A dairy company ran an exciting promotion that had a device inside small milk cartons that made a 'moo' sound when the carton was opened.  If the consumer had that carton, they would be a winner.  

The promotion hit the wall when one of the cartons was opened on an airplane and the "lucky winner" looked inside and saw wires.  Panic ensued and the plane was forced to make an emergency landing.  

The dairy company was held responsible for all the costs associated with the emergency and had to pull the promotion from the market immediately. Disaster.

So, what went wrong?

The company designed the promotion without taking into consideration a number of external factors that, if thought out ahead of time, would have helped them prevent this disaster from happening.  

For example, if they had considered exactly where their small cartons were being distributed, they would have realized that placing that kind of promotion in the hands of airline passengers may be problematic.

They were guilty of a tactical marketing approach. A strategic marketing approach would have prevented this disaster from happening.

What you should be looking for: Maximizing your opportunities

Marketing is all about choices, and making the right choices gives you the ability to maximize opportunities.  It is all too simple to pick a marketing tactic in isolation and to implement it without weighing the alternatives.

Often, companies simply go with the tried and tested "oldies" – brochures, business cards, web site etc. – and feel that as long as they've spent their money they are ok. 

This makes them undifferentiated and a follower.  The answer:  Change your way of thinking. 

Bonus for our readers: The Mastermind Solutions' Marketing Tip Videos

by Neville Pokroy, a principal of Mastermind Solutions Inc. Neville's expertise includes strategic marketing planning and execution, and the Digital Umbrella.

Neville can be reached at neville@mastermindsolutions.ca or 905-886-2235.