Really Bad Marketing Ideas

[Boris]

I'll start. Hi, you're a douchebag

The above is a link to MiniCooper's latest marketing idea. If you have a Mini you can get an RFID keyfob and then when you drive by a billboard you'll get a personalized message on the billboard. Here are some choice quotes:

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Once they're in range, personalized messages using their name (``Motor On Jim!'') or their career (``Moving At The Speed of Justice!'' for a lawyer) will appear.

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[ QUOTE ]
The billboards are ``all about creating unique Mini experiences and leveraging new technologies to engage owners and prospects...'' [said] Kate Alini, marketing communications manager of Mini USA...

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I was kinda disappointed she didn't slip in a "thinking outside the box" reference.

[kidcolin]

This doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Maybe I'm out of touch with most consumers, but would this really ever make or break a car buying decision? Cars are too expensive and important for this kind of buzz marketing. This would work on some impressionable teenagers trying to decide between soda brand loyalty (for a few weeks, until they get bored of it). If I'm dropping a significant amount of cash on a long term investment, a cute little PM via billboard is about the last thing on my mind.

[Borodog]

Hence, the thread title.

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[lapoker17]

boris - i think you missed the boat on this one. their target market is the gayest .0001% of all americans - this idea seems perfect for that.

[bwana devil]

1. how many words will they have to censor? "mini cooper sucks!" "lick my balls" etc

2. how long until a lawsuit? driver is in an accident looking at "his" billboard and wants minicooper to pay.

[Dire]

101 Dumbest Moments in Business

Plenty of marketing love.

[Taylor Caby]

The radio station that held the "Hold your wee for a Wii" where the woman died comes to mind. I don't have a link, but basically the person who could drink a ton of water and not urinate would win a nintendo wii. The lady died on the drive home because she had too much water in her system.

Unbelievable that this stunt got on the air.

tc

[Golden_Rhino]

I always though that giving away mini bats at baseball games is going to prove to be a horrible decision, with tragic circumstances, one day.

[The Yugoslavian]

Boris,

Since daliman is their target...and daliman is a huge retard who loves affirmation and to hear himself speak to himself....this idea sounds genius IMO.

Yugoslav

[kidcolin]

TC,

That happened where I live (Sacramento). While it is indeed very tragic, and there's a big lawsuit about to unfold, I think you're being a bit results oriented.

These kinds of stunts are pulled off on radio all the time. People do STUPID things for free stuff. I can't name anything specifically at the moment, but I'm sure I've heard more than one radio promo where I thought, "hey that sounds stupid and/or dangerous." On top of that, water intoxication isn't a well known thing. I'm sure they thought they'd get some funny reactions and a few people would pee their pants, and it'd be good radio. Obviously that's short-sited, and they'll likely pay a huge price for that. But had she not died, it would've been a big popular event and someone would be getting a pat on the back from their boss.