Personal Invitation Marketing

When I’m on the road and the red light turns green and the car in front of me doesn’t immediately start driving, I tend to turn into this:

My dad, however, is a much cooler cat.  He calmly asks the driver blocking the way if they are waiting for a “personal invitation” (alternative: “a particular shade of green,” but that’s neither here nor there).

As a kid, that always made me laugh.

As a marketer, I use it to guide everything I do.

Yes, it sounds silly, but who wouldn’t want a “personal invitation” to a brand?  If you communicate correctly, each in your target audience should feel like the brand is reaching out to them individually, inviting them to join the family.  Then, it’s not a purchase you are making, but an investment.

Here are two examples of brands doing a great job adding that personal touch to their marketing and advertising campaigns.

Popchips

A few months ago, I got an e-mail from web-influence measurement site Klout that Popchips wanted to send me some freebies, since they are starting a marketing push in Washington, DC.

So, the initial contact came from Klout, not Popchips.  No big deal to me.

I was able to share the deal with friends, and the box they sent was incredible!  My friend Jeff Esposito did an awesome video review of the campaign here.

Since then, I’ve been invited to Popchips-sponsored events and even received a holiday gift box, with a hand-written card from a brand manager.  While I know there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of these packages with the same hand-written note, the extra effort does not go unnoticed.  I mention the marketing efforts to friends inside and outside the industry and there is almost always a bag in my house.

In fact, I am happy to say that Popchips (Salt & Vinegar flavor, of course), will be my snack-of-choice for my upcoming road trip from DC to Texas!  Good marketing, Popchips, by giving your campaign a personal touch, you’ve turned me from someone who walked past your display to an addict.

Dearfoams

I’m not what you would call a big slipper guy.

Personally, slip-on shoes make more sense to me, especially since they look less like chew-toys for the dog.  And since my last pair of nice slippers ended up tattered by my beloved Balki, I’ve stayed away.

But a new ad campaign from Dearfoms may change that.

They have placed a series of billboards all over DC’s Metro Rail system, with each billboard showcasing people wearing their products while doing different activities.

From playing ping pong to rocking out on the electric guitar, they have opened my eyes to new places “slippers” are socially appropriate outside of a living room.  My favorite aspect of these ads is that the faces of the models are mostly obstructed, so they are inviting you to envision yourself in that situation.

You can’t walk by these posters and not thinking how much better your feet would feel in a pair of slippers and how much more fun you’d be having in any of those situations instead of commuting to and from work.

Campaigns like these aren’t as 1-on-1 directly personal as the Popchips program, but they turn mass marketing into an individualized experience for all who consume it.  It is infinitely more effective than just showing an image of a slipper, no?

What other brands are excelling at putting a personal touch on a marketing or advertising campaign?