In a world where capturing consumer attention is more challenging than ever, businesses keen to stand out from the crowd are turning to more unconventional methods.

From the quirky, to the daring, here are some of the most unusual tactics that have sparked intrigue, generated buzz and left a lasting impression on audiences:

1) Guerrilla marketing

Guerilla marketing grabs people’s attention by disrupting everyday routines with unexpected marketing tactics.

Popular activities include flash mobs, sidewalk chalk art, or placing eye-catching installations in unexpected public places.

2) Tattoo branding

Some businesses have paid individuals to get tattoos of the company’s logo or product. This extreme form of marketing turns people into walking billboards.

3) Product placement in virtual worlds

With the surge in popularity of virtual reality and online gaming, savvy companies are seizing the opportunity and placing their products within virtual worlds to connect with their target demographics.

4) Hiring lookalikes

Employing lookalikes of celebrities or well-known figures to promote products turns heads, especially if they interact with the public in character.

5) Viral marketing

Social media posts have the power to go viral and quickly get widespread attention.

Successful businesses and influencers will create engaging videos, memes, or interactive campaigns that are highly shareable. The secret is to create engaging content that will encourage people to share it with their networks.

6) Reverse graffiti

Reverse graffiti is an eco-friendly way to grab attention in urban areas.

It involves cleaning dirt off streets or walls to leave behind a message or image.

7) Ephemeral content

Leveraging platforms like Snapchat to create marketing content that disappears after a short period can create a sense of urgency and exclusivity among audiences.

8) Mystery campaigns

Launching a mystery marketing campaign, with little to no detail, can get the curiosity of your audience.

Teaser campaigns with cryptic messages, or mysterious packages, sent to customers can create buzz as people try to solve the mystery.

9) Edible advertising

Using food to deliver your message can be a tasty and memorable way to market. For example, customised fortune cookies or printed messages on confectionery.

10) Outlandish challenges

Creating a challenge or contest that encourages people to engage in unusual tasks for rewards can generate viral content and attention.

11) Using drones

Using drones to deliver products, create aerial light shows with logos, or capture unique footage for marketing purposes can stand out in the technological age.

12) Incorporating scent

Using scented advertisements or having a unique fragrance associated with your store or product can create a memorable sensory experience.

13) Stunt marketing

Stunt marketing aims to create a memorable experience that generates significant media coverage and word-of-mouth publicity.

Think skydiving stunts, extreme sports demonstrations, or large-scale art installations.

You can’t expect all of these wacky ideas to go down well with your target audience. Unusual marketing strategies can be hit or miss, and what resonates with one demographic might not work with another.

It’s important to consider your brand image and what would work well with your brand. We are happy to help with personalised ideas for how to get the right attention for your business.

For a free virtual marketing ideas session with marketing experts, call us on 01962 600 147 or email info@tlc-business.co.uk

Sustainability is making big waves in all industries and we have to make sure it extends into your marketing too.

Don’t forget to shout about your sustainable successes and the impact you are making!

Shout about your efforts

By highlighting the positive impacts your business is making, not only informs your customers, but strengthens your brand image.

We find transparent and effective communication builds credibility and will help to attract the growing number of eco-conscious consumers.

Making an impact

To stay relevant, it’s vital to understand the initiatives that are currently making an impact. Whether your efforts are big or small, sharing your current efforts, and your sustainable targets for the future, will help you stand out.

Sustainable areas that are currently turning heads are:

Company-wide initiatives:

• Investing in renewable energy
• Using eco-friendly packaging: embracing recyclable, reusable, biodegradable and compostable packaging
• Cutting out single-use plastics
• Improving supply chain: Carefully selecting local suppliers, using fewer shipments and smaller vehicles to reduce the carbon footprint
• Ranging energy-efficient products
• Driving innovation in sustainability
• Adopting the latest sustainable features
• Reducing waste

Internal improvements:

• Switching to hybrid or electric company cars
• Recycling, reusing and reducing waste
• Investing in sustainable training to raise awareness for a greener future
• Opting for energy-efficient equipment
• Supporting local environmental initiatives or charities

Promoting sustainability

Digital transition

Sharing your content online will massively help to reduce your paper consumption and make sure you are taking a more eco-friendly approach.

