Man takes fastball in groin, makes millions
Note: This blog has moved! For continued updates about small business marketing, visit my new blog Manizesto, or subscribe to the Manizesto feed.
Every company would love to have a viral marketing campaign as successful as Blendtec, with their "Will it Blend?" videos where they show their powerful blenders destroying everything from marbles to iPhones, but I'd have to say Nutty Buddy has come close.
The company, founded by ex-MLB pitcher Mark Littell, has done a great job of marketing a product that really proves its value and is entertaining at the same time. And Littell literally stands behind his product:
"Let’s get the CEO of every cup company. You put your cup on, and I’ll put my cup on, and we’ll see who’s left standing."
Don't think he's serious? Check out the video of him taking a fastball right in the undercarriage without flinching.
Between this video and their well-targeted tagline, "Protecting the boys", I have a feeling Littell will be selling quite a few of these baseball cups.
For daily doses of interesting ways you can give your small business marketing success, subscribe to the Influentia blog.
We had a discussion at our corporate offices today comparing tv commercials to youtube/viral videos. Someone questioned whether it was possible to market only through videos without a TV presence. I brought up the Nutty Butty and the "Will it Blend" Blenders and the success they have had. Someone then argued- "But they ended up on TV in the news" and I met that statement with- "As a result of viral videos! Plus that kind of TV presence costs nothing!". BAM!
Posted by: Dan | December 18, 2007 at 07:12 PM
Zing!
It's true and it's something most organizations don't really understand. PR is basically free and so is viral marketing. The question about not marketing through TV is ridiculous. Companies are moving away from TV advertising to online more and more. There are many businesses who are successful and don't have a TV presence. For most companies in the U.S., TV advertising is simply not in the budget.
Posted by: Jonathan | December 19, 2007 at 09:14 AM