🦄 Marketing Mayhem: 3 “WTF?!” Strategies to Make Your Startup Unforgettable 🤯

S K Prasad
Smarketer: Unpacking Business Strategies
2 min readJul 30, 2024

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Tired of your marketing campaigns getting lost in the sea of sameness? Ready to shake things up and grab some attention? Good, because I’ve got 3 unconventional strategies that’ll make your brand the talk of the town.

1. Storytelling That Sells (and Doesn’t Suck)

Remember Hiut Denim? They didn’t just sell jeans; they sold a comeback story. A small Welsh town, a closed-down factory, and a dream to bring it back to life — one pair of jeans at a time. People ate it up. Why? Because stories connect with us emotionally. And when we feel something, we buy.

2. The “WTF?!” Factor: Embrace the Unexpected

Cards Against Humanity once sold nothing for $5 on Black Friday. They raked in over $71,000! Mind-blowing, right? But it makes sense. Consumers crave unique experiences. And what’s more unexpected than paying for, well, nothing? Lesson learned: Shock and awe still works.

3. Customers as Co-Creators: The LEGO Masterclass

LEGO Ideas is a brilliant example of co-creation. Fans submit their designs, others vote, and boom — winning designs become actual LEGO sets. Genius! Why does it work? Because people love to be part of something bigger than themselves. And they’ll gladly tell their friends about it.

Why Unconventional Works:

These strategies aren’t just quirky; they’re smart. They break the mold, create emotional connections, and turn customers into raving fans. In a world where we’re bombarded with ads (seriously, over 5,000 a day!), being different is your superpower.

The Risk/Reward Reality Check:

Look, I won’t sugarcoat it. Unconventional marketing can be risky. But let’s be honest, playing it safe is risky too. You’ll just get lost in the noise. So take a deep breath, channel your inner rebel, and go for it.

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S K Prasad
Smarketer: Unpacking Business Strategies

Founder of smarketer.in and its insightful, case-study driven newsletter. Leveraging 15 years of experience to help startups build growth engines.