The other day I went to Denver to visit my mom. Near the entrance to her independent living facility, they were building a bunch of new condos. As I rounded the corner, I could not help but notice a woman dressed only in a bikini and a stocking cap holding up a grand opening sign. (Picture take a few days later with yet a new sign) It seemed odd and out of place to see a woman so scantily dressed as the temperature was in the 30’s. My curiosity was piqued. As I got closer, I noticed that it was not a real woman at all, but a mannequin holding the sign.
Most of the time we are emotionally preoccupied and filter out the rest of the world. Our ability to filter out distractions is part of our evolutionary success. The bikini-clad woman was unexpected and broke through my filter. Moreover, because she was dressed in a bikini, it appealed to a man’s romantic emotional appeal as well.
Many marketing books state that one of the most cost-effective marketing techniques is employing someone in a costume to wave at cars to get their attention, such as chicken or lady liberty. Hats off to the condo salesman who figured out how to do it even better and cheaper.
In the end, the simple use of a mannequin dressed inappropriately for the weather proved to be a great marketing technique. Being unexpected, it immediately grabbed the audience’s attention and hit then pushed their romantic emotional appeal button.
How can you employ a similar marketing technique for your business?
