In an earlier article this week, we discussed how doing the unexpected is a great way to engage the minds of prospective buyers.  This is so important, we should look at other examples.

Let’s look at an illustration from the book Made to Stick.

The television commercial for the new Enclave minivan opens in a familiar way — sitting in front of a park.  A young boy with a football helmet climbs in, followed by his younger sisters.  Dad’s driving and Mom’s in the passenger seat.  It looks very comfortable — with cup-holders everywhere.  ”Introducing the all-new Enclave” begins a woman’s voice-over.

Dad pulls away from the curb “It’s a minivan to the max.”  They begin cruising through quiet, tree-lined streets.  ”With features like remote-controlled sliding doors, 150 cable channels, a sky-view roof, temperature controlled cup-holders, and a six point navigation system…it’s a minivan for families on the go.”

The minivan stops at an intersection and the camera zooms in on the face of the young boy — staring out the window at leafy trees.  The picture of serenity.  Dad pull into the intersection.

That’s when it happens.  A speeding car barrels into the intersection and slams into the side of the minivan.  There’s a terrible crash with smashing glass and buckling metal.

The screen fades to black.  A message appears.  ”Didn’t see that coming?“

The message fades and a new one appears:

“No one ever does.“

With the sound of a stuck horn blaring, a final message appears on the screen.  ”Buckle up….always.“

What’s going on here?

There is no Enclave minivan.  The ad was created by The Ad Council, a government agency founded in 1942.

This technique, of doing the unexpected, is a powerful marketing concept and a key element in getting attention.

How can you duplicate this?  How can you do something unexpected with your products and services?  Find a quiet place and think.

Jeff Ogden is President of Find New Customers “Lead Generation Made Simple” He’s also the author of two highly acclaimed white papers, How to Find New Customers and Definitive Guide to Making Quota, as well the ebook, Prospect Driven Marketing. Find New Customers helps business develop and implement programs to improve the way they find and acquire new customers using best practices in lead generation.

In addition, Jeff’s hosting a great free webinar on content marketing with Joe Pulizzi (Junta42 and co-author of Get Content, Get Customers on March 11th at noon ET.  Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/536492297.