Share success on socials

Use social media platforms to share your sustainability achievements and accreditations with a wider audience.

Personalised campaigns

Traditional marketing methods, such as mass mailings, can generate large quantities of printed materials that may go unread or be discarded. Personalised campaigns will not only be more engaging, but reduce waste.

Avoid greenwashing

Greenwashing is a term that was coined as early as the 1980’s – meaning to exaggerate your commitment to sustainability.

Find the right balance in your messaging, it’s a good idea to focus on genuine impactful initiatives.

Collaborate for wider impact

Collaborate with influencers and charities to help spread the message of sustainability to a wider audience.

Reusable promo material

For printed promo material, like banners, it’s best to make sure it’s reusable. Remember to meticulously proofread before going to print, getting a fresh pair of eyes to look at it will help to avoid any costly mistakes and unnecessary waste.

Celebrate your successes

No matter how big or small your sustainability successes are, celebrate them. Let your customers know about the positive impacts you’re making and future-proof your business.

For a free virtual marketing ideas session with marketing experts, call us on 01962 600 147 or email info@tlc-business.co.uk

Happy New Year! We hope you had a lovely festive time with your friends and family.

Now the New Year has officially begun, it’s time to knuckle down and make some New Year’s resolutions to help your business thrive in 2024.

Here are our top marketing New Year’s resolutions for 2024:

Spend time on lead generation

Kick off the New Year positively focusing on driving your business forwards. Spending time making new leads is a great way to secure new business and get off to a strong start.

Craft compelling email campaigns to reach a wider audience and use direct messaging on social media platforms to provide a more personal way to connect with people. If you need support, our expert team is always happy to help turn your plan into a reality!

Post more on socials

Sharing regular posts on social media will be really important to get noticed in 2024. As we covered in our last blog, many businesses will be looking to build on their social ecommerce.

You may even want to explore new platforms that are popular with your target audience, (it is a New Year after all, what better time to try new things?!)

Offer irresistible deals

Many people will have overspent over Christmas, so offering fantastic New Year’s deals will be a good way to attract customers.

Incentivising customers to spend more with personalised offers, and upselling where possible, will be a good way to generate some additional revenue.

Reward loyalty

It’s not all about trying to gain new business, keeping your existing customers happy is vital too. Don’t forget to reward loyalty, offering personalised discounts and exclusive offers to thank your existing customers and keep them coming back for more.

Prioritise SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is ever-evolving and staying on top of the latest trends and best practices is essential. Aim to improve your website’s SEO to increase visibility and drive more organic traffic.

For businesses with a physical presence, local SEO is crucial. Make a point to optimise your online presence for local searches to attract customers in your area.

Invest in content marketing

High-quality relevant content is key for engaging your audience and enhancing your SEO.

We recommend sharing relevant blogs and case studies, to build brand authority. Plus  creating editorial features and advertorials for recognised industry publications, to boost your brand presence.

Positive customer experience

Create a smooth customer journey, making sure each interaction with your brand is positive, mobile optimisation is key to this. With the increasing use of smartphones, your marketing content must be mobile-friendly. Make sure your website, emails and any digital content are optimised for mobile devices to provide a user-friendly experience.

If you want to get your marketing off to a great start in 2024, our team is happy to help! Which New Year’s resolutions will you be making today?

For a free virtual marketing ideas session with marketing experts, call us on 01962 600 147 or email info@tlc-business.co.uk

The countdown to Christmas is well and truly on – Christmas lights and decorations are up, festive songs are playing on the radio – so now is the time to spread the Christmas cheer through your marketing.

To help you get started, here are some key dos and don’ts to keep in mind when planning your Christmas marketing campaigns:

The Dos of Christmas Marketing

Embrace the Festive Spirit

Get into the festive spirit! Your marketing should reflect warmth and joy. It’s a great opportunity to bring people together and boost your loyal community. Showcase how your services can benefit your customers. You may even want to support a local good cause and share an extra dose of positivity.

