Podcast

#505: How Audacious of a Brand Storyteller Are You?

What’s one of the most audacious marketing stunts you’ve pulled for your brand?

In 1983, I interned at The Fearey Group public relations firm in Seattle, WA.

One of my jobs was to promote the Seattle Symphony Golf Classic, a fundraiser featuring no less than Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

So I borrowed a yacht from John and Lyla Fluke, owners of Fluke Manufacturing, to cruise the Evergreen Point Bridge at rush hour the Friday before the event.

I dressed some buddies in tuxedos, assembled them on the bow, and pretended to play orchestral music as I blared recordings of the greats through speakers to the parking lot that the bridge had become.

My audacity also landed me and my fledgling career some publicity.

Time’s Columnist Michael Conant wrote about our publicity stunt in the Sunday paper.

I’m wired to find weird ways to tell our client’s stories. Plus I love to train them and their people how to find their fun and fascinating storyteller within.

That’s why I so enjoyed Mark Schaefer’s new book, Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World.

Audacious is brimming with stories of crazy promotional stunts, whacky word-of-mouth marketing, and awe-inducing customer experiences that will inspire you to get a little nutty with your brand storytelling.

Mark is a globally recognized author, speaker, podcaster, and business consultant who blogs at {grow} — one of the top five marketing blogs of the world.

He teaches graduate marketing classes at Rutgers University and has written eight best-selling books.

His many global clients include Pfizer, Cisco, Dell, Adidas, and the US Air Force.

He has been a keynote speaker at prestigious events all over the world including SXSW, Marketing Summit Tokyo, and the Institute for International and European Affairs.

Mark has appeared as a guest on media channels such as CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and CBS News.

What’s In It For You: