Hey Whylie, you might want to get your Whylie eyes over here … we’ve got an idea for you!
At most large ad agencies, if a potential client walked in the door with a $500 annual budget, they’d walk out and likely get mugged in the parking lot. So give the folks at McCann Erickson’s Israeli office credit for coming up with this low, low, low budget marketing idea for local optometrist, Opticana. In short, they identified the highest traffic websites in the market, then bought up domain names with the most common misspellings (foogle.com instead of google.com, for example). When a visitor hit the “wrong” domain, they were greeted with an ad from Opticana suggesting that their inability to read the typing on the screen meant that they might be in need of an eye exam and offering them a coupon.
In just a few months, hundreds of people visited the “error” websites. Dozens of the exclusive coupons were downloaded and used. Combine that with the PR and social media opportunities a campaign like this generates … and you’ve got a pretty good marketing spend for only $500!
Nice job to an old nemesis of Lessing-Flynn and the AdMavericks, McCann. And good find from our friends at DigitalBuzz.
Author: Tom Flynn III
www.lessingflynn.com
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This example goes to show that a company can take advantage of opportunities that others would miss just by being smart on how people may use the web to look for content.
Clever outside-the-box thinking. There is a similar subculture on eBay.
Build a search to notify you anytime someone lists a Dell "laptp" for sale.
Since buyers don't search for laptps, you will be the only, and probably very low, bidder. Once the laptop is in hand, list it again in a proper category and pocket the difference.
It's all about using the system to your advantage.
Peter
a couple of observations: Lois Copple is too old to make her own commercials anymore. Love the old gal, but she needs to retire.
Another: I just noticed the Whylie Web site address… Why Lie? :~)
Hope they don't get paid on commission