Post on 16-Jul-2015
The Oldest Window Cleaner in the World
If you have limited funds when you start
a new business how do you get the
phone to ring? I didn’t have the money
to invest into traditional marketing and
advertising when I started my window
cleaning business so I came up with my
own version of Guerilla Marketing. My
idea was to launch a new “Feature
Creature” every month. By generating
free publicity I could attract new
customers and build a brand at minimal
cost. It seemed like a very good plan.
The Idea:
The Goal: Introduce the International Window Cleaning Company to the
Orlando business community by executing a creative publicity
event that would feature the IWC immediately following Super Bowl
XXIII using my first Feature Creature Rhett Van Nickel.
I typed up a press release
announcing the details of the
appearance of Rhett Van
Nickel along with the storyline
of how he got lost in time. I
circulated the press releases
to the Orlando TV stations.
I cleaned the windows at all of their locations in exchange for used tuxedos that
they were removing from inventory. I cut and hemmed the length of most of the
pants making tuxedo shorts which I wore along with a tuxedo shirt,
cummerbund, suspenders, bow tie and tennis shoes. Wearing tuxedos certainly
set me apart from my competitors.
I had in place a trade agreement
with Mitchell’s Formal Wear in
Orlando, FL. I already had accounts
in all of the malls and since
Mitchell’s had tux rental stores in
the malls. It was a win win.
Wardrobe:
Funding: I didn’t have money to pay for the
makeover. One of my customers
owned a theatrical supply store. I
pitched her on partnering with me
to bring my series of Feature
Creatures to life. She jumped in.
We both felt that if the Rhett Van Nickel promotion was successful then we
would partner together in bringing the ensuing eleven Feature Creatures to life
and we would both profit. I arrived at the her store at 4:00 am on the morning
of Super Bowl XXIII. Her theatrical team had been up all night building the wig.
The beard was constructed on my face. What an eye opening experience.
Construction:
It literally took nine hours for
the make-up artist to finish the
construction of Rhett Van
Nickel. I sat in chair getting into
character, visualizing what I
would do and wondering if the
editors would respond to the
press releases I sent out
during the week and send TV
reporters out to film it.
Execution:
I arrived at the mall with a girlfriend who acted as my assistant and a
photographer friend of mine. We were all pretty stoked about being
there. To our relief a camera crew met us at the designated spot.
For whatever reason the interview
didn’t go well. Who knew that I would
have a sudden case of camera fright
and as a result the interview footage
wasn’t really useable. That was
disappointing for the entire team.
the San Francisco 49ers edged out the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16. The
news anchors aired Rhett washing windows in the mall but gave no
reference to my company or to my partnering theatrical company. From
a marketing stand point the first Feature Creature promotion seemed a
dismal failure and marked the end of my theatrical partnership.
Final
Assessment:
Rhett Van Nickel made it
on the news right after Joe
Montana, Jerry Rice and