Everything should sell

One of the ways to survive and thrive in today’s tough economic times is to ensure that every bit of your marketing mix is helping sell stuff. And this means everything. Best of all are bits of the brand that allow you to promote your brand for free.

Here are a few examples of clever companies who are using “free marketing” to promote their brands:

1. Ocado vans

Ocado is an online grocery delivery business, started in partnership with Waitrose. They have made smart use of the back doors of their vans, which you sometimes stare at when sat in a traffic jam. These doors have messages on like “I’m a veggie van. I run on biofuel”, and “I don’t like fast food. I’m speed regulated”.

A little thing. But one that reinforces the idea of Ocado being a company that cares, and has a slighty quirky personality.

2. Pimlico Plumbers number plates

This firm has grown to be London’s biggest plumbing company. They are famous for having famous people for clients, which has given them an upmarket, quality service reputation. One of the clever brand building tricks they have used is buying cheeky licence plates for their vans, such as “BOG1” and “LAV1” (both of these terms being English slang for toilet, by the way). These have generated lots of free PR and word-of-mouth.

3. Kit-Kat “packvertising”

Posted about this one before, here. Using the back of the pack to promote new ways of eating a Kit Kat.

Would love to hear of any other examples of “free marketing”.