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Dr Fad's Marketing Articles

What IS a Fad? It's Not a Better Mousetrap

A fad is something everyone wants yesterdayand no one wants tomorrow.

Name That Fad

Quickly, what is a Navistar? Bet you don'tknow and neither does anyone else. It doesn'tmatter if you're elling combines and threshingmachines. But you have to be a lot better withnames if you want to be the genius behind thenext Hula-Hoop.

Going It Alone or Going with the Big Guys

Which would you rather be: Colonel Sanders,who sold out his chicken empire and ended upslicing his profits to the bone; or John Y.Brown, who kept Kentucky Fried Chicken allto himself, became one of the wealthiest men inthe country, was elected governor of the state,and married former Miss America Phyllis George?

Dr. Fad’s Guide to Fad Marketing

1. A Fad is not a Vegematic.
If it slices and dices and broils and boils, it’s not a fad. A fad only slices.

2. But wait – there’s less.
One of the things I hear most when I’m talking to would-be fadmakers is
that old lament, “As soon as I’ve gotten my gizmo just a little better (a
little cuter, a little shinier, a little uglier, a little bouncier – you fill in the
blank), then I’ll be ready.” When it comes to fads, less is more. Often,
tinkering is a symptom of birth pangs, a fear of letting your baby out of
the garage. The improvement you are looking for might just complicate
matters; at the very least it wastes valuable time. Stick with that shade
of purple. You’re not selling aesthetics. Whether something bounces
20 percent higher or goes 20 percent faster or looks 20 percent better is
not what you are after. You are going after the “big WOW factor.”

3. Keep it short.
The media have a shorter attention span than I do. For radio and TV you
need a fifteen-second explanation. Nothing looks sillier than some poor slob
on a talk show trying to demonstrate a new product and the director drawing
his finger across his throat and the host saying, “Well, our time is up” and
you’re in the middle of your spiel. Meanwhile, the host could care less; all
he’s thinking about is a clever segue into a commercial, and the whole point
is lost. If you get more than fifteen seconds, you can always show it off again.

4. Avoid high-tech, high-gloss.
Fads are definitely low-tech operations. High-gloss is for Madison Avenue,
where they can afford it. Your only chance is to go 180 degrees in the
opposite direction to total low-gloss. Break out the Magic Markers and
handwrite your own brochure – the hokier the better.

5. Every sample is worth a thousand words.
Everyone loves a freebie, especially if it’s fun. Samples don’t cost you much
and they say more than ten press releases.

6. Never send out anything that says, “Some assembly required.”
I get samples all the time that have to be put together. I say to myself,
“Some other time, maybe if I live to be a hundred, I’ll get to this thing,” and
file it away in the bottom drawer. Sending a sample that requires anything
of the person receiving it is not much better than sending nothing at all. Do
you think the buyer at the Sharper Image or Neiman-Marcus is going to take
the time to figure out how to assemble and display your product? Not on your
life. One faster was trying to launch an inflatable globe by sending it to
potential buyers in a tiny envelope. I told him the buyer at Bloomingdale’s
wasn’t going to sit in his office and burst his lungs trying to blow the thing
up to see what it was. I convinced him to ship his brainchild all blown up in
a huge wooden crate. Suddenly he got the attention he wanted – and a wave
of orders.

7. Ditto “batteries not included.”
If it takes batteries, send them. If they need to be installed, install them (see
tip #6 Don’t expect anybody to do anything but open the package.)

8. Write and rewrite directions, if any are needed, until a six-year-old could
understand them. Never include more than two lines of directions. One line is better. “Throw
This at the wall” or “Put this on your head” will do nicely.

9. Never use jargon in press interviews.
If you use terms like “cash flow” and “inventory,” you become just like every
other businessman.

10. Don’t sweat the details.
Concentrate on the big things – there are more than enough of them. You
can’t be bothered with cash flows, spreadsheets, and frequent-flier miles.

11. Don’t invest in a sequel.
Unlike Beverly Hills Cop II, there will never be Pet Sand, a Hula-Ring, or
Wallrunner. Who ever heard a word about Rubik’s Magic Puzzle? I rest
my case.

13. Don’t name-drop.
You don’t want to be establishment or a celebrity. You are one lone guy out
there with a shoeshine and a smile and no connections. You are just like the
person buying your fad and hoping to launch one of his own someday.
Claiming to know Cher’s road manager is out of character and tacky.

14. Don’t be linear.
A fad is a merry-go-round. One minute it’s a catalog item, another it’s at
K-Mart, then it’s a cartoon special, then it’s a premium at Wendy’s. Any
one of them can happen anytime if you keep your mind open.

15. Think big.
Fad people are big dreamers but small thinkers. Often they are so happy
to see their widget out there that they want to send a thank-you note to
anyone who buys it. Believe you are going to sell millions, and people will
pay more – and buy more.

16. Don’t hold back.
You are your fad. Don’t dress up like a pizza, but don’t be reluctant to
flail away about your fad to anyone, anytime. I threw WallWalkers® against
the wall of some of the finest restaurants in the country.

17. Don’t take the pros’ advice as gospel.
They’ve had some successes, true. But their mistakes are hidden. You
don’t hear about the chance they didn’t take. They are cautious and will
preach caution to you.

18. Keep it fun.
A fad is fun. Remember that. It isn’t useful. It isn’t going to cure cancer.
The veep at Kenner Toys can afford to be a grim green eyeshade type because
he isn’t his fad. If the fun goes out of your fad, it dies.

19. Act like an amateur, sting like a pro.
Even if you get successful and can afford the secretary with the British accent,
resist. Don’t drop your amateur ways or people will think they’ve been had.