Alicia Lyttle & Lorette Lyttle of Monetized Marketing - Get To The Centers Of

InfluenceGet To The Centers Of Influence – A Taxi Ride In Jamaica

What do CDs have to do with reaching the centers of influence?

I was in taxi in Jamaica and listening to the music that was playing. It was all the top reggae hits, then there were commercials. I listened to the first commercial and it was advertising a party that upcoming weekend – “Kissans Birthday Bash” – one of the top local DJ were going to be there, open bar and food to purchase – the biggest party of the year!

Sounded like fun…

Alicia Lyttle & Lorette Lyttle of Monetized Marketing -

So, then I was still in the taxi, people getting in and out (in Jamaica, they pack the taxi until its full with people almost on each others laps). Anyway, after a few more songs, I heard the same commercial again, but with a little variation, advertising “Kissans Birthday Bash”.

Finally, right before I exited the taxi, I heard it yet again – “Kissans Birthday Bash”, biggest party of the year. So I asked my friend, why was every commercial about this party and how can the guy afford to pay the radio station to advertise that much?

He laughed at my questions and explained the promotion strategy…

Where we were in Jamaica most people don’t have cars and the taxi’s run all day up and down the roads packed with people. The people in the taxi’s normally have the same daily route to work. So, the guy who was promoting the party wanted to use the taxi’s to spread the message about the party – they knew the huge reach of people that go in and out of the taxi’s on a daily basis.

Alicia Lyttle & Lorette Lyttle of Monetized Marketing -

So, he approached the taxi drivers and gave them this free CD with all the top hits, so now the people in their taxi would enjoy their ride (they normally dont play music in the taxi). At the same time, when the CD was made they made their own “commercials” which were for promoting the party as well as some of their sponsors (for example a flyer place donated some flyers so they had an ad on the cd as well).

So this CD was a win-win for all parties involved…•The taxi driver now had a “cool” cd for his customers to enjoy their ride•The customers had something to listen to while on their journey•The party sponsors got some exposure to a huge reach of people•The party itself reached a huge target audience and was repeated daily for several days to the same people over and over, so the party that was taking place over the weekend was engrained in their mind

The only cost was the creation and duplication of the CDs.This was a brilliant strategy…How can you reach a center of influence that can spread your message far and wide?Share your thoughts below on how you can incorporate this strategy into your business…