A few articles back a regular commenter, Dennis, suggested it may be useful to offer some suggestions on non-traditional advertising possibilities for small businesses in the Philippines. This article will offer one such suggestion. There are a number of avenues that might be considered, so hopefully this first suggestion will serve as a means of opening up the debate on how small businesses in the Philippines can think strategically about using their typically small advertising budgets most effectively.
Being a small business owner myself, I have encountered the common headache of how to go about advertising when the traditional mediums are either too expensive or not particularly well-targeted. To be completely frank, I have found it hard to come up with a coherent strategy that gets the intended message out, to the right audience, at an acceptable price. I have talked to a number of other small business owners over the years and they have come to similar conclusions.
Ads on a Jeepney
I think the problem I have outlined is big, but not entirely daunting. There are a number of good tips and alternative strategies small business owners might want to explore. For example, guerrilla marketing tactics might be something to consider. The term was coined and defined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book Guerrilla Marketing. The term has since entered the popular vocabulary and is referenced in virtually all modern marketing textbooks. The goal is to come up with unconventional tactics that result in unique, engaging concepts that grab hold of consumers.
Billboards are a standard advertising medium, but they are generally expensive for small business owners in the Philippines. But how about putting a guerrilla marketing twist on this form of advertising? How about something unconventional, but affordable and targeted? A possible solution — advertising ‘painted’ on jeepney’s. This isn’t an entirely new concept. Most jeepney’s are already plastered with slogans and graphics and stickers. But partnering with a jeepney operator might prove beneficial to both the operator and small business owner. For the same price one pays for a month or two of radio/tv advertising, one could have a jeepney custom painted with a message directly related to the small business looking for targeted mobile advertising. The jeepney owner only has to drive the route he is assigned, and for his trouble, he collects a small weekly sum directly from the small business owner.
The beauty of this concept is that the small business owner can target customers very effectively. If most of his/her customers drive, they will likely ‘see’ the jeepney at least a few times per week on the road and while stuck in traffic. All the small business owner has to do is choose a jeepney operator that has a route that follows the main arteries of the area targetted. To make sure the advertising remains in tact, have the jeepney operator personally pick up his weekly/monthly fee with the jeep and in person. The small business owner can check to make sure no new stickers have been added to cover up the advertising. As long as the operator knows his weekly/monthly fee depends on the jeepney being clear of other stickers or designs, he’ll surely refrain from clouding the message the small business owner has painted on the body of the jeep.
Some things need to be considered with this form of uncommon advertising. First, the small business owner may want to target jeepney drivers who are more courteous in their driving than others. I can hear many of you groaning right now — some may even argue there is no such thing as a courteous jeepney driver. I think there are some drivers that are worse than others. The key in this situation may be finding the least aggressive driver. You don’t want a jeepney driver who cuts everyone off, especially one of your potential customers who then is reminded it was small business X that had something to so with being cut off. How can you find a decent jeepney driver? Ask a female office worker who rides a jeep which one she prefers if given the choice. I guarantee female commuters remember which jeep drivers are more courteous than others.
Another point to consider is how often you will pay the driver his advertising fee. Once per week is probably best — you know for sure the jeep is on the road and working if they have to collect on a weekly basis. No vehicle, no fee. You could opt to have a monthly pick-up, but for the amount of time it takes to visually inspect the jeep, I think a weekly meeting is not too difficult.
And finally, be as selective as possible when choosing a jeepney operator. Be very certain that the route of the jeepney is the one you think will reach your target market best. Furthermore, opt for a small multi-cab operator whenever possible — the amount of painting necessary is kept to a minimum, and this will make your advertising investment even smaller than a larger jeep but will still be on the road just the same.
I hope this article helps you get thinking about new and creative advertising strategies for your small business. Please feel free to offer some of your insights and suggestions on other uncommon advertising opportunities that may be particularly well-suited to small business owners in the Philippines.
About Martin
So we’ve had our website up since inception of our humble establishment, and we now have a blog…
We’ve toyed with the idea of tweeting (did I say that right?) and the requisite, accompanying facebook page to keep pace with the Generation I crowd – though at some point, you begin to wonder, how many social networks do you have to belong to to get your message across, and how much time can you dedicate to maintain all of them?
Leave it up to Martin to come up with an idea so far-fetched and so detached from the new rules of mainstream marketing, that it just might work…
I don’t mean to downplay the importance of having an online presence and using it effectively. We post updates and specials on the local equivalent of craigslist. This particular one attracts a large audience and is well maintained and well organized. So the intended market is reached and the price is right (i.e. free).
You are correct about the challenges of marketing a small business in the Philippines. We’ve tried radio and know that it works(for our type of business anyway), much like print or TV would. But for a small business like ours, the cost far outweighs the benefits.
Thanks for sharing this brilliant idea and for looking into all the minute details and angles. Sounds like a fun project!!! Again, who would’ve thunk…rusty jeepney as rolling billboard!!
I need to get that book.
cheers Martin,
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
I’m glad you enjoyed this article. As I mentioned in the introduction, I had you in mind when I wrote it. I don’t think this form of mobile advertising is that novel an idea — in fact, it has to have been done by somebody already in the Philippines. I guess it is similar to paid advertising found on subways and buses in other parts of the world.
My hope in writing this article is to demonstrate that while it is not a common form of advertising in the Philippines, I do think it is also within the realm of possibility for many small business owners. The great thing about the Philippines is that there are many jeepney’s involved in public transit, so it is just a matter of finding an appropriate partner who is an owner/operator of a route one thinks is traveled by the main target market of the small business. One paint job and a very small weekly fee and you can have mobile advertising for a LONG time.
I’ll try and keep coming back to this topic in the future whenever possible. Thanks for sharing, Dennis.
Hi Martin,
One suggestion I might add can be summed up in one word, FREE !
If you can somehow offer something for free, possibly with the purchase of something else then I think the ” bamboo telegraph ” would get the word around pretty quick. A lot of coffee shops offer loyalty cards whereby when you purchase ten coffees you get the eleventh for free. The cards are stamped each time by the cashier.
It seems the word ” free ” has a certain magical quality about it !
Best wishes to you for your continued success in 2010 !
Hi Randall,
There’s nothing wrong with the type of promotion you are suggesting. Offering something free isn’t always a great idea if all it means is you are giving profit away. But your suggestion is a bit different — you are suggesting building loyalty and offering a break to loyal customers as a reward for their continued patronage. It’s a good idea, and many small businesses should at least consider it.
Great suggestion, Randall!
Hi Martin/Randall,
You are right. This concept of advertising on a jeepney isn’t any different from advertising on buses in the US (to promote a new TV show, radio station or an upcoming blockbuster movie) as some of the more common examples. Just much smaller in scale, not as polished and of course, far less costly. But it illustrates a good example of thinking outside the box and getting the most exposure (using fresh and disruptive mediums) for very little investment.
To Randall’s point, the value proposition of “free” can be achieved by bundling products and/or services therefore making it a win/win for the small business owner and consumer.
And yes, a rewards program to attract repeat customers is definitely worth trying.
All excellent ideas. Thanks guys.
all the best,
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
I couldn’t agree more with your summary!
Cheers!
Hi Martin,
I found this great example of guerrilla marketing today while surfing at work. . .i think you’ll enjoy it.
http://mashable.com/2010/03/16/heineken-guerrilla-marketing/
cheers,
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
Thanks a lot for this link! This was incredible. I didn’t even hear about it until you provided the story and link. But it is brilliant!
Cheers!
Haha . . the world is changing so rapidly in terms of marketing and personal branding with the way people are using the internet and Social Media. I am reading a book called Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk. If you get a chance, get it. Or go to youtube or his website. Incredible stuff.
cheers Martin,
Dennis