Chronicle Column – 19 February 2024 – Disruptive Marketing
When was the last Toowoomba Chamber Billboard you noticed? Late January, or early February 2024? Was it black and white? Off brand? Did you stop and take a photo of it? Or did you not notice it at all?
If you did notice it, when was the last Toowoomba Chamber Billboard before that, that you noticed? And did you notice the Billboard running at the same time? The one in corporate colors? Did it grab your attention? Or did you not see that one at all?
It is true, the flurry of fun (well I thought it was fun) was a deliberate attempt to turn our marketing upside down, create some novelty, drive chitter-chatter (negative and positive as we discovered), break our own rules, be experimental. And yes, completed with purpose.
We did not expect the incredible outreach received locally and throughout southeast Queensland. Nor the impact of how this disruption would create a diversity of opinions, enhance engagement, and bring with it laughter and negativity, positive vibes, jibes, supplementary questions, and much more. All thanks to people stopping, taking photos, and sharing and commenting on digital platforms.
Disruptive Marketing in a tech world!
We live in a world saturated by digital images or 15 to 30-second TikTok grabs, Facebook reels, or the like. How do you break the mold and breakthrough? This challenge of advertising saturation is confirmed by Gabriel Swain in his article on the need for disruptive marketing. Why? Because he says consumers experience between 6,000 to 10,000 advertisements a day. His article, along with articles and blogs from Chrisy Walters, Alexander Bickov and others argue, how do you stand out in this environment? Get noticed?
Well, you, disrupt. Right?
Did our attempt at disruptive marketing, grab your attention? Make you say, “What the hell is Toowoomba Chamber up to? Break through the advertising noise. Surprise you? Did you ask, what Kool-Aid am I drinking?
Will it be repeated? Probably not. I think I will leave it to the marketing experts in future.
Research tells me, that disruptive marketing has its place. Have you travelled this path? Share your disruptive, experimental, or innovative marketing successes and failures with us by emailing admin@toowoombachamber.com.au.
