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Health & Fitness

Why Sometimes You Just Shouldn't Try to Connect Your Product/Company/Organization to Current Events... or a Holiday

Blogger Robin Ferrier talks about why it's not always good to try and make a connection between your product, company, or organization and current events (or holidays.)

While on vacation in Florida last week, I passed a billboard that read:

This father's day, give him a gift he'll never forget... The Plastic Doc.

It was an ad for a plastic surgery practice.

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Earlier this spring, I received an email form a local organization. The subject line was “Miss the Royal Wedding?” The email itself was about a procurement conference with a first line being about not missing your chance at billions.

These two stories may seem disconnected, but they’re both examples of what I consider to be a marketing no-no: Trying too hard to connect your promotion to current events and/or holidays where there isn’t a natural connection.

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Surgery as a father’s day gift? Really? You couldn’t come up with a better ad than that? I’m not saying that men don’t get plastic surgery – though I’m willing to bet they’re still in the minority – but how many people are going to say, “Hey, dad. Today’s a day we honor you. Have I mentioned you could use a tummy tuck?” Or how about “Hey, dad, you’re looking a little saggy around the jowls. How about a little nip-tuck this year?” Sorry, but connecting your plastic surgery practice to father’s day is forcing a connection where there isn’t one. And it makes me laugh... not to mention discredit your practice as being amateurish. (And, if I were looking for a plastic surgeon, I don't want the amateurish one.)

As to the Royal Wedding email… there’s no question that you should play off of current events to promote your business, product, etc. That’s one of the basic tenets of PR. But it only works if the connection makes sense. I would love for someone to explain how going to a procurement seminar has ANYTHING to do with the royal wedding. It’s a ludicrous connection. And again, you’re doing a disservice to your organization – and making yourself look unprofessional and, I would argue, more than a little foolish – when you try to play off current events in a silly, disconnected way.

In these two cases, at least the items in question were ads or e-marketing items. If either organization had used this same pitch to a reporter, I can’t imagine it gaining either one any media coverage. In fact, all I see it doing is hurting any relationship you may have with reporters who will start to discredit or marginalize future communications from you.

So the next time you’re looking for the “hook” that will make reporters – or users – notice you, don’t jump on the current events or holiday bandwagon. Ask yourself: Does this connection really make sense? And if not, table the idea and wait to promote your product until you have a better idea! Because not all publicity is good publicity. No matter who tells you otherwise!

Another good read on this same topic can be found on the Bad Pitch Blog.

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