Pester Power – Is It What You Need?

The thing to remember about marketing is that you have to make an impact on the consciousness of the people you hope to sell to. How you do that is less relevant than the matter of actually doing it. There are some who would say that placing advertising on a tank that is shown rampaging into a defenseless small nation is good publicity – because as bad as the association might be, it will be seen on television and in the newspapers.

In this light, the phrase “There is no such thing as bad publicity” has gained currency, but is it actually true? Many companies advertise products with advertisements that have little to recommend them other than the fact that they are really annoying, and therefore stick in people’s minds. People will remember the advertisements, but will they actually buy the product?

That is what a marketer has to consider when they are looking to publicize a product. If people are quoting the awful dialogue in your advertisement to one another, but failing to walk into a shop and buy your product, then you have the balance all wrong. You need to remind people that there is something to buy – and if you have to annoy them to do so, at least give them a hint as to what makes the product worth buying.

Anyone who spends much time on online forums will be familiar with trolls. They engage people in pointless arguments and then disappear from view leaving that person angry and nonplussed. Don’t let your ad be a troll – if you are going to irritate them, then make it worth their while.