Manizesto

In marketing, we’re all hunting for something. But it’s interesting to me how some people put so much time and effort into things that often yield so little.

Millions have been spent looking for Sasquatch, but we still have no solid evidence he exists.

Many more millions have gone to looking for extra-terrestrials, with still nothing to show for it.

The Discovery Channel is running a show called Storm Chasers about people trying to capture tornadoes on tape and collect data about the storms. I’ve watch the show several times, and they’ve yet to get what they’re looking for.

Millions of acres have been mined in search of gold, but in thousands of years, man has only found enough to build 1/3 of the Washington Monument (Platinum is actually much more rare).

It seems like such a waste, but even though the efforts often fail and there’s always disappointment, the payouts (you hit a vein of gold or you find a promising footprint) are enough to keep you moving forward.

Two things you can take from this.

First, the hardcore hunters are much fewer than the number of Softcores. Softcores are people with a casual interest who like to watch shows about tornado chasing but who would never drive straight into an F5 storm. They’re people who shop for headphones, not Skull Candy Hesh headphones with 50 MM speakers, OFC cables and 32 OMS in Black and White Camo. If you want your organization to be revolutionary and big, target the more significant group, then lead them to appreciate the narrowness of your product.

Second, if you’re putting in a lot of effort for very little in return, take a step back. Maybe the payouts are too far and few between to warrant the work you put in. Consider marketing your business in a different, more dependable way, or market yourself to a different group. Better yet, consider going after that innovative marketing tactic that might help you discover something better than gold.

[Photo by kurtz]