The “Free” Camera Campaign Is about Envy, Too
June 13, 2007 by Eric Eggertson
Filed under Marketing
Some of my best blog posts start out as comments on other people’s blogs.
When Richard Becker mentioned my post about the Nikon blogger outreach campaign (or is it the payola/bribery campaign? I get confused…), I responded with this comment:
"Garnering positive blog posts isn’t the only objective of the campaign, I suspect. The envy factor is not to be underestimated.
"There are giveaways every day on radio stations, in newspapers and elsewhere. And the suppliers of the prizes get more than a product mention in return. Their product is positioned as something that, under other circumstances, you might have received. They are objects of envy."Yes, there are positive benefits to having a bunch of bloggers write about their experience with a camera, or some other piece of equipment/software/whatever. In my opinion, the real value comes when the reader imagines what would have happened if they had received the camera. They start to imagine how their life would be better if they’d been chosen.
"That’s exactly the mindset you want potential customers to have, if you’re selling cameras. You want them to have already visualized what having your camera would be like, what kind of photos they’d be taking, and what kind of comments they’d be getting from friends."
If none of us thought we might win the lottery, there would be no massive prizes because no one would buy tickets. A lot of marketing and promotions is to make whatever you’re pushing seem like a hot item. Some of that buzz might come from mentions by bloggers, but I think the biggest bang for Nikon comes from the drooling of all the people who didn’t get the use of a camera for a year.
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Tags: nikon d80, desire, envy, marketing, business, buzz, bloggers, cameras, customers, mindset
Excellent point Eric. And I’m jealous I didn’t post on this first. ;-)
That’s all part of my well planned promotional strategy!
Eric, I was thrilled to see your comment. It’s an interesting idea worthy of discussion. I responded at RecruitingBloggers.com, but just in case you missed it here’s a sum-up:
Does envy play a roll in a camera campaign? And if so, was that intended? And if so, did it generate some of the negative feedback as result? Hmmm … I’m not sure. I hope not.
Michael Kempner suggested sour grapes might be the motivation behind some of the negative comments about the campaign. In my opinion, that was one of the few mistakes he made. What’s the point of creating relationships with bloggers if you are going to alienate others?
Does a promotional ploy work on bloggers like a call-in radio show? I’m not convinced of that.
But I love that it adds to the discussion, especially because neither you and I got a camera and neither of us cared. I have two cameras and wouldn’t have known what to do with a third. Probably sent it back, I imagine.
Thanks again,
Rich
Richard:
Well, I stand by my envy statement, to the extent that I think putting a product in the hands of a lucky few can cause a shift in thinking among those who have seen the product from a distance, but never considered the possibility of getting their hands on one.
As for not caring about getting a camera, I’ve had my eye on the Nikon digital SLRs for years, since I have a few thousand dollars worth of Nikon lenses. I’m going to buy one eventually, it’s just a matter of the right time when I have the cash at hand.
This particular campaign hasn’t really changed my view on the prosumer digital SLRs from Nikon. I thought they were great before Nikon started passing them around. I still do, and when I’m feeling flush I’ll get myself one to replace the two dead Nikon bodies on my bookshelf.
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