus many many more.

It’s the moment when you realise that your customers will come back, that they want to be associated with you, that you make them smile, or simply give them something small to remember you by (no pens or keyrings here).

120 seconds

That is all it takes to create some truly memorable OMG moments. Two minutes. Can’t be done, right? Wrong.

We actually did this in the session I attended, and I loved the ideas that groups around the room came up with – it shows what you can do with creative people and limited time.

The premise is simple:

• Pose a question e.g. what should we put on our exhibition stand? What goodies should we give away?

• Give everyone (or groups) a large piece of paper and a pen

• Start the clock, counting down – 1 minute to go, 30 seconds, 10 seconds to go, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – PENS DOWN!

• When sharing thoughts and ideas, watch the reactions of the group. If there’s polite nodding and ‘that could work’, yes it probably could. But it’s not an OMG moment.

• If there’s guffawing, raised eyebrows and exclamations of horror – you’ve nailed it. Or are at least on to something. 

Homework

Aside from setting yourself 120 seconds to come up with your next ground-breaking campaign or idea, redecorate.

No, don’t get the flowery wallpaper out or start stencilling, find (or create) a decent empty space in your office and start your marketing wall.

This is simple – it’s a space to post every ad, social media post, email campaign or giveaway that has stopped you in your tracks, made you smile or compelled you to share with your friends.

The motivational quotes and pictures of cats with cute sayings aren’t going to get you far, this will.

What did we learn:

That you have to be dynamic to be noticed.

That a little creativity can go a long way.

That you can find inspiration anywhere.

That 120 seconds can change the future of your marketing.

This book was created, as Geoff says himself, as a little book of matches; “take one of the ideas, adapt it to your business, strike it and let it take hold. See what happens and what new creativity it ignites.”

The book is full of pictures (albeit disappointingly in black and white), ideas and short annotations so it’s a perfect ‘pick up when you need inspiration’ read. Although it only took under two hours to read cover to cover, I know we’ll be thumbing the pages and bending the spine many times in the future to reignite ideas for ourselves and our clients in years to come.

If you want to tap into some of that creativity, but don’t want to splash out on the book, we can do the hard work for you. Simply drop us a line at study@hugoversity.com or call 01325 486666.