Case Studies and Unique Story Angles Boost Marketing Credibility

Here is a great article out of the Wall street Journal (subscription required, sorry) talking about the importance of influencer relationships in advertising. In this instance it is large companies that are showcasing small businesses as example s of business success using the large companies’ products and/or services.

The key word in the story is credibility, and with credibility comes the opportunity to raise the profile and play at a new level. This applies to large companies as well, especially in the form of strategic partnerships. The partnership can be used to pursue a new demographic, to strengthen the perception or improve the product itself to enhance the joint brands. Boasting each brand’s strengths improves overall credibility.

So for small to medium sized companies, where have you been having a great experience with a large company you have hired? Offer yourself as a case study, tell them about the return on investment you have experienced and you might just be their next poster child in a multimillion dollar campaign.

Talking about a small company increasing its profile, I recently watched the local news and they offered a story about  a race between local courier and the reporter who had an in-car GPS device  for managing traffic and directions. There were three different races and three broadcast segments, and the courier won every time. This courier who likely has zero advertising (or PR) budget just received three 90-minute spots that highlighted him and his courier company. I bet you his business saw some remarkable lift.

Where can you leverage a unique story angle like this one and pitch it to the assignment desk/producers of your regional news? Or where is there a case study that you can offer to a large company you have bought services from?

Symbiotic Marketing Helps Big, Small Businesses
The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)

Big companies are increasingly realizing that using real people with real businesses in their ad campaigns lends credibility to their efforts. It also provides a cheap and effective way to target niche audiences--be it the African-American, Latino or other communities, such as environmentalists or pet enthusiasts.

For their part, small businesses featured in these ads get the kind of marketing and recognition that might take years to get on their own. And they do so with very little effort -- and on someone else's tab.

For example, DogToys.com, a Web retailer and wholesaler of pet products based in West Chester, Pa., was showcased last month with two other local entrepreneurs in a regional promotion for Verizon's broadband technology. Although the commercial didn't result in an immediate sales increase, founder Jill Gizzio says the ad helped her business reach a higher level of credibility. - Read the whole story...