Magnetic Marketing

By  Peg Murrah 

In between winter storms this past weekend I was reminiscing about old college stories and retelling the antics and idiosyncrasies of old roommates: The good, the bad, and the downright strange. It was in the midst of these lighthearted discussions that I discovered a sublimely potent, almost impishly delightful marketing technique that I have for years taken for granted and ignored. It is small, simple, and likely right in front of you countless times a day: Magnets.

In the old apartment (shared between four people) the interior of the fridge gravitated between looking devastatingly bare and appearing as the aftermath of a hurricane-stricken bazaar. The exterior however was equally strange but more lighthearted and not nearly as odorous. There were drawings, a dry-erase board (frequently vandalized) and magnets. There was the obligatory magnet for the local pizza place, one hailing from the nearby pub displaying their daily specials, and my own little addition was a ribbon that read "Support Pirates".

These little magnets are incredibly cost-effective. They constantly reach and remind the target audience of existent businesses, and though they are often ignored they are in a prime location when a young college student was in need. Keep checking the fridge to see if more food has magically appeared? The keen red magnet was a reminder warm, cheesy pizza was only a call away.  Perhaps a young collegiate was thirsty one day: The daily specials, which were only a walk away, where right there in plain sight.

Magnets may not be ideal for every business and service out there but they are one of the most cost-effective ways to repeatedly reach your audience and remind them that certain services are only a call away. More grown-up examples of magnetic marketing are landscaping and plumbing or electrical services. These are things that nine times out of ten ignored but on that tenth time it shows that the then much needed services are convenient and reaching them can be nearly effortless- you don't even have to search on your smart phone for the nearest AC/Heating guy when his magnet sits smugly on your fridge.

If magnets aren't viable for your business or service that doesn't mean there aren't equally efficient, effective ways to reach your target audience. Coffee mugs, lanyards, and even bottle openers can operate as functional repetitive advertising methods and that is only naming a few. Which ones can you use to better reach the people you want to connect with?

 If you have any input or ideas we here at PMA would be glad to hear and share them.

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