Posted on May 20, 2008 - by Nate

Sticking Out Like a Sore Wienie.

I’m overwhelmed. Honestly. There is so much online content being shoved at us and somehow we’re expected to keep up with it all. Many of, if not all of us, have resorted to some sort of piecemeal approach to information upload to our tiny cerebrals. I mean, I’m subscribed to approximately 140 RSS feeds. So what do I do? I scan, looking for relevant content or something humorous. Sometimes standing out is the most important thing. If you’re more eccentric, bizarre, or important, you may get some hits: your ten seconds of fame, so to speak. But if not, you could be left to your own devices forever.

Put yourself out there.

I chose to name the title of this post “Sticking Out Like a Sore Wienie” for a couple of reasons.

1. Shock Value.
2. I recently read an article about marketing with a wienie (incidentally, it was Walt Disney’s idea—a brilliant one at that).
3. You’ve got to stick yourself out there, make yourself vulnerable, risk something.

That said, there are many types of traditional approaches that may work.

Walt Disney’s Wienie

After Disney and his Engineers had created the GE “Carousel of Progress” for the 1964 World’s Fair, Walt brought in a group of GE execs to see the show firsthand before it was available to the public. The executives were thrilled. Walt, however, wanted to nail them to the wall. So, he did something a little bizarre. He piped, “It doesn’t have a wienie! Come back in a couple weeks and I’ll show you.”

If you heard Walt Disney say that, you’d probably be back too. A week later the puzzled execs returned again to see a show, almost identical to the first version - with one exception: Walt had added a comical audio-animatronic dog with a wagging tail to each scene.

Genius! They were sold.

Marketing to the Digital Gen

Digital Advertising is much the same way. You have to stick out, be memorable, do something different, interesting and exciting. Gone are the relic advertisements of the past. Going digital means using content in ways never before utilized. Using projective marketing tactics, gives consumers a reason to believe. I personally feel marketing over the next ten years will be comprised of three integrated and selective platforms.

1. Internet. Search Engine Optimizers, Affiliate Marketers, and Pay Per Click specialists all have a place in this world. All have contributed and will continue to contribute to the vast evolving world of digital advertising.

2. Digital Signage. Also known as Narrowcasting or Out-of-Home Advertising, Digital Signage is the billboard of the future. Utilizing LCDs, Projectors, Plasmas and other digital media, Digital Signage is quickly becoming a powerful medium in bringing your message to the end consumer.

3. Mobile. We have not even begun to tap this market. Not even close. Mobile marketing will become a very powerful way for individuals and audiences to engage with you. In addition, when mobile campaigns are integrated with the other forms of digital media, including digital signage and internet, powerful, targeted campaigns can easily take place.

Finding a fail-proof method of getting recognized with the barrage of information and literature flooding the channels of media is not easy. So, find your wienie. As you do, stick it out there, make it known and get noticed.