I’m a big fan of TLC’s show, John and Kate Plus 8. (So much so, I just spent 10 minutes on their site since I wrote that first sentence!). But I’m not here to talk about their amazing ability to handle 8 different crises at once, or their ability to stay cool in spite of situations that would send the average parent running screaming down the street. I want to talk about marketing. Of course! That’s what I do!
If you watch the showand pay attention, you’ve noticed that there are subliminal advertising spots. For instance, a few years ago, a local piano company donated a piano to the Gosselins. Out of the goodness of their hearts? Probably not. The name of the truck was shown on screen, and the company was mentioned.
Likewise, the Gosselins have been invited around the world…for free. Hotels in Hawaii, New York, etc. have all invited the family of 10 to stay. And they always mention the company’s name.
So what do I think of this type of paid placement advertising? I think it’s smart. The Gosselins are America’s sweethearts right now, and if they endorse something (like the Tales of Despereaux; all the kids had little mouse dolls and Kate read the book) people will buy. It beats commercials, where there’s no one to really tell you if the product works or not. Kate is very honest, so if she doesn’t like it, I doubt they’d air it because she would knock it down! But if they like it, it’s clear on the program that they genuinely were pleased that they were given the trip/piano/gift and enjoyed it.
It’s kind of like when Epson sponsored the Sparkplugging team to go to BlogWorld in Vegas last year. Rather than pay for a $30,000 television spot, they chose to sponsor us. They gave us an experience that frankly, money can’t buy (but it can pay for the flight, hotel and conference fee!). And here I am STILL blogging about it, months later.
Companies need to look at experience marketing and paid placement advertising as a better way to create word of mouth buzz. It:
- Creates a better direct relationship between company and customer
- Is easier to track than shotgun marketing
- Creates a warm, fuzzy feeling that future customers will appreciate
- Gives a sense of trust; if Kate likes it, certainly I will too
Do you have examples of where you’ve seen this type of marketing work?
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Susan Payton is the Marketing Eggspert, and owner of 
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