There are many ways to carry out your marketing strategy. Some rely on personalization, others focus on email marketing, and some even lean on modern AI technology, like ChatGPT.
Ultimately, every marketing approach you decide to take may or may not succeed. There is no guarantee that even the most proven tactics will work for your business.
Sometimes the best you can do is to think outside the box.
14 Out-of-the-Box Ideas for Marketing
- Organize a Flash Mob
- Use Street Art
- Start a Recycling Program
- Design an Interactive Website
- Partner with Local Schools
- Sponsor a Charity Event
- Begin a Podcast
- Create a Brand Mascot
- Turn Customers into Brand Ambassadors
- Collaborate with Another Brand
- Be Funny
- Offer Freebies
- Create a Playlist on Spotify/Apple Music
- Participate in Quora/Reddit Discussions
1. Organize a Flash Mob
A flash mob is a large public gathering that aims to draw attention. The group of people appear, do a quick performance, and then disappear.
In marketing, flash mobs are used to draw media attention to the brand, and potentially become viral.
Here’s a good example of how British Airways invited Moscow shoppers to visit Britain:
You see all those people filming with their phones? Certainly, everyone and their grandma talked about what happened.
2. Use Street Art
Murals, graffiti, installations – there are many types of street art you can use to promote your business. It is a surefire way to make people remember you through the stunning visuals embedded in the streets.
The best part is that it is relatively easy to execute, and it’s cost-effective. Why not give it a try? There aren’t many cool marketing ideas that can beat this one.
3. Start a Recycling Program
Looking for a way to combine out-of-the-box marketing ideas and help our planet? Look no further than recycling programs. Take a lesson from green brands.
Their sustainability business practices help them to establish closer connections with their customers, create a better brand image, and make them stand out from the competition.
4. Design an Interactive Website
Interactive website design can increase user engagement by up to 50%, and enhance user retention up to 60%.
Here’s a cool example from wanted-for-nothing. The agency’s website is anything but plain. It provides an original and interactive experience for visitors.
5. Partner with Local Schools
Developing partnerships with local schools can be beneficial for your business in multiple ways. DevriX, for instance, has a strong bond with TUES (Technological School Electronic Systems).
Every year, we welcome interns from TUES and teach the young talents valuable lessons. A lot of our team members have graduated from there, and some have even joined our company after being interns.
So, it goes without saying: long-term relationships with local schools can boost your workforce. Besides, being able to pass on your knowledge is always good.
6. Sponsor a Charity Event
“No one has ever become poor by giving”, as Anne Frank once said. Don’t be afraid to help those in need. Apart from doing good, this can also help your business.
You see, sponsoring charity events puts your name out there. What’s more, people will associate you with something positive, thus enhancing your company’s reputation and visibility.
7. Begin a Podcast
Starting a podcast can help you reach a lot of potential customers. An industry-related podcast can increase your brand awareness, and appeal to your target audience.
Plus, it’s not that hard to begin. You can use your smartphone for starters, and gradually improve the quality. Improving your equipment will cost you around $200-$3000, including headphones, microphones, and recording software.
Additionally, you can turn your blog posts into audio content, and share it on social media platforms to ensure maximum exposure.
8. Create a Brand Mascot
A fun mascot can make your brand more memorable and appealing. You know ours, Dixy, right?
It goes with us everywhere: events, parties, to the office. Surely, you can think of at least a few memorable mascots.
Michelin Man, Tony the Tiger, The Laughing Cow, GEICO Gecko, Toucan Sam, and the list goes on.
9. Turn Customers into Brand Ambassadors
Brand ambassadors are extremely important. They can take your digital marketing to the next level. These are people who already love your products or services, and are happy to raise awareness.
This tactic is not only cost-effective, quite often ambassadors are willing to promote you for free. You may decide to pay them after they achieve specific goals, but that’s up to you.
Whatever the case, it’s still much cheaper for your business, than a lot of other marketing strategies.
10. Collaborate with Another Brand
Two is better than one. Developing a partnership or one-time collaboration with another brand can be beneficial to both parties. There are numerous ways to team up with other businesses, including YouTube videos, joint podcasts, and so on.
For example, Apple and MasterCard, both very recognizable brands, collaborated to create Apple Pay. This resulted in a new way to do financial transactions. Ultimately, this union was extremely advantageous for both companies.
11. Be Funny
Humor in marketing is often underrated. Yet, humor can be incredibly powerful to convey your message. You see, it breaks the tension between yourself and your customers, and creates an emotional connection.
Also, it grabs attention and makes your brand more relatable. So, by all means, don’t hesitate to focus your strategy around funny GIFs, videos, memes, and whatever else you think makes sense to your business.
Use social media posts, and include them in your blog posts, and your newsletters. Just make sure you get the right content for your target audience. Also, don’t forget to utilize user-generated content whenever possible.
12. Offer Freebies
Everyone loves free stuff, right? A lot of big brands, like Red Bull, often use this tactic and give away free samples of their products at events. You are probably aware how this strategy works.
The results are that you gain immediate brand awareness, and publicity. Additionally, you will offer free products to a lot of potential customers, and receive feedback. This is one of those straightforward fun marketing ideas that you shouldn’t be afraid to try.
13. Create a Playlist on Spotify/Apple Music
Music is a universal language. Using popular music streaming services, like Spotify and Apple Music, you can create playlists that reflect your brand values.
Did you know that, Nike, for example, have their own playlist on Spotify? They also update it regularly to stay relevant.
14. Participate in Quora/Reddit Discussions
Both Quora and Reddit have become quite influential in recent months. Therefore, it’s a good idea to invest some time and effort into replying to topics related to your industry, in order to position yourself as an expert.
What’s more, they can help you rank higher in search engine results pages. Not to mention, both platforms have a huge following, so your company can get exposed to tons of potential customers.
Final Words
There you have it, 14 out-of-the-box ideas for marketing. Hopefully, you’ve found at least a few of them worth trying out.
Sure, there’s nothing wrong with doing a regular marketing campaign, but thinking outside the box is important. A lot of great, innovative marketing strategies were discovered this way.
All your marketing efforts will not be in vain, if you manage to discover a unique way of connecting with your potential and existing customers.