Picket marketing

Gerald F Kein was a hypnotist. His office was located on the second floor of a building located on a heavily traveled highway at Fort Lauderdale. He was a good hypnotist. But he wasn’t well known. He wanted to change that.

This is what he did: He paid a few aged people who had nothing better to do than play cards whole day and told them to make some picket signs and protest against hypnotism in front of his building.

A week later, the picket signs were made. And the bunch of elderly people duly came and stood wait under the building very early in the morning. They started shouting slogans and waved their picket signs that said:

* “Hypnotism is the work of the devil”
* “Hypnotism is evil”
* “Hypnotism is mind control”
* “Save our children”

As soon as the rally started, Gerald went to his office and started placing calls to the local newspapers and television stations. Within half an hour, newspapers and television stations sent over their reporters and photographers. The TV stations featured the news story in the 9 o clock news. He also made it to his local newspaper. And his photo was published too.

All of a sudden, he became an instant celebrity in the neighbourhood. His business increased.

Action summary:

* Controversy has the potential to bring in loads of free publicity for your business.

* It’s easy to create a controversy. You don’t necessarily have to pay some one to come and start a rally. You just need to have a strong opinion and speak out about that opinion.

* But be careful, many people have been burnt before. Public opinion can sway either way. And if it sways against you, you will be in deep trouble.