Advertising/Marketing & THE Bike Ride...

This is a cool story about the difference between "advertising" and "marketing" and WHY you, as a busines person, need to not only know the difference...but consider "how to" do it.

RAGBRAI - For those of you not in Iowa, is an annual bike ride across the state.  This year was the 35th year of the ride.  There were 10,000 riders, several thousand more support people and 477 miles to cover in less than a week.  (Did we mention Lance Armstrong was also along for the ride?)

Our office was represented by Georgie who, four weeks earlier, had gone on a much smaller ride of 1,500 people in Illinois.  Needless to say, the SIZE of this event was staggering.  But there was more...her story:

"All along the 477 mile route people had stands where they were selling everything from sweet corn to water to even pork chops!  By day two of the ride I started noticing the "advertising".  Sometimes the operators of these stands would just put up a sign next to their booth and let us riders know what they had for sale.  Pretty passive.

But, the smart operators started their signs miles before you got to their booth.  Like:

• Pork Chooooooooooop - 10 Miles!"
• (Think "Mr. T"):  "I pity the fool that don't eat Pastafari - 5 miles!"

That was advertising.

And then there was this water stand...eight miles out the signs started:

• "See Cuddles & Buy Water - 8 Miles"
• "See Cuddles Eat Grass & Buy Water - 5 Miles"
• "See Cuddles Chew While You Enjoy Water - 2 Miles"
• "See Cuddles Poop - Just Ahead"

The signs were the "advertising" and Cuddles was the "marketing".  And it worked...dozens of people were buying water and watching Cuddles.  While down the road fifty yards at another stand, nobody.  We saw this all along the route. 

The people that "advertised" did well.  The people that also were out "marketing" did better.  Yep, advertising works...but when you throw in a little marketing savvy...it's golden!"

Thanks, Georgie.  So, the question to you:  Are you simply advertising or are you marketing too?

Michael P. Libbie - Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications where we think Cuddles made the story...and, yes...Georgie DID get to say "Hi" to Lance...

Comments

[Mark Wyatt]

I liked how you did that, but marketing a product on that ride had many intangible variables.

For example - nobody stops at the bottom of a hill, where they had speed and momentum to get to the top of the next one.

Also, stops with ample shade worked much better than even tents out in the open (except for pastafari).

Hmmm... lot to be learned.

[Michael Libbie]

Mark: LOL....I really had to laugh because Georgie also said the same thing about the hills! Got to hand it to the "Pastafari" folks...great name! Thanks for reading and for the comment. MPL

[Mark Wyatt]

Michael,

You might be interested in Iowa's new Share the Road license plate. More information at http://www.iowabicyclecoalition.org/strplate.htm

Right now, we are in viral marketing. Please help spread the word because we need 500 plates pre-sold before they are issued. We have 450 application requests.

Best rides!

[Michael Libbie]

Mark: You've got it! I'll start tonight on our radio show, The Iowa Sportsman Radio Hour on 98.3 WOW FM. In fact...at some point you might consider coming on board to discuss this project. We had Jack Mathews from the DSM Cycle Club on several weeks ago. MPL