In a post at his blog, Drew's Marketing Minute, Drew McLellan presents the case of Jay Nussbaum, a novelist who figured he might as well use viral video to promote his latest effort, A Monk Jumped Over a Wall.
To tease the reading public, Nussbaum dramatized a scene from his story of an ethical lawyer who battles a devious client. Doesn't sound all that exciting, does it? But Nussbaum overcame that obstacle by giving his (possibly NSFW) video a name guaranteed to generate page views at YouTube: Nymphomercial.
The title isn't totally off-topic because, before we get to the novel's surreal sequence, we're treated to a Portia de Rossi look-a-like in a turquoise bikini who rolls around on the floor and reads excerpts from the book. She then makes an improbable appearance in the scene itself—it isn't clear if she's part of the novel, or simply an extension of the nymphomercial's gimmick—and also to offer a final thought: "I mean, if a book is good, you don't need a hot girl to sell it. But she just might get you to jump the wall." Wink.
"Was it a safe choice?" asks McLellan. "Hardly. How many remarkable products/companies stay in the safe zone? How could you use viral video to shout over the crowd and be heard in a remarkable way?" And we think pondering those questions will give you plenty of Marketing Inspiration.
More Inspiration:
Mack Collier: Can a Blog Sell Cream Cheese?
Stephen Denny: Tipping Points and the Psychology of Influence
Michael Rubin: Five Easy Ways to Build Sustainable Word-of-Mouth
by Oliver Feakins
