Sometimes marketing is a lot of work and sometimes marketing is just plain fun…last week it was amazing fun. Trojan vibrators took on the Mayor of New York and the Mayor backed down.
Many
months ago, I got the assignment to work on positioning Trojan vibrators. The
challenge was straightforward. Vibrators have been fully accepted by the
American public for wide use for a long time, but we Americans have not yet
admitted to ourselves that they even exist. When is the last time you had
vibrators casually enter a discussion in mixed company. Probably never.
For years,
I have observed vibrators are identical to Twinkies in many respects and they
are: Consumers purchase millions of each on a
daily basis but as soon as we need to recruit purchasers for Focus Groups,
they are hard to find. People just don’t want to admit to using vibrators or
eating Twinkies. My two sons are the exception. They would never question my
purchase or use of a vibrator. On the other hand, I am clear, they would nail
me for eating a Twinkie. By the way, two Twinkies covered with fresh
strawberries and whipped cream are to die for.
So the
assignment was to develop a Selling Proposition (sales message) that accurately
defines these products and at the same time characterizes them as efficacious.
Why efficacious? Because they are and they need to be characterized that way so
they will be accepted by Walgreens, CVS and other retail stores for easy
access. Americans should be able to purchase vibrators without going into an
adult bookstore and thanks to Walgreens and CVS they now can.
On
Monday, the kind folks at Trojan began giving vibrators away in Manhattan to
promote their arrival in local drug stores and pharmacies. The reaction was, in
my mind, bizarre. It was as if they were handing out guns. The NYPD simply did not
know what to do. The Mayor, in a knee jerk reaction, decided to ban Trojan from
doing so. Hello mayor…what were you thinking?
After a "social media" uproar from the public, the good mayor reversed himself and the people of
Manhattan are happily back to normal again.
What I would like to know is: Where are
Barack and Mitt on this issue? Can we pass out free vibrators in Salt Lake City?
It’s on the schedule…so stay tuned.
What do
you think? Is it ok to hand out free vibrators?
Cheers,
Keith Chambers
Keynote Marketing Speaker
Creative Marketing Consultant
(310) 473-0010
www.chambersgroup.com
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Yes.
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