Did you see the MSNBC story of "Everybody's Baby - 20 Years Later"? Matt Lauer interviewed Jessica Morales (nee McClure) this week -- twenty years after she spent nearly 59 hours trapped in an 8-inch well pipe in Midland, Texas. I was surprised to learn from the report that "Save Baby Jessica" stories are is still being circulated around the world, and donations are still being sent to the bank account that was set up for her rescue. The balance is now somewhere between $700,000 and $1.2 million, and Jessica (who is married and has a son) will receive it all when she turns 25.
What does this have to do with sales and marketing? Only a reminder that we shouldn't decide too quickly that our promotional efforts (creating a website, placing ads, printing coupons, sending out mailings, or any other tactics) are not working just because sales don't increase right away. Patience is needed. It often takes some time to get the word out -- but once it's out, it may take on a life of its own. A solid business and marketing plan allows adequate time for the word to spread.
Another way to get the word out is repetition. According to one Pew Research Center study, only Princess Diana's death received more worldwide media coverage than Baby Jessica. We heard about it over and over, and we remember it still. Placing our business message in front of 100 people ten different times is usually better than reaching 1,000 people just once.
If our message includes something to which people can connect emotionally, all the better!