Be Creative

The festive season is saturated with messages, so make yours attention grabbing and memorable!

Stand out from your competitors with creative advertising, captivating social media and engaging email marketing campaigns.

Get Ahead

Launch your campaigns well before the festive rush. You’ll have a better chance of engaging your customers than if you bombard them at the last minute. Plus, the future (much less stressed) you, will definitely thank you for it!

Personalisation

Generic messages have a habit of quickly ending up in people’s deleted box, or being completely ignored. Make the most of customer data to tailor your marketing messages and make your valued customers feel special over the festive period. Personalised discounts and offers always go down well!

Engage with Your Community

Keep your customers engaged with your brand through exclusive online events, competitions or giveaways. It’s a great way to create buzz and build loyal followers.

The Don’ts of Christmas Marketing

Overwhelm with Sales Pitches

Pushing hard sales isn’t really in the Christmas spirit. Go for a softer marketing approach and focus on how your products and services can genuinely benefit your customers. Think about your visuals, using festive colours and images to enhance the festive experience.

Ignore Cultural Sensitivities

It’s important to be inclusive and considerate in your messaging to make sure you don’t alienate any customers. Look to include other religious celebrations in your marketing plan for next year and celebrate diversity and inclusivity.

Neglect Your Online Experience

UK shoppers are expected to spend £24.1bn online (from 1st November to 31st December) a rise of 2.7% from last year, Reuters reports. So you must guarantee your website is up to the job! Make sure it is user and mobile friendly, optimising it for the best shopping experience.

Forget Post-Christmas Opportunities

Lots of people will be exchanging gift cards and cash this Christmas. Remember to promote gift card sales in the lead up to Christmas. They are a great alternative to presents, as the lucky recipient can choose whatever they wish.

Don’t forget to plan post-Christmas campaigns to capture those looking to spend their cash and redeem their gift cards.

Overpromise and Under-deliver

Don’t fall at the last hurdle by overpromising and under-delivering. Set realistic expectations about your services and delivery capabilities to maintain customer satisfaction and trust.

We hope this blog has given you lots of top marketing tips ready for the busy festive season. If you need some extra support, our team is always happy to help!

For a free virtual marketing ideas session with marketing experts, call us on 01962 600 147 or email info@tlc-business.co.uk

If you look hard enough, you’ll find there’s a national day for almost everything!

Instead of a paint by numbers approach to marketing, where you try to tenuously link all the national days in the calendar to your business, avoid the temptation to create marketing for the sake of it. You’ll actually lose people’s interest, rather than gain it! Instead, we recommend focusing on what is relevant to your customers and your business.

It’s never too late to start planning your marketing campaigns, so we’ve put together some key dates for this year and 2024 that you can make the most of. If you need some expert advice, our friendly team is always here to help.

Work related events

Trade shows and events

Don’t miss the opportunity to shout about the industry trade shows you are attending. It’s a great chance to showcase your products and expertise within the industry. The more people who know you are there, the better networking opportunity it will be. The same goes for award ceremonies and other industry events.

Mark big anniversaries

Celebrate your business’ experience and achievements. Mark key milestones, such as your 50th anniversary, or the launch of your latest product or service, and share your successes with your customers.

Industry recognised days

Show support for charity campaigns or industry events that link closely to your business. It is a great way to support positive change and boost your company’s reputation.

Key times of the year

Halloween

You may have been one of the many businesses that offered their customers a treat, rather than a trick this Halloween. If not, you can always look to include it in your marketing plan for next year.

You know your customers best, if Halloween is likely to offend your customers, then avoid at all costs. But otherwise Halloween is a chance to have a bit of fun with your marketing, especially on socials. You may want to throw in some spooktacular Halloween competitions, limited offers and discounts, or even dress up and offer Halloween themed food.

Black Friday

Black Friday used to be a massive one-day sales event, where people were fighting to get the best deals, but now it’s more like a promotional period that lasts a couple of weeks and an ideal chance to capitalise on pre-Christmas sales.

