Ali Kebap and word of mouth - cost effective selling at it's best

Tags: viral marketing, word of mouth, increasing sales

A huge proportion of the world won't know anything about Ali or his kebaps. I didn't until wandering round Geneva at the weekend, then I just saw a poster and enquired as to whether there was a new kebap shop in town, and how bizarre for it to be advertising on posters.

It's also probably not immediately apparent why I'm talking about Ali and this campaign - but bare with me. Herein lies a lesson for small businesses and an example of how viral marketing and word of mouth can have a significant impact - all you need to do is be creative.

Essentially, global advertising agency Publicis came up with the idea of just suggesting that there was a new kebap in town. Ali. However, Publicis never intended to sell kebaps or promote Ali. The primary purpose was to show just how much people talk and to remind people that what appear to be off topic posters can still have a role to play.

I'd like to come from a slightly different angle.

It's not always easy to get people talking about you, and often it can cost money (I'm pretty sure that Publicis spent a fair amount on the posters themselves and getting them placed). But, the power of speech and social interaction meant that this became one of the most talked about subjects during August.

It also showed that you do not have to create the campaign, but maybe if there is a campaign you can ride the wave of, you must take your opportunity. For Ali also generated business for kebaps shops who merely said "We don't know who Ali is, but ours are better".

Trying to find that alternative angle, getting a little bit creative about positioning and then trying to exploit can have significant benefits whether online or offline. You just need to find that sweet spot to get people talking.

Just try not to get them talking negatively.