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July 11, 2010

Top 10 Successful Marketing Stunts – Part 4

6. Company: D.C. Comics
    Year of the Stunt: 1993

The Stunt: Whether we're talking art or not, D.C. Comics is – yes -- a business, generating approximately $40 billion in revenue each year. So it's not surprising that many people felt that releasing a comic book called The Death of Superman was a marketing stunt, given that nobody with half a brain really, truly thought this company was going to stop producing its most popular title, a hit since the Superman character was born in 1938. (According to a recent estimate published in Entertainment Weekly, since that time, Superman has generated some $4 billion in revenue.)

What Happened Next: The news media covered this development extensively, not quite as if a head of state had passed away, but seriously enough, and the comic book featuring his death sold out on the first day. As more issues were published, they kept selling out. In fact, millions of readers purchased not just The Death of Superman issue but numerous others that followed, including Funeral for a Friend and eventually--who would have guessed?--The Return of Superman.

Lesson Learned: If you have a popular product but feel that sales are stagnant or your customers' excitement toward the brand is weaning, it may not be a bad idea to tinker with it. "Well, not so fast," you're probably thinking. "Jump into a time machine and see how people felt about New Coke in 1985."

But that wasn't a marketing stunt -- it was a colossal business mistake that offered numerous marketing challenges, which Coke eventually conquered, by reverting back to its original formula. Businesses revamp their products all the time, whether it's coming out with a "new and improved" formula that truly is new and improved (unlike Coca-Cola's 1985 misfire). But more often than not, instead of replacing the product, companies now just add new varieties to their line. What Superman and other beloved brands can teach us is that if you can create some drama around your product--and tug at your consumers' emotions--you may just find that your potential for bringing in a profit is, well, super.

7. Company: Maui Beverages
    Year of the Stunt: 2005

The Stunt: Because Maui Beverages isn't very well known, their PR department suggested something splashy to let people know how fun this company was. First, they changed the founding executive titles --from Chief Executive Officer to Chief Entertainment Officer -- and the Chief Technology Officer to Chief Tasting Officer -- giving their company a more lighthearted appeal. Then they set out to prove that they really were fun. Maui Beverages' PR company sent the founders, Mark Mahoney and Al Williams, to be hosts at an annual conference of food and beverage trade writers. They threw a huge party with a Jimmy Buffett-type "Caribbean island" theme and gave out lots of free sunglasses--as well as free samples of their product.

What Happened Next: Sure enough, after the title changes and the party, the company started getting a lot of positive press, which is directly affecting their bottom line: Their annual sales have gone from $6 million in 2004 to a projected $10 million by the end of this year.

Lesson Learned: A marketing stunt doesn't have to be something that nobody's ever done before, but you should "keep it fresh and exciting," says founder Mahoney. Maui Beverages wasn't the first company to throw a party--or to throw it for a group of people who could help get the word out about them. But what they did was creative and a much better strategy than hoping your company's silent and under-the-radar personality will somehow get people to notice you anyway.

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