Offer your customers some great deals and get the attention of bargain hunters, ahead of the Christmas rush.

Christmas

Christmas is obviously a big date in the diary – it’s a great chance to reward loyal customers with personalised discounts and rewards. It is also a great time to offer gift cards, which can make the perfect present and help you win extra business.

Don’t forget to offer great deals for Boxing Day too. Celebrating and supporting other religious holidays throughout the year works really well.

Planning for 2024

New Year’s Day (Monday 1st January 2024)

As we are coming to the end of 2023, you might be starting to think about plans for 2024 and beyond.

Get the New Year off to a great start, by offering fresh promotions on New Year’s Day.

In addition to the events we’ve already covered, you can pick and choose which dates are relevant for your customers:

• Valentine’s Day (Wednesday 14th February 2024)
• Mother’s Day (Sunday 12th March 2024)
• Easter (Friday 29th March to Sunday 31st March 2024)
• May Day (Wednesday 1st May 2024)
• Father’s Day (Sunday 16th June 2024)
• Guy Fawkes Night (Tuesday 5th November 2024)

These dates are especially ideal for hospitality businesses, but offering special promotions at key times of the year will work well for any business.

It’s important to note, these occasions can be sensitive for some, you may even want to offer your customers the chance to opt out of specific email marketing to respect their preferences.

Wellbeing dates in 2024

Marking key dates in your calendar doesn’t have to be just about boosting sales (although that’s important too, obviously), many are great for lifting morale, increasing awareness and showing support for things like wellness, mental health, inclusivity and equality.

Key 2024 dates include:

• Monday 15th January 2024 – ‘Brew Monday’ run by the Samaritans to shake up ‘Blue Monday’ (the most depressing day of the year) to remind everyone to reach out to each other over a cuppa, to support wellness and mental health.
• Thursday 1st February 2024 – Time to talk run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation to promote good mental health and wellbeing.
• Friday 1st March 2024 – Employee Appreciation Day – The perfect chance to reward your hard working staff.
• Friday 8th March 2024 – International Women’s Day – A great way to recognise success and support gender equality.
• Sunday 10th March to Monday 8th April 2024 – Ramadan – A chance to support Muslim colleagues who are fasting.
• April 2024 – Stress Awareness Month – The ideal moment to promote wellbeing.
• Sunday 7th April 2024 – World Health Day – Promote fitness and healthy living, you could even organise a sponsored team event.
• Monday 22nd April 2024 – Earth Day – A good chance to focus on sustainability and promote eco-conscious products and initiatives.
• Sunday 28th April to Saturday 4th May 2024 – National Small Business Week – Support small businesses and celebrate your own successes.
• Monday 13th May – Sunday 19th May 2024 – Mental Health Awareness Week – Focus on removing the stigma and promoting positive mental health.
• Saturday 29th June 2024 – London Pride – Celebrate LGBT+ culture.
• Wednesday 5th June 2024 – World Environment Day Show commitment to sustainability.
• Sunday 6th August 2024 – Cycle to Work Day – A chance to promote the benefits of sustainability and getting more active, plus the cycle to work scheme.
• Tuesday 1st October – Thursday 31st October 2024 – Black History Month – Celebrate black history and culture.
• Tuesday 10th October 2024 – World Mental Health Day – Promote positive mental health and focus on removing the stigma.
• Friday 1st November – Saturday 30th November 2024 – ‘Movember’ – Raise awareness for men’s health issues including prostate cancer and depression, there’s also a great opportunity for company wide sponsorship.
• Wednesday 6th November 2024 – National Stress Awareness Day – Promote health and well-being, share ways to prevent burnout.
• Tuesday 19th November 2024 – International Men’s Day – An ideal opportunity to promote men’s health and wellbeing, and reduce stigmas.

We hope this blog has given you plenty of ideas for your upcoming marketing campaigns. If you’d like more marketing inspiration on what would work well for your business, please give us a shout.

For a free virtual marketing ideas session with marketing experts, call us on 01962 600 147 or email info@tlc-business.co.uk