Exploiting Publicity Stunt: Lessons from OTIS and HILDA BACI
Recipes for Modern Market Breakthrough
CROWDWORK
Why do you think brands like MTN, INDOMIE, COCA COLA organize street dancing competitions?
Why does Red Bull champion daring stunts and campaigns?
Why does APPLE and SAMSUNG organize grand events and showdowns?
Why did ELON MUSK test out his CYBERTRUCK in front of the camera (remember that stunt which failed woefully at first attempt by the way)?
Why do people attempt GUINNESS RECORDS?
The simple answer is…
“Nothing attracts a crowd more than a crowd.”
And in the consumerist world we are in, where everything is about marketing, and selling, this strategy gives you “all the exposure you need.”
You’re walking ‘jejely’ on the street and you see people gathering and cheering. It takes a strong resolve to not want to see what is going on or to eventually join them.
This is one of the best MARKETING STRATEGY you will ever need if you intend to enter the market space and enter it BIG.
THE MECHANIC YOU DIDN’T KNOW EXISTED
There are no witches and spells today, just mechanics.
So I’ll tell you two stories, the first of which was promised last week.
I’ll tell you of a man who revolutionized architecture. A man whose use of the PUBLICITY STUNT made it possible to build the famous EIFFEL TOWER and to have buildings like the BURJ KHALIFA. I’ll tell you the story of a mechanic named ELISHA OTIS. Stay with me.
In the 19th century, no one really fancied living in storey buildings.
In fact, it was much cheaper to live on the third or fourth floor than to live on the first floor or second. The higher you went, the cheaper you paid.
Crazy right?
WHY? ELEVATORS!!!
People were scared of the thought of using elevators because if the ropes snapped, it could only mean one thing: DEATH. Elevators were literally seen as DEATH TRAPS.
So the concept of building houses was more horizontal than vertical. Buildings were safer spread and wide than stacked and tall, and elevators were only used for goods and not humans.
The only option of going up your floor is the stairs and stairs are tiring.
Imagine you run out of water or you went shopping for the month - those loads. Or you have a sick dad on the third floor you have to wheel to the hospital once every week and because you can’t afford to live downstairs, you have no choice.
So, now you have the hang of it.
Remember, we’re talking of the 19th century here.
People were so scared of using elevators as a substitute so much that when OTIS came out to say that he had solved the rope-snapping threat by inventing BRAKES, no one believed him.
Until…..
In 1854, he took matters into his own hands at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in New York and staged a stunt.
He rode one of his elevators high above the crowd and then ordered the guy above him to cut the rope. The elevator dropped a bit before stopping. THE WHOLE CROWD GASPED!!!
He then ordered the second rope to be cut, and the same thing happened.
BUT THE ELEVATOR STOPPED. Otis was saved.
His safety brakes had worked. And he forever changed architecture.
We can now have high, tall buildings without fear or stress because OTIS made us trust HEIGHT (I still dey fear height sha).
So when next you enter an elevator and you’re cruising meters from the ground into the sky with utmost comfort and assurance of safety, remember the mechanic who made it possible!
But what’s the point of this story? The second story.
HILDA BACI: THE NIGERIAN MECHANIC
When HILDA BACI broke the Guinness record for the longest cook-a-thon in May 2023 (a publicity stunt), we were super proud as Nigerians.
However, what some people possibly didn’t know is that, after that feat, the numbers soared on an online cooking school she had going - Hilda Baci Academy (which now has over 30,000 students worldwide and an entry fee of 50,000 naira).
And when she announced that she would run a CHRISTMAS SPECIAL in December of the same year, which ran for 50,000 naira also, thousands of candidates poured in. One record even said more than 5,000 participants. Now, do the math.
Sweet Two Hundred and Fifty million naira! It could be more, who knows?
Mind you, the record she broke DIDN’T EVEN LAST TILL DECEMBER before another Irish cook, ALAN FISHER ‘rebroke’ the record.
This year, she has broken another record as we all know with the BIGGEST POT OF JOLLOF RICE STUNT.
And guess what? Another CHRISTMAS LIMITED COOKING EDITION is being launched. See a pattern
Celebrity status + publicity stunt = Successful product launches. What more perfect combo is there to it?
Think of TUNDE ONAKOYA breaking the Guinness record too. Have you followed his life since then? If you haven’t, I’ll tell you in one word - TRANSFORMED!!!
I recently saw that TACHA (the ex-BB Naija housemate) attempted to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the most makeovers in 24 hours. She now waits for official confirmation.
Watch out, a launching is near! There’s a pattern and I hope you’re seeing it now. It’s not just chance or luck. It’s a calculated strategy and it works.
And don’t think only positive PR works. In fact, negative PR works better (I’ll talk about RYAN HOLIDAY and media manipulation another time). Think of it, what spreads better than lies, controversies and misinformation? And what better way to draw attention than engineer these? Anyway, till then.
So now, when you see people dancing on the street for one carton of Indomie or those doing PEPSI dance challenge, you know what it is.
It’s not really about them. It’s a staged PUBLICITY STUNT. It’s MARKETING.
YOU WAN BREAK GUINNESS RECORD?
And while you and I can’t go on to break records or pull these types of stunts, make your work public in any way you can, in the small ways you can.
Post on your WhatsApp status. Post on your other social media handles. Connect with people and tell them what you do. Join communities. Participate in events. Be out there.
Document your journey. Share your success and your failures. Build your skill (if possible, in public). People are always watching. Your help or referral could come from anywhere.
Remember, if you own a business or intent to start one, YOU ARE NOT THE ONE PAYING THE BILLS OR SALARY.
YOUR CUSTOMERS DO!!!
“Na them dey fund you.”
And how will they know what you’re selling without showing them?
So if there’s any advice I’d give you, having read this far…
START YOUR OWN PUBLICITY STUNT TODAY!
Com toda a humildade,
Precious.
A FINAL TWIST
Fame gets you one step closer to your goals, actually marketing yourself is another skill set altogether. Notice how OTIS didn’t sell his elevators? He addressed the FEAR in people’s mind. Marketing is more psychological. And even though the market is dynamic, HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY barely changes. Talk for another day.
Learnt something new today? Let me know what it is.
Wanna talk?
Missed the last publication? No worries.
It's high time I studied your hooks and pattern interruptions man. Loveeee itttt.
Once again, an incredible piece that needs a publicity stunt
Thanks for another beautiful articulated post, the more I was reading the more it was becoming interesting 😀😊kudos. Gratia!!!